- 900g/2lb monkfish tails, trimmed
- 5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ lemon, juice only
- 90g/3½oz coriander root, roughly chopped
- 2 green chillies, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 200g/7oz canned tomatoes, chopped
- 150ml/5fl oz natural plain full-fat yoghurt
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp roughly chopped coriander leaves
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 200g/7oz gram flour (also called chickpea flour or besan)
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
- 75ml/3fl oz water
- For the monkfish, cut the monkfish tails into 2cm/1in thick slices and place in a bowl.
- Combine the ginger, garlic, salt and lemon juice in a food processor and blend to a paste.
- Add the paste to the monkfish and mix well. Set aside to marinate for up to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, blend the coriander root and green chillies in the processor to make a coarse purée.
- Heat a wok, then add the vegetable oil and marinated monkfish and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the puréed coriander and chilli, and fry for a further minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil, before immediately reducing the heat to a simmer.
- Simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add the yoghurt and cook for a further two minutes, or until thickened slightly. Taste to check the seasoning and add salt and freshly ground black pepper as necessary. Add half of the chopped coriander.
- For the poppadoms, heat a small frying pan until hot and fill with 3cm/1½in vegetable oil – keep on a low heat until you're ready to cook the poppadoms. Do not leave unattended.
- Mix the gram flour and coriander seeds in a bowl. Add the water and stir to form a stiff dough.
- Remove a walnut-sized ball of the dough from the bowl and roll out on a clean surface to make a thin circle no larger than the frying pan.
- Adjust the heat until the oil is medium hot (the surface should shimmer slightly). Cook the poppadoms, one at a time, for 30-45 seconds on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- To serve, spoon the coriander monkfish among four bowls, top with the remaining coriander and pile the poppadoms alongside.