Fried Pepper Fish

Fried Pepper Fish

This is a recipe that is a family favourite. I had a class today and my guests loved it. You just have to make it to satisfy your tastebuds and once you do, you are hooked for life.

The Recipe:

500gms boneless fish cubes or fillets, wash, clean and drain.

Masala:  1 tsp pepper powder, 1 tsp chillie powder; 1 tsp coriander powder; 1/2 tsp jeera ( cumin) powder; 2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice; 3 cloves garlic; 1/2 inch piece ginger; salt to taste; 2 tbsp rice flour or cornflour.  Blend to a smooth paste and rub all over fish. Marinade for 30 minutes.

1/2 litre oil for deep frying.

Coriander leaves and curry leaves for garnishing. Stir fry the curry leaves on medium heat  in 1/2 tsp olive oil till crisp and keep aside till required.

Heat oil to smoking point, lower the flame to medium heat and deep fry the fish in batches until brown and crisp on both sides. This hardly takes a few minutes, so watch the pan carefully to avoid burnt offerings. Drain thoroughly on kitchen paper and serve hot as a side dish or as an appetizer.

As I said, you have to make this dish.

To Attend My Healthy Cooking Class CLICK HERE

Spicy Grilled Fish

Spicy Grilled Fish

Ramadan is a great time for trying out recipes. A friend gave me some curry paste which was lying around in my kitchen for a while. And I wanted to use it before it expired. This is a blend of Indian and Malay curry paste with tweaks of my own here and there.

The Recipe:

1 large pomfret, cleaned, washed and drained.

Curry Paste:

2 inch piece ginger or galangal;, peeled and cut into pieces;3 stalks lemongrass, 
cut and use the bottom white part only; 3 candlenuts, crushed; 1/2 tsp turmeric;3 big cloves  garlic, peeled;  2- 3 dried chilies to taste; 20 shallots, peeled and cut into half;1 sq inch belachan (fermented shrimp paste); 1 tbsp coriander powder; 1/2 tsp jeera ( cumin) powder; 1 tsp salt; 2-3 tbsp olive oil.       

Fry the above ingredients in the olive oil till aromatic and then cool and blend the above ingredients to a smooth paste. Rub all over and inside the fish and marinade for 30 minutes. Grill on high heat 250 C in a pre heated oven  for 10 minutes each side. Serve with vegetables of your choice.

To Attend My Healthy Cooking Classes CLICK HERE

Baked Seer Fish With Gravy

Baked Seer Fish With Gravy

This is a wonderful recipe to serve at parties and to make an impression.  It is not only a visual treat and  a gastronomical delight- it is easy to prepare.  Just get everything ready the night before and throw it in the oven the next day.  Multi task and get everything done together.

The Recipe:

1 small seerfish ( about 900 gms), gutted, washed and drained. Slash the fish on both sides to enable the marinade to go in.

Masala Paste:1 tbsp ginger garlic paste; 1 dsp coriander powder; 1/2 tsp jeera powder; 1/4 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp chilli powder or more to taste; 2 tbsp vinegar.
  Mix all the ingredients together into a thick paste.

3 large potatoes, parboiled and sliced thickly.

Rub the masala paste inside and all over the fish and potatoes.
Marinade the fish and par boiled potatoes in the masala paste  overnight.  Next day bring to room temperature and bake fish and potatoes in a pre heated oven at 200 C or 400 F for 20 minutes each side.  Test with a metal skewer for doneness.  Rest for 10 minutes, garnish with greens and tomatoes and serve hot with boiled rice or any bread. 

To Attend My Low Calorie Cooking Class CLICK HERE

https://plateculture.com/where-to-eat/optimummm-indian-cooking-workshop

Lemon Garlic Pepper Fish

Baked Fish Fillet

I have been hosting dinners for various friends and family this December and tried out some very intriguing recipes.  One of them was a lemony baked fish that was unbelievably flavoursome and extremely enjoyable.  This recipe can be made in large quantities and the bonus is that it gets ready in 10 minutes flat.  You could bake it after your guests arrive and set the timer for the right moment.

