Fish Patties In Tomato & Peanut Butter Sauce

Rinse the fish and dry it with a clean kitchen towel. Set the towel aside, you’ll need to use it again. Dice the fish roughly and put it in a food processor. If you are using a small processor, do it in a few batches. Pulse 2-3 times but don’t over do it. The fish should be processed but not pasty. Put it in a medium bowl.

No need to wash the processor, put the onion, jalapeño and cilantro in the food processor and pulse until everything is chopped small. Put the chopped fish and veggies in the center of the kitchen towel. Gather the corners and squeeze it over the bowl to get rid of most of the liquids. Discard the liquids and put the fish and veggies into the bowl. Add the turmeric, salt and eggs (or bread crumbs) and mix with your hands to combine. Let the mixture rest while you make the sauce or store in the fridge.

To make the sauce: warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and mix. Don’t let the spices burn, lower the heat if necessary. Cook for 2 minutes then add the blended tomatoes and salt. Bring into a boil then lower the heat to simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Add the peanut butter, fish sauce and cilantro, and mix. Taste and correct seasoning and turn the heat to medium.

Roll the fish mixture into small patties and place them straight into the sauce. Cook on medium-low heat, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and drizzle a little bit of olive oil. Garnish with jalapeño and serve with rice or homemade bread rolls or challah, and a green salad on the side.