RECIPE: Curried coconut fish soup with roti

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 x 400g can pilchards in hot chilli sauce

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 onion, peeled and sliced

1cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

15-30ml (1-2 tbsp) green curry paste, depending on your heat preference

1 x 400g can coconut milk

250ml (1 cup) vegetable stock

200g butternut, peeled and cut into small cubes

250g baby vegetables, halved (brinjals, marrows, patty pans, carrots)

1 handful fresh coriander, half chopped

4 roti or flatbreads, warmed

Method:

1. Drain the pilchards and separate them. Reserve the sauce.
2. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the onion, ginger and garlic over a medium heat until softened and golden.
3. Add the curry paste and allow to cook for one minute.
4. Add the reserved sauce, coconut milk, stock and butternut. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the butternut is tender.
5. Add the baby vegetables and chopped coriander. Cook for 5-10 minutes more until vegetables are just cooked but still firm to the bite.
6. Remove from heat and gently stir in the pilchards.
7. Serve in soup bowls garnished with the remaining coriander accompanied by the roti or flatbreads for dipping.

• Recipe from 'Seven Colours with Fish' by Lucky Star (Tamsin Snyman Publishers).