Chettinad-Style Basa Curry With Rice And Naan

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 (this is to warm your naans later – alternatively, you can just pop them in the toaster)

Peel and finely dice (or grate) the garlic

Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop (or grate) the ginger

Peel and finely slice the brown onion[s]

Cut the green chilli[es] in half lengthways

Roughly chop the coriander, including the stalks

Add the basmati rice and 250ml [500ml] cold water to a pot with a lid and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 10-12 min or until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once cooked, remove from the heat and keep covered until serving

Meanwhile, heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Add the yellow mustard seeds and cumin seeds to the pan and cook for 1 min or until they start to pop

Add the sliced onions with a pinch of salt and cook for 3-4 min or until the onions are starting to soften

Boil half a kettle

Once the onions have softened, add the ground turmeric and tomato paste to the pan and cook for 5-6 min further or until the onions have caramelised

Meanwhile, dissolve the vegetable stock mix in 200ml [400ml] boiled water

Once the onions have caramelised, add the diced garlic, chopped ginger, chilli halves (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and cracked black pepper and cook for 30 secs or until fragrant

Add the vegetable stock and cook for an initial 2-3 min or until the sauce has thickened slightly

Chop the basa fillets into bite-sized pieces

Add the chopped basa to the thickened sauce and cook for a further 3-4 min or until the basa is cooked through – this is your Chettinad-style basa curry

Put the garlic & coriander naans on a baking tray and put them into the oven for 5 min or until they are hot

Tip: For a little extra indulgence, butter the hot naans once they are out of the oven