Green spice fish (Patra ni Machi) with stuffed peppers recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

Rinse the moong dhal, then boil in 400ml of water for 40 minutes, or until the mix is thick and most of the water has been absorbed. Press the dhal between your fingers to check it has cooked through, then mash until smooth.

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the peppers on a baking tray, sprinkle with cumin seeds, drizzle with vegetable oil and roast for 20 minutes until tender.

With a pestle and mortar, pound the green chillies and ginger to a fine paste. heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan and add a good pinch of asafoetida to the paste, fry for a minute, then add the onion and cook until soft. Tip in the dhal mixture and fry for another minute. add the turmeric powder, then cook on a low heat for a 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously to make sure it does not burn and the dhal softens. Remove from the heat, then season with salt and add half of the coriander. Once the dhal has cooled, fill the peppers with it and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with more chopped coriander.

To make the fish spice paste, put all the ingredients in a food processor with 2 tbsp vegetable oil, season with salt and blend until smooth. Put the fish on a plate and smear a thick layer of the green spice paste on one side of each fillet. Tear off 4 large pieces of kitchen foil and fold each in half so they are double thickness, then fold in half again, or use banana leaves - you can find these in the frozen section at Asian supermarkets. Put the fish in the middle of the folded foil then seal on all sides, or wrap in banana leaves. Cook the fish parcels in a steamer for about 10-12 minutes. Take to the table alongside the lime wedges to squeeze over. Serve with the peppers.