What The Fish!

Why is it that a 30-something woman gets all happy grilling fish with some everyday spices. Talk about simple things making me happy.

Me and this pomfret recipe go back a long way. To the gas tandoor days, when my Mum did not have an electric oven and all baking and grilling was done on this very useful kitchen gadget.
Me as a 13-year-old was allowed to “experiment” in the kitchen under my Mum’s supervision. Though most of the times, it was she who rescued me from many culinary disasters. Dutifully emancipating me and my dish, and giving them the much-needed finishing touches, and standing behind while I gluttonously took credit for perfect cooking by a “young girl”.

Many years later, I still look up to my Mum, even though its over long-distance calls and different time zones! Some things never change…

…just like this Grilled Pomfret Recipe.

2 whole pomfret fish, cleaned and belly cut open (ask your fish monger to clean it up for you!)
Juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon red chili powder
4-5 fat cloves of garlic
1 inch piece of root ginger
4-5 green chilies
6-7 peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Handful of coriander leaves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt

Score the fish on both sides. Squeeze lemon juice over the fish, then sprinkle with salt and red chili powder. Make sure the spices reach the deep cuts up to the bone.
In a blender mix all the other ingredients except the oil. Make a smooth chutney, adding very little water. I usually add some more lemon juice.

Use your hands to rub this chutney marinade all over the fish. Set it aside for 30 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and gently place the fish on it. Drizzle some oil on the fish and broil (uncovered) for 20 minutes, turning the fish half-way.
Serve hot with lemon wedges and onion rings.
In my experiments with grilling fish, I extended this same recipe to medium-sized yellow croakers I picked from a neighborhood Korean store. And I also added tamarind pulp to the marinade.
All was good, except that I am more fond of the pomfret than the croaker.

Coastal Cuisine in Cold Canada

Clearly I have been smitten by some hot and spicy food. How else will you explain today’s lunch!

Masala “Pomplate” Grill, Madras Veg Curry and Rice!

I am not so much of a fish person. Quite a contrary to my Bengali lineage. But yes, I can possibly get close to loving pomfret!

For Masala Pomplate Grill (Pomfret) you will need:

2 pomfret fish, cleaned and washed
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon garlic paste
2 teaspoons green chili paste
2 teaspoon fresh coriander leaves ground
2 teaspoon cumin paste
2-3 teaspoon tamarind pulp
2 teaspoon red chili powder
Juice of half lemon
Few curry leaves
Salt
Oil for basting

Score the fish on both sides, add lemon juice and red chili powder and marinade for 10 minutes.

You can ground to a paste all the spices like ginger, garlic, etc. separately or blend them all together. Add this wet marinade, tamarind pulp and salt all over the fish, letting some in to the insides too. Let it marinade for 20 more minutes. Drizzle some vegetable oil and grill for 30 minutes, 15 on each side should let the fish sear nicely.

The Madras Veg Curry I made today was almost an impromptu dish to go with the fish and rice. If I were unbiased to my own cooking, I would say this dish had visible leanings towards a hot Thai vegetable curry.

For the Madras Veg Curry, I used some leftover vegetables like carrot, eggplant and beans I had in my fridge. I’d say cauliflower or broccoli would also taste good in a curry like this.
Ingredients for the Madras Veg Curry:

3 cups diced vegetables like carrots, green beans, eggplant
Half cup peas
1 medium size onion chopped
2 tablespoon ginger-garlic-green chili paste
250 ml Coconut Milk, I used a Thai brand
2 teaspoon tamarind pulp
2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
Few curry leaves
Few sprigs of coriander leaves
Few dry red chilies
Vegetable oil
Salt

I began by heating a pan and adding two tablespoon  vegetable oil. To that add some mustard seeds and let them pop for a minute till they turn dark. Add the dry red chilies and few curry leaves and temper for a minute. Add the chopped onions and fry till they are pinkish brown in color. Add the hardy vegetables like carrot first and follow with green beans, eggplant and lastly the peas. Add the ginger-garlic-chili paste and fry for 3-4 minutes.  The Thai coconut milk that I used was very thick and I loved it instead of the runny coconut milk I usually get from the local supermarket. Add the coconut milk and tamarind pulp. Mix everything well and add the chili flakes and black pepper powder. 
Add salt and let the vegetables boil in the coconut milk and tamarind. I like the vegetables to remain a little crunchy in my Madras Curry. Garnish with sprigs of coriander/ cilantro. Serve with plain rice. On an afterthought, I think a few prawns thrown in the Madras Curry would also not be a bad idea after all.
My courageous trip to coastal India via my tummy was thus complete. I hope you take the culinary journey en route Madras soon! P.S. My reward from P after this Valentine Day home cooked lunch were these milk and dark chocolates. And of course not to mention the dinner in a few hours @ Copacabana Brazilian Steak House, and hopefully catch a late night show of My Name Is Khan downtown.