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1
Marinate the fish in the lemon juice with good pinches of salt and turmeric per fillet.
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2
Leave aside for 20 minutes.
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3
Heat half the oil in a large frying pan.
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4
Add the fish and fry on one side for 20-30 seconds then turn and do the same with this side.
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5
Place straight onto the banana leaves or foil packets.
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6
Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the curry leaves, fry for 5 seconds and add the onions, cook well until soft and lightly golden.
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7
Add the ginger, garlic and chilli and stir fry for a minute.
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8
Add the fennel, clove, black pepper and salt along with the tomatoes and a splash of water.
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9
Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the whole thing comes together.
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10
Taste, it should taste cooked and harmonious.
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11
Stir the tamarind paste.
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12
At this stage it should be a little salty and a little a bit spicy.
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13
Heat the banana leaves over fire to make them pliable and smear the inside of the leaves with some oil.
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14
Spoon a little of the masala in the centre of each leaf.
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15
Place a piece of fish on top and smear over the rest.
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16
If using foil, the masala often sticks to it and you lose a bit so smear a good amount of the mix on top of one side only.
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17
Fold over the foil or banana leaf to enclose the fish (and possible juices) properly and secure using some string or toothpicks to help.
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18
Heat the rest of the oil in a thick-bottomed pan or oil a BBQ rack or griddle pan.
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19
Add the parcels and cook, covered, for around 3-4 minutes on each side or until the banana leaf turns a pale brown.
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20
If using foil, you can also cook it in a preheated oven (200C) and bake for 10 minutes.
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21
Serve hot with lemon wedges and a salad or some potatoes on the side.
