Spice-crusted sea bream wrapped in banana leaf

Method

1. Combine the ground chilli, salt and lime juice in a flat, non-reactive dish. Put the fillets into the dish, coat with the marinade and set aside for 30 minutes.

2. For the spice crust: pound the shallots, garlic and peppercorns together to a coarse paste. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Heat the banana leaves in a hot pan or in the microwave until they are soft and pliable.

4. Cover the bream fillets with the spice crust and wrap them, one by one, in the banana leaves. Set aside while you prepare the chutney.

5. For the green mango and coconut chutney: put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste, adding a little water if required.

6. Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Put in the leaf-wrapped bream fillets, cover and cook on a low heat for 3-4 minutes. Turn the fish, cover and cook on the other side for a further 3-4 minutes.

7. Remove the fish from the banana leaves and serve with the green mango and coconut chutney.

Cook's note: This method of coating fish with intensely flavoured spice mixes and cooking it in banana leaves is a traditional method of cooking in Kerala, in India's south. The leaf protects the spices from burning and seals the flavours inside, keeping the fish moist. The charred leaf is then discarded before serving.

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Ingredients

1/2 tsp ground red chilli
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 lime, juice only
4 medium fillets sea bream, scaled and pin-boned
4 banana leaf, cut into 25-30cm squares
1 tbsp vegetable or corn oil

For the spice crust

4 Shallots, peeled
4 garlic cloves
10 peppercorns
1 tsp ground red chilli
20 curry leaves, finely shredded
2 tbsp vegetable or corn oil
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
2 tbsp white vinegar

For the green mango and coconut chutney

3 green mangoes, peeled, deseeded and cut into dices
275ml grated fresh Coconut
1 shallot, sliced
1 garlic clove
2 tsp ground red chilli
1 tbsp vegetable or corn oil
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Sugar
3 tbsp water

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