Dr Mobeus
Pilchard Curry
Pilchard curry is one of those old school British dishes that deserves a comeback. The tinned pilchard was a store cupboard staple for generations, and the tomato sauce it comes in is already half a curry base. Add fried onion, garlic and curry powder and the tin transforms into a rich, gently spiced fish curry that is hard to believe came from a can.
Beyond the price, pilchards are one of the best value sources of omega 3 in the supermarket. A single tin delivers more of it than most fresh fish portions that cost three or four times as much. The bones soften in the tin and vanish into the sauce, so you get the calcium too without noticing they are there.
The whole dish, including the rice, comes to about 78p a portion and takes around 25 minutes. It is naturally low effort for a weeknight, but it also freezes well if you want to batch a couple of tins worth into portions for the freezer.
Pilchard Curry
Ingredients
Method
- Start the rice cooking according to the packet instructions.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion for 5 minutes until soft and beginning to colour, then add the garlic and curry powder and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Tip in the pilchards with all of their tomato sauce. Half fill one of the empty tins with water, swirl it around and pour that in too.
- Break the pilchards into large chunks with a wooden spoon. Stir in the sugar and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the sauce is dark, thick and glossy.
- Taste and season, then serve the curry over the drained rice.
Tips and Variations
Break the pilchards into big chunks and stir gently so they hold together rather than turning to mush. The bones in the tin are soft and edible, but you can remove the larger backbones if you prefer. Tinned mackerel in tomato sauce works exactly the same way. Add a handful of frozen peas or spinach in the last few minutes for extra veg, or a chopped chilli with the onion for more heat.
