Sardine Curry (canned)

0/4

Work top to bottom — prep ahead while timers run

Gather everything first, then follow the steps

Protein· 1

120 g canned sardines in tomato (≈1 small tin, with sauce)120g

Vegetables· 5

50 g red onion (sliced)50g
70 g tomato (1 small, wedges)70g
8 g red chili (1, sliced)8g
8 g garlic (minced)8g
6 g ginger (minced)6g

Spices· 2

5 g curry powder (1 tsp)5g
pinch of salt(staple)2g

Fats & oils· 1

5 g cooking oil (1 tsp)5g

Tip the sardines out with their tomato sauce and set aside; break the fish into large chunks, keeping them intact.
Why? Canned sardines are already cooked and rich in omega-3, and the soft bones are edible for a calcium boost — keeping the tin's tomato sauce as a curry base wastes none of that flavour.
Next up:Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the garlic, ginger, onion and red chili over medium heat for ~2 min, then add the curry powder and fry 30 s until fragrant.
Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the garlic, ginger, onion and red chili over medium heat for ~2 min, then add the curry powder and fry 30 s until fragrant.
Why? Curry powder must be bloomed in a little oil to release its fat-soluble aromatics — the original leans on a big scoop of santan for richness, but 1 tsp of oil is all we need here.
Watch out: Curry powder scorches and turns bitter fast — add the tomato and water from the next step right away, don't dry-fry it too long.
Next up:Add the tomato wedges and 4 tbsp water; simmer over medium-low for 3 min until the tomato softens and releases its juice into a thin curry base.
3 min · hands-free
Add the tomato wedges and 4 tbsp water; simmer over medium-low for 3 min until the tomato softens and releases its juice into a thin curry base.
Why? The extra fresh tomato gives the curry natural sweet-tang and body, standing in for the creaminess of santan — at a tiny fraction of its calories.
03:00
Next up:Slide the sardines with their tomato sauce into the pan, add a pinch of salt, and simmer gently for 2 min, swirling the pan to coat the fish rather than stirring.
2 min · hands-free
Slide the sardines with their tomato sauce into the pan, add a pinch of salt, and simmer gently for 2 min, swirling the pan to coat the fish rather than stirring.
Why? The fish is already cooked, so it only needs 2 min to warm through and take on the gravy; swirling instead of stirring keeps the chunks whole.
Tip: Serve with half a bowl of brown rice and a handful of blanched greens for a meal that's got protein, fibre and omega-3 covered.
02:00