- 1 lime, juice only
- 2 tbsp turmeric powder
- 4 small whole sea bass or brill, weighing approximately 300-350g/10½ -12oz each, butterflied, head left on (preferably), you can ask your fishmonger to do this for you
- 500g/1lb 2oz prawns, deveined and chopped
- 2-3 green chillies, chopped
- 5cm/2in piece ginger, finely chopped
- 15-20 fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 6-8 coriander stalks with leaves, chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- cinnamon stick, approximately 7cm/2¾in
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 heaped tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 5cm/2in piece ginger, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 fresh green chilli, roughly chopped
- 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2-3 tbsp tamarind pulp
- 5cm/2in piece jaggery or cane sugar
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- steamed rice
- chapattis
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- Blend half of the lime juice with the turmeric. Apply inside all of the fish and set aside.
- Put the prawns and the remaining ingredients (apart from the oil) in a blender and blend together. Season with more salt if required and add the remaining lime juice. Fill each fish with the prawn mixture. Press the fish down to get a straight shape and transfer to the fridge.
- Meanwhile, make the patia. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan and add the cinnamon and cook for 30 seconds. Add the onions and sauté until soft and brown, stirring regularly.
- Meanwhile blend the dry powders in a small bowl with the vinegar and a little water to make a smooth paste. Cover and set aside.
- When the onions are brown add the ginger, garlic and chillies. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add a little water to the pan to release any sugars from the onion stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the blended powders to the pan. When the mixture becomes dry add the tomatoes, tamarind and jaggery and cook gently for a further 4-5 minutes. Season with salt, add the coriander and remove from the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
- To cook the fish, heat the oil in a large frying pan with an oven-proof handle. Carefully add the fish to the pan and cook over a medium heat. When the fish has browned on one side, turn it over. The best way is to turn the fish from the centre and keep either a fork or a spatula on top and a flat fish slice or spatula at the bottom.
- When both sides of the fish are brown, place in the oven for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.
- Divide the fish between 4 plates and pour over the patia. Sprinkle the coriander on top and serve with steamed rice or warm chapattis.