The Recipe:

500 gms boneless fish fillet; rind and juice of 1 lemon or large lime; 1 tsp fresh pepper powder; 1 tsp crushed garlic; salt to taste; 2 tbsp grated mozzarella cheese for garnish and a few coriander leaves to taste.

Wash, drain and cube the fish.  Pat dry with kitchen towels.  Marinade overnight in the lemon juice, rind, salt, pepper and garlic mixture in the refrigerator.  Next day bring to room temperature and bake at 220 C in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Take it out of the oven and sprinkle the cheese all over.  It will melt within a minute.  Scatter the coriander leaves on top and serve hot as a main course or with crispy garlic bread.  This dish has a lot of  soupy gravy that is very gratifying.

Spicy Fish Vindaloo

Pomfret Vindaloo

This is a recipe I got from my Mum's collection of recipes, painstakingly written down  when she went for cookery classes soon after her graduation.  I was frantically copying every thing down as we were leaving Bangalore for Malaysia.  Soon after I was going through my recipe book and came across this one.  The best joke is that when I made it for my Mum she said, " this is a nice .  Could you give me the recipe?!!!"  That being said, let me get on with the recipe.

The Recipe:

1, medium sized pomfret, sliced, washed and drained; 3 tbsp oil; a few coriander leaves; 1/2 a medium sized onion, sliced; salt to taste.

 Grind to a smooth paste:  1 tsp chilli powder; 1/4 tsp haldi; 2 pods cardamom, seeds only; 6 flakes garlic; 1 tsp jeera seeds;  3 tsp vinegar.        

Heat the oil in  a shallow non stick pan and fry the coriander leaves and sliced onion for a few minutes until onion is glazed.  Lower flame and fry the masala (ground paste) until thick.  Add 1 cup water, the sliced fish and salt to taste.  Cover and cook on a medium low flame till done.  This goes well with white rice and is one of the tastiest curries I have cooked.

Green Masala Grilled Fish

Easy Grilled Fish

This is a recipe that I make very often as we love to entertain and barbecues are the best occasion for it.  Just get a medium sized pomfret and ask your fishermonger to clean it, retaining the tail and fins and head.  Marinade it overnight in this unusual green masala and you have a lip smacking flaky masterpiece.

The Recipe:

1 medium sized pomfret (it's easier to turn over when the fish is the right size), cleaned, washed and drained.

Marinade:  1 small bunch coriander leaves; 1/4 tsp turmeric powder; salt to taste; 2 green chillies; 1/2 inch piece ginger; 3 flakes garlic.  Grind everything to a smooth paste.

Marinade fish in this paste overnight.  Next day preheat oven to  250 C .  Place fish on oven tray lined with foil.  Dribble 1 tbsp olive oil over fish.  Grill 5 to 7 minutes each side.  Serve with slices of thin lemon and crusty bread.  

Grilled Masala Fish

Fishy Flavours

There's nothing easier than Grilled Fish.  All you need is one large fish enough to serve two or three persons.  Get your fishermonger to scale and gut it.  Then it's all yours.  Recently I won an electric grill, so decided to make one of our usual fish recipes.  The grill won a standing ovation and we now know what to do when surprise guests turn up.

The Recipe:

1 medium pomfret, scaled & gutted, keep whole with fins and tail.

For Marinade:  2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice; salt to taste; 1/4 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tbsp chilli powder.  Mix to a liquidy paste.

Wash fish thoroughly with water, salt and turmeric.  Drain on kitchen towels.  Marinade ( in refrigerator) in the above mixture overnight.  Next day bring to room temperature.  Plug in the grill and adjust settings to 240 Centigrade.  Place a banana leaf on the grill with a little oil on it.  Place the fish on preheated grill (until desired temperature is reached) and grill 5 minutes each side.  Serve hot with lemon wedges.  The aroma wafting on the air is bound to bring the household into the kitchen, awaiting the moment to attack.