Spiced Persian Fish Stew With Freekeh

Rinse the freekeh, then add it to a pot with plenty of cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cook for 20-25 min or until tender but with a bite, then drain and return to the pot

Peel and finely chop the shallot[s]

Peel and finely slice (don't chop!) the garlic

Chop the tomatoes into small, bite-sized pieces

Cut the green chilli[es] in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop finely

Boil a kettle

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

Once hot, add the chopped shallot with a pinch of salt and cook for 2-3 min until starting to soften

Meanwhile, chop the basa fillets into large, bite-sized pieces

Dissolve 1/2 [1] the Knorr vegetable stock cube in 250ml [500ml] boiled water and add the tomato paste and tamarind paste – this is your tamarind stock

Once the shallot has started to soften, add the chopped garlic, chopped tomatoes and half the chopped chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and cook for 2 min

Add the ground fenugreek, turmeric and paprika and cook for 1 min further or until everything is combined

While the shallots are cooking, add the tamarind stock and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2 min further or until the stock has reduced slightly

Meanwhile, chop the coriander finely, including the stalks

Once the stock has reduced, add the chopped basa and chopped coriander to the pan and cook, covered for 4-5 min until the fish is cooked through – this is your Persian fish stew

Tip: Your fish is cooked once it turns opaque and flakes easily