Bengali-style salmon fish curry

Coat the salmon with salt, turmeric powder and a little oil; set aside.

Thinly slice part of the large onion and loosen the slices; blend the rest with ginger, garlic and some water to a fine paste (or grate).

Mix the yogurt with turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder, cumin and coriander powder and about two tablespoons of water; stir well so it does not curdle in the hot pan.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat; bring mustard oil to its smoking point to drive off the pungent smell. Hot oil stops the fish sticking.

Lay the fish in away from you, with tongs or a spoon; fry on high heat until golden brown, hardly a minute a side for salmon (freshwater fish takes longer); do not overfry or it turns rubbery. Remove to a bowl and fry the next batch.

Lower the heat and add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamoms, cloves and the torn dried red chili to the remaining oil.

Add the onion slices with a little salt and stir on medium heat until they just start to darken.

Add the onion-ginger-garlic paste and stir on medium heat a few minutes until the raw smell goes and oil shows around the sides.

Turn the heat as low as possible, add a splash of water, add the yogurt spice mix and stir immediately; raise to medium and stir until dry-looking.

Add a little sugar (optional), then the tomatoes and a little water; cover about three minutes until softened, then salt.

Add about a cup and a half of warm water, rinsing the yogurt bowl with it; when the gravy bubbles add the fish and its juices.

At a boil, cover on low heat about 8 minutes (10 for fish with bones); do not stir with a spoon so the fish does not break.

Taste and adjust the seasoning; garam masala and coriander leaves are optional. Serve with hot steamed rice.