This Poached Cod in Tomato Curry with chick peas and wilted greens is an impressive restaurant-quality dish that you can make in under 30 minutes. It's also a one-pan dish, making it an excellent weekday meal option that's healthy and nutritious.
Elements of Poached Cod in Tomato Curry
What is Curry?
"Curry" refers to a style of cooking in which spices and aromatics in paste-form infuse the entire saucy dish with deep flavor. India is famous for its curries which range in spice from mild to very very hot. Many other Asian and Middle Eastern countries, along with African countries also utilize this incredibly flavorful style of cooking to bring rich, delicious flavor to food.
I learned a lot about curry by reading this curry overview from Sukhis: "What is Curry? Your Comprehensive Curry Guide". I highly suggest reading it for more information.
Tomato Curry
This Poached Cod in Tomato Curry is certainly one of the easiest curries you can make, but it admittedly breaks some rules. It calls for Ajika Georgian Seasoning Blend, which contains flavors of chili peppers, coriander, fenugreek, garlic, salt, and marigold. Cooks well-versed in making curry will implore you to make your seasoning mixes from scratch. There's good reason for this.
The flavor of freshly ground spices is almost always better than pre-ground. This goes for almost any spice, even black pepper. I know this well and agree 100%... BUT, we're trying to achieve this dish in 30 minutes, so I'm suggesting this pre-mixed seasoning blend. It's quite good as far as pre-mixed seasoning blends go.
Ajika Seasoning is a new Trader Joe's product that I highly recommend. In fact, I find their seasonings to be pretty thoughtful and tasty, like their Calabrian Chili Paste I often rave about. If you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, you can certainly achieve a similar blend on your own. Try combining coriander, cayenne, garlic powder, and fenugreek as an alternative to the Ajika Seasoning.
Poached Cod
Poaching Cod is very simple and can be done in any type of broth or sauce you like. Small 4 oz filets, like the ones used in this Poached Cod in Tomato Curry recipe, should simmer for 7 minutes. Simply set a timer and forget about life for 7 minutes. Your flaky poached cod will be waiting for you when the timer sounds.
Chick Peas and Wilted Greens
If you know me, you know I like to eat well-balanced meals containing all three main food groups: protein, carbs, and vegetables. If one is left out, I'm simply not satisfied. Chick peas are carb-heavy but healthy beans that make this Poached Cod in Tomato Curry filling and satisfying. Wilted greens such as arugula or spinach, make it even more nutritious and pretty.
Equipment
3 Quart All-Clad Sauté Pan
I love my 3-qt All-Clad Sauté Pan with all my heart. While it's not entirely necessary to use a sauté pan at this high price point, it really is an incredible pan. It heats up quickly and evenly, maintains heat well, and is really easy to clean. In my opinion it's an investment worth looking into if you like to cook. It'll last a very long time and is very versatile.
If you plan on doubling this recipe, or if you frequently feed 4-6 mouths, you would benefit from a 6-quart sauté pan. (I still don't have one of these, but it's on my list of supplies to purchase)
Good Wooden Utensils
My Earlywood Spatulas are some of my most prized possessions. I purchased The Essentials Set, which contains 2 Large Flat Sauté Spatulas, 1 "Tera Scraper"(shorter and slanted), and 1 Large Spreader.
These spoons are first and foremost, visually stunning. They're sleek with beautiful colors that vary depending on the wood you choose. If you buy this set, they offer several combinations of 4 wood types: Jatoba, Mexican Ebony, Hard Maple, and Bloodwood.
Then there's functionality. These spatulas are incredibly sturdy despite also being incredibly light weight. The thin tapered end of these spatulas is perfect for cutting, sautéing, scraping, and even flipping. They do not bend.
I can't imagine a better gift for someone who enjoys cooking, or simply wants to add a beautiful set of well-built utensils to their kitchen. We all know someone getting married this year- maybe go off-registry and buy them something from Earlywood. I think you'll be pleased.
Recipe
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Poached Cod in Tomato Curry
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Curry
- Cuisine: Fusion
Description
Poached Cod in Tomato Curry uses Trader Joes's new Ajika Georgian Seasoning as the primary seasoning in this tomato based curry. It's a little spicy, very flavorful flavorful, and downright gorgeous.
Ingredients
- Three 4oz cod filets
- One 14oz can chick peas
- One 14oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups chicken, fish, or vegetable stock
- 1 small yellow onion, sliced
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp dry oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tb Ajika Seasoning Blend
- ½ cup spinach, arugula, or other quick-wilting green
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Lightly season cod filets with salt on both sides and set them aside.
- Heat approximately 2 Tb of olive oil in a 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper and the crushed red pepper. Sauté onions for 3 minutes until they start to soften and brown around the edges.
- Add the Ajika Seasoning, oregano, and bay leaf, and sauté for 1 minute, just until the spices start to brown on the bottom of the pan. Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 1 minute. Then add the stock and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Strain 1 can of chick peas and add them to the tomato curry.
- Make sure the sauce comes back to a boil after adding the chick peas. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if you think it needs it. Then nestle the cod into the sauce and cover loosely with a lid. Turn heat to low and simmer cod for 7 minutes.
- After 7 minutes, add the greens and nestle them into the sauce around the cod filets. Cook just until wilted. Serve.
Keywords: Poached Cod in Tomato Curry, Ajika Seasoning