Pan-Fried Murray Cod with Himalayan Spiced Spinach, Crispy Roti & Lemon Labneh

Serves 4

• Ingredients

  4 × 180g Murray cod fillets, skin on

  4 roti (Roti Canai or similar), frozen or fresh

  1 tsp ground turmeric

  4 tsp chilli oil

  8 tsp fried curry leaves

  400g Himalayan spiced spinach purée

  160g lemon labneh

  Chilli Oil

  250ml extra virgin olive oil

  50g smoked paprika

  Fried Curry Leaves

  8g fresh curry leaves

  Salt & Vinegar Mix

  40g table salt

  4g vinegar powder

• Method

  Make the chilli oil:

  Add olive oil and smoked paprika to a small saucepan. Warm over low heat for 5–10 minutes until fragrant. Cool and store in a jar for later use.

  Fry the curry leaves:

  Heat oil in a fryer or deep pan to 180°C.  Fry for ~5 seconds until translucent. Drain on paper towel and season immediately with salt & vinegar mix.

  Prepare the Himalayan spiced spinach:

  1. Small dice the onion, thin slice ginger and smash garlic

  2. In a medium sized pan on medium heat add the oil, bay leaves, star anise and cumin seeds, fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Then add onion, ginger, and garlic, sweat until caramelised. Roughly 5 minutes

  3. Whilst waiting, microwave the coriander leaves and spinach leaves until wilted. (Roughly 30 seconds)

  4. Dunk into Ice water, to cool down completely. Squeeze all the liquid from the spinach and coriander then set the spinach/coriander aside. (this stops it going brown).

  5. Add chopped tomato into the sweated onion mix, and let it cook out until its soft. Roughly 5 more minutes

  6. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric powders to the sweated onion mix and cook for one min on a low heat. Add water and let cook for a few minutes or until oil seeps out.

  7. Stir in nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, and white pepper powder, cook for 1 minute then remove from heat, place into a blender with the wilted spinach, and 100ml water, blend until smooth. Remove from blender into a pot, (If it is a bit too thick add a little more water)

  8.Keep warm, just before serving stir the cream and yogurt into the spinach and onion mix.

  Make the lemon labneh:

  In a bowl, whisk together the labneh and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until needed.

  Heat the roti:

  Place roti in a pan over medium heat with a splash of oil, cook for 2-3 minutes until golden, then flip, place in the oven, cook for 2 minutes then take out and serve.

  Pan-fry the fish:

  Pat cod fillets dry and season lightly with salt. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat with a little oil. Place fish skin-side down and cook for 4–5 minutes until the skin is crisp. Flip and cook the flesh side for 1–2 minutes or until just cooked through. Rest briefly before plating.

  Assemble the dish:

  Warm the spinach purée and spoon ~100g into the centre of each warm bowl. Place 40g of lemon labneh in the middle of the spinach. Lightly dust the fish with turmeric and place each fillet gently on top. Drizzle 1 tsp chili oil over or around the fish and sprinkle with 2 tsp of fried curry leaves per portion. Serve each with a warm roti on the side.

  Finish and serve:

  Serve immediately while warm.