Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
I've never been into seafood all that much and it's taken me all these years to figure out why: it's boring. I have a hard time enjoying food that is seasoned with only salt and pepper and seafood seems to be exclusively prepared that way in restaurants. Sure, you get the occasional lemon juice here or fatty deep-fried crust there, but on the inside, its just a very plain and very boring fish.
So when I came upon an exciting recipe for salmon, I ran with it. I now make all my seafood with staple Indian spices. Oh, and I don't hold back either, so if the amounts are a bit much for you, feel free to halve them, but don't go blaming me for bland fish!
Spicy Indian Style Fish
4 fish fillets (I used a package of Swai fillets, but any firm fish would do)
2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tblsp red chilli powder
1 tblsp garlic and ginger paste
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground corriander
1 tblsp chopped cilantro (reserve half for garnish)
1. Pat fillets dry to ensure the spices adhere better. Then sprinkle each side with your spice mix. Allow to sit at least 1 hr with spice, no more than 3.
2. In the last 30 minutes of marinating, add lemon juice, cilantro and oil, turning to coat both side.
3. Grill (or pan fry in medium high heat) for 4 minutes each side, or until cooked. Garnish with reserved cilantro and serve with hot rice.
I've never been into seafood all that much and it's taken me all these years to figure out why: it's boring. I have a hard time enjoying food that is seasoned with only salt and pepper and seafood seems to be exclusively prepared that way in restaurants. Sure, you get the occasional lemon juice here or fatty deep-fried crust there, but on the inside, its just a very plain and very boring fish.
4 fish fillets (I used a package of Swai fillets, but any firm fish would do)
2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tblsp red chilli powder
1 tblsp garlic and ginger paste
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground corriander
1 tblsp chopped cilantro (reserve half for garnish)
1. Pat fillets dry to ensure the spices adhere better. Then sprinkle each side with your spice mix. Allow to sit at least 1 hr with spice, no more than 3.
2. In the last 30 minutes of marinating, add lemon juice, cilantro and oil, turning to coat both side.
3. Grill (or pan fry in medium high heat) for 4 minutes each side, or until cooked. Garnish with reserved cilantro and serve with hot rice.
looks sooo good masha'Allah :)
ReplyDeleteSalaam... Looks really moist and nice!
ReplyDeleteThanks Umm Dawood! So nice to hear from you again, I miss you! :)
ReplyDeleteUmmIbrahim, jazakillah khair :)
Looks so yummy, MashaAllah. Those are almost exactly the spices I use (I'm Indian :)) - sometimes I'll omit the coriander powder - but I put everything on all at once, including the lemon juice, and then fry after just a few minutes of marinating. I dredge the pieces in whole wheat flour for a thin coating and shallow fry with very little oil. I use tilapia, since that's the only fish my husband will eat :)
ReplyDeleteServe with broccoli or green beand with mashed potatoes.
Thank you for sharing!
Salaam Azra :) The flour coating sounds like a great idea, I'll make sure to try it next time insha'allah. So do you end up frying it twice then? Oh, and I'm not really into fish and prefer very very mild tasting white fish, and this Swai was right up my alley, alhamdulillah. Try it out next time insha'allah!
ReplyDeleteSalam alaikum! No, fry it just the once. Tilapia is right up there on the very,very mild list (frozen is even milder than fresh), but I've never seen Swai around here...something to look for!
ReplyDeleteI like you seasoning idea! Sounds more spicy and flavorful than the one we do in mom in laws house. We usually just put turmeric and red chili powder to marinate, looking forward to trying yours.
ReplyDeleteQuestion about frying fresh fish, I noticed you didnt mention anything about salting the fish, d you not salt them? Usually I defrost my fish in water, let them sit in some slat until they become firm, them add the spices before frying. I was under the impression that the salt helps the fish to firm up since I do this for fresh fish also, although it does take some time, maybe an hour or two depending on how fresh the fish is. Is there a quicker way you would suggest? Also do you use salt before frying? Thanks!