Cannellini Curry with Cod

Cannellini Curry with Cod

I have to thank Skye Gyngell for the inspiration to this dish. These beautiful curried beans make a meal on their own. I have also found them to be a crowd pleaser amongst the carnivores in the house!

Serves: 4

#2 portion of vegetables per serving

  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 4 cardamom pods, seeds removed (discard pods)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 long red chillies, sliced (deseeded if you like a milder heat)
  • 12 curry leaves
  • 6 kafir lime leaves
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon raw honey
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 2 x 340gm tins / jars good quality tomatoes
  • 450g drained weight cannellini beans
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 800g spinach
  • 800g sustainable cod fillet, cut into 4
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Begin by placing the coriander, mustard, fenugreek and cardamon seeds in a frying pan and gently heat until the seeds start to become fragarant and try and jump out of the pan! Then tip into a mortar and grind with a pestel while still warm. If you don’t have one of these, you can place in sturdy bowl and use the end of a rolling pin.

Heat the coconut oil over a medium heat in large saucepan, then add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Then add the warm ground spices to the onions, along with the chilli, curry and lime leaves and cook for 5 mins. Then add the honey, lime juice and fish sauce, stir well and cook for 5 mins. (If you end up liking this dish as much as I do, the smell will be driving your mad by now!).

Next add the tomatoes and cook for another 10 mins, then add the canelleni beans and coconut milk and cook gently for another 5 mins.

You can if you wish prepare this far in advance

10 mins before serving, pre heat the oven to 220C / Gas 7.

Bring the curried beans back to a simmer. Thoroughly was the spinach and drain (I use a salad spinner to remove the excess water) and then lay it on top of the bean curry and put the lid on the pan. Stir occasionally as the spinach wilts and mix into the curry (takes about 5 mins).

While the spinach is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in an ovenproof frying pan over medium high heat, season the cod with freshly ground black pepper and Himalayan pink rock salt and add to the pan, skin side up and fry for 2 mins until light golden, then turn over and fry for a further 2 mins before placing in the oven for approx 5-7 mins, until the fish is no longer translucent and is white all the way through (depending on thickness of fillet).

To serve, spoon the bean curry into bowls and place the cod fillets on top.   This is soooo good, my mouth is watering just writing this!