Fish Makhni

Mix the fish, lime juice, salt and red chilli powder in a large, non-metallic bowl. Cover and allow to marinate for 1 hour.

Heat a flat pan or griddle on medium heat and gently roast (stirring frequently) the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves and almonds till they darken slightly. Cool and add the cardamom seeds. Now grind into a coarse powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.

Mix the MP yogurt, above whole spice powder (from previous step), coriander, cumin and turmeric powders together and add them to the fish. Allow to marinate for another hour. Heat the oil in a deep pan on medium heat. When hot, add the onions. Fry till a pale golden brown in color and then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute

Add only the fish from the fish-spice mix and fry till sealed (fish will turn opaque and the flesh will go from pink to whitish in color). Stir very gently. Now add the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, fish stock, kasuri methi and remaining part of the yogurt-spice mix to the fish.

Cook till the fish is tender and the gravy is reduced to half its original volume. Stir very gently every now and then to avoid breaking the fish up. Melt the butter in another small pan and then pour it over the fish. Garnish with coriander leaves.