1,000 Indian Recipes (273 page)

³
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons mustard oil or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
cup water

2 cups finely chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1.
Prepare the 5-spice mixture. Place the fish pieces in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the
¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon turmeric and salt and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 and up to 4 hours.

2.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and fry the fish pieces (leave any juices in the bowl), in 2 or 3 batches if necessary, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a bowl.

3.
To the bowl with the fish juices, add the remaining
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon turmeric, cayenne pepper, and water and mix well to make a paste.

4.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet and add the panch-phoran; they should splatter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan until the splattering subsides. Quickly add the turmeric paste, stir about 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and cook until most of the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes.

5.
Mix in the fish, plus any juices that may have accumulated, and cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes to blend the flavors. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the cilantro on top, and serve.

Fish with Ground Mustard Seeds

Sarsoon Ki Macchi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

A strong-tasting dish by any standards, this is another Bengali fish specialty. For a milder flavor, use vegetable oil instead of mustard oil.

2 pounds any firm fish fillet, such as halibut or swordfish, about
³
⁄
₄
inch thick, cut into 2-inch pieces

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
cup coarsely ground black mustard seeds

2 tablespoons mustard oil or vegetable oil

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups water

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, sliced lengthwise

5 to 7 fresh curry leaves

A few sprigs fresh cilantro

1.
Place the fish pieces in a large non-reactive bowl, add the turmeric and salt, and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

2.
In a small bowl, mix together the mustard seeds and oil, then add about
¹
⁄
₄
cup water to make a paste. Transfer to a large nonstick wok or saucepan and stir over medium heat, adding a sprinkling of water every now and then, until the paste is well-cooked, about 10 minutes.

3.
Add the remaining water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the fish and any juices that might have collected in the bowl, and boil again.

4.
Add the green chile peppers and curry leaves. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, turning once, until the fish is just flaky and opaque inside, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the cilantro sprigs, and serve.

Cochin Masala Fish with Pearl Onions

Cochin Meen Kari

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This recipe is generally made with mackerel, but I find that almost any firm fish works well—even salmon and tuna. With its thick and spicy gravy, this dish is a perfect accompaniment to fresh
chapati
(whole-wheat griddle breads). The cumin and coriander seeds are meant to remain coarsely ground in the
masala
paste. They add to the flavor.

¹
⁄
₂
cup
Coconut Milk
(or store-bought)

3 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled

20 fresh curry leaves

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon coconut oil or peanut oil

15 to 20 pearl onions, peeled

1
¹
⁄
₂
pounds firm white fish fillets, such as sea bass or halibut, about
³
⁄
₄
inch thick, cut into 2-inch pieces

¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 to 2 cups water

1 cup coarsely chopped tomatoes

1.
Prepare the coconut milk. In a blender or a food processor, blend together the garlic, curry leaves, green chile peppers, cumin, coriander, turmeric, asafoetida, salt, and
¹
⁄
₄
cup coconut milk to make a smooth paste.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the pearl onions, stirring, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic-coconut milk paste and cook over medium heat until fragrant and golden, 5 minutes.

3.
Add the fish and cook, turning once, about 2 minutes per side, then add the remaining
¹
⁄
₄
cup coconut milk and the cilantro and cook until the oil separates to the sides, about 2 minutes.

4.
Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the sauce is thick and the fish is tender but not breaking apart, about 5 minutes.

5.
Transfer to a serving dish, cover with another dish, and keep warm. To the same pan, add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Spread evenly over the cooked fish as a garnish. Serve hot.

Sohini's Fish Curry with Dried Coconut

Kopra-Macchi Kari

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Sohini Baliga, my friend from Santa Monica, calls this her 5-C's fish curry because it is made with cumin, coriander, chile powder, coconut, and curry leaves. The coconut she uses is the dried variety called
kopra
, which is available at Indian markets.

Choose a strongly flavored fish, such as thresher, shark, tuna, or salmon, so that the flavor of the fish shines through the spices.

2 pounds any firm fish fillets, such as salmon, thresher, shark, or tuna, about
³
⁄
₄
inch thick, cut into 2-inch pieces

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped dried coconut (kopra) or 1 tablespoon finely ground unsweetened dried coconut

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 cups of water

7 to 8 fresh curry leaves

1.
Place the fish in a large non-reactive bowl and, with clean fingers, gently mix in the salt and set aside about 30 minutes.

2.
In a small bowl, mix together the coriander, cumin, coconut, cayenne pepper, and 1 cup water to make a smooth paste. Transfer to a large nonstick saucepan and bring to a quick boil over high heat.

3.
Add the fish and another cup water, and bring to a boil again. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until the fish is just flaky and opaque inside, 7 to 10 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, lightly crumple the curry leaves and add them to the pan. Do not stir the fish at all. To mix at all, swirl the pan a little on the burner. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

Malabar Fish Curry with Kokum and Coconut Milk

Malabar Meen Kari

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The shriveled up, almost black, prune-like pieces of the
kokum
fruit, indigenous to India, impart a smoky-sour flavor and simultaneously darken the food. The mild coconut milk, in turn, balances the sourness. Look for
kokum
in Indian markets.

¹
⁄
₄
to
¹
⁄
₃
cup
Coconut Milk
(or store-bought)

2 pounds any firm fish fillets, such as salmon, catfish, or swordfish, about
³
⁄
₄
inch thick, cut into 2-inch pieces

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric