Last Updated on March 4, 2016

Makes 6 Servings
Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Total Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Suggested Accompaniments
Basmati Rice
Sautéed Zucchini

Ingredients
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 (4-ounce) wild striped bass fillets, skin on and 1 1/2 to 2- inches thick
Sea salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 white onions, sliced thinly
1 fresh green chile, mild-to-moderately hot, including seeds, such as a Calistan (aka a finger hot) but a jalapeno will do
5 cups fish stock
1 (12-ounce) cans coconut milk (recommended: Chaokoh brand)
2 teaspoons cider vingar
3 cups Cauliflower florets

Directions
Put the garlic and coconut in a blender and blend to make a paste, adding a little water if necessary. Transfer the paste to a small bowl and stir in the cumin, turmeric, and pepper.

Season the fish with salt and let stand for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, chile and cook, stirring frequently, until they’re softened but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic-coconut paste and cook, stirring often, 4 minutes. Add the fish stock and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes. Add the coconut milk and vinegar and simmer for 6 minutes Add the bass and the cauliflower to the sauce bring up to a boil, and cook between 5-9 minutes.

Cook’s Notes
Fresh Green Chiles (from, “One Spice, Two Spice,” Floyds cookbook):
“My favorite is about four to six inches long with a smooth, shiny green skin: it’s full of sweetness and moderate heat. The variety is Calistan, and many growers on the West Coast and in New Mexico raise it. (Many stores on the East Coast call it a “finger hot,” and it comes in either green or red.) Because growers sell it to packagers/shippers, what you may get at the market is a mix of look-alike, taste-alike varieties. Anaheims or green cayennes are a fine substitute, so don’t worry about it. Fresh chiles don’t keep well; buy them as needed. In general, chiles are high in vitamin C; they are an appetite stimulant and aid digestion. They’re considered a cooling spice because they cause the body to perspire and thus cool down. It was interesting to find out from Floyd a few fun facts about some commonly used Indian Spices. Tumeric for example, is an amazing antioxidant. It’s also an antibiotic. So if you have a cut, you can put a little bit on your skin. If you have a sore throat, you can gargle with a little tumeric and warm water.

Spice Resources:
Kalustyan’s
123 Lexington Ave.
New York, NY 10016
www.kalustyans.com