Tag: fish
Maharashtrian Spiced Mackerel Curry
Maharashtrian Spiced Mackerel Curry
Maharashtrian cuisine is all about balance. This mackerel curry is a balance of spicy, sweet, salty, and sour. All of these flavors happen to accommodate the strong oily flavor that is mackerel. Serve this curry with steamed rice, lime wedges, and parathas or another bread of your choosing.A little about mackerel…There are over 30 species of mackerel consumed world wide. They are very rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, protein, and vitamin D. They are a highly perishable fish. If buying fresh whole mackerel, they should be used within a day. I purchased 2 frozen spotted mackerel for this recipe from my local asian market. They are really inexpensive, costing just over $5 for both. The best way to thaw out frozen mackerel is in your refrigerator overnight. A bit of warning; if you don’t like like strong flavored fish, then mackerel might not be for you.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Food processor or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 whole mackerel
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 medium white onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 cups water
- 10 Sichuan peppercorns
- salt to taste
Spice Paste
- 10 dried Kashmiri chilies soaked in 1/3 cup of warm water
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 tbsp ginger finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh coconut grated
Garnish
- cilantro chopped
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Soak the dried chilies in 1/3 cup of warm water for 15 minutes.
- Heat up 2 tbsp of coconut oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Fry the onions for 15 minutes until browned. Let cool.
- In a food processor or immersion blender, purée the onions, coriander seeds, ginger, coconut, and the dried chilies with it’s soaking liquid. Set aside.
- Rinse the mackerel under cold water.
- Cut off the head and fins. Scoop out the guts.
- Cut the fish into 3-4 steaks. Give them another rinse under cold water.
- Heat up 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the paste and fry for 3 minutes.
- Add the turmeric in and fry for another 2 minutes.
- Add in the tamarind paste and water. Season with salt. Bring to a simmer.
- Place the mackerel steaks and Sichuan peppercorns in the curry. Cover. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro.
Tandoori Fish Tikka
Tandoori Fish Tikka
Tandoori fish tikka is a very popular menu item at seafood restaurants across Mumbai. Chunks of white film fleshed fish is marinated in a tandoori marinade and grilled upon open flames, being brushed with butter throughout the process. Pomfret is tradional fish of choice. You can usually find pomfret frozen in your local Asian markets. I used big chunks of catfish. Monkfish would be another great substitute, but will cost a little more. They fish will only need 30 minutes of marinating time. Any more, the acidity from the lemon and yogurt will cook the fish.The best way to prepare the fish tikka is to use metal skewers. I’m done with wooden. No more soaking. And metal is reusable. Dare I say..Metal is Forever…You can either grill or broil the fish. It will take about 12 minutes in total. I like to turn the skewers every 3 minutes. The last half of cooking time, brush each skewer with ghee. This will help give the fish a nice char. Serve the fish with mint chutney, steamed rice, and paratha.
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 tbsp greek yogurt
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 2 tsp chick pea flour
- 1 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- salt to taste
Fish Tikka
- 1 1/2 lbs firm flesh fish catfish, monkfish, pomfret; cut into big chunks
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp ghee melted for basting
Instructions
- Marinate the fish in lemon juice and salt for 10 minutes.
- Mix together all of the marinade ingredients.
- Add the marinade to the fish. Marinate the fish for 20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven’s broiler. Thread the fish chunks onto metal skewers.
- Broil for 3 minutes a side. Brush with butter. Broil for another 3 minutes a side.
- Let rest before serving. The skewers will be really hot.
Fish in Parchment Paper
Fish in Parchment Paper
This is a really simple, but flavorful, as well as healthy recipe to prepare fish. The fish fillet is seasoned and layed across lemon slices; top side covered in garlic and dill. It is then wrapped up in parchment paper, creating a little package for the fish to steam in. This only takes 15 minutes to bake in the oven. If you want to make this fish a little less healthy, add a 1/2 tbsp of butter to the fish before baking. Serve with Persian dill rice.
Equipment
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 8 oz skinless fish fillet tilapia, swai, cod, rock fish, snapper
- 3 slices lemon
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 sprig dill
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Tear a piece of parchment paper big enough to fold over your fish fillet. Season the gish fillet with salt and pepper on both sides. Lay it across the lemon slices. Cover the top of the fillet with garlic and dill.
- Fold over the edges of the parchment paper to seal in the fish. Place on a baking sheet.
- Bake the fish for 15 minutes. The fish will steam inside of the parchment paper.
