Kerala Style Baked Fish

Whewww!!! Its been one hectic couple of weeks , with my moving and all , still settling in  almost there but I decided to take a break and post a dish I had made a while back . This is a typical dish you can find anywhere in Kerala , here the fish is coated with a subtly spiced coconut mix and then baked covered in banana leaves . The aroma is itself mouthwatering so here goes..............................

INGREDIENTS

2-3 medium sized white  pomfret or red snapper
1 inch pc ginger
4-6 garlic cloves
4 green chillies
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
1/2 cup shallots peeled
1/2 cup vinegar
salt to taste
4 tsp coconut oil

for the garnish

2 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp curry leaves roasted
1 tbsp coriander leaves chopped

METHOD

Clean the fish and make large slits on both sides
Roast the seeds and grind it .
Grind the coconut , shallots , ginger, garlic , green chillies into a paste.
Add the roast and ground powder to it and salt to taste .
Smear the fish with this paste and set aside.
Grease the banana leaves with the coconut oil and line it in the baking dish .
Now place the fish on the banana leaves and pour vinegar all over it and cover it with the banana leaves and bake it in a preheated 180 c oven for about 20 -35 min or till done .
Now transfer the fish to a serving dish and garnish it by sprinkling the coconut oil , roasted curry leaves and coriander leaves .

Crispy Fried Fish with Mayo Tahini Dip

This is an all-time fav in my family , who doesn't love crispy fried fish esp while it's hot and the dip is really delish too . I make this very often as it is easy to put together and also you can freeze them too . The fish is subtly spiced and coated in panko breadcrumbs as this makes it extra crunchy and the zest , tangy dip is the perfect accompaniment to it so here goes.....................

INGREDIENTS

2 large fish fillets cut into fingers
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
salt to taste
1 egg plus a little water mixed
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
oil for frying

for the dip

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
2 tbsp yoghurt
3 tbsp tahini paste
zest of a lemon
juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp chopped parsley

METHOD

Mix the flour and the spices together very well .
Dust the fish in the flour mix , egg wash and then finally the breadcrumbs .
Fry them in oil till they are golden and crisp .
To make the dip  , mix all the ingredients together and serve with the fried fish .

NOTE

If you don't find panko breadcrumbs , normal bread crumbs is fine .
To freeze the fish , coat them as said above and lay them out on the tray and pop it in the freezer for about half an hour and then pop them in the bag and freeze them till you are ready to use .
You can freeze them for about a week .

Fish in Spicy Coconut Gravy

This is a typical curry you can find in kerela household , it is very common to make this as this goes well with rice , rotis and appams  . It is traditionally cooked in a claypot and it is  very easy to make and the best thing is the aroma of this curry is sooo.... good that it will make your mouth water so here goes , if you haven't tried it please do so .........

INGREDIENTS

500 gms king fish
3-4 cloves garlic minced
1 inch pc ginger minced
2 green chillies chopped
6-8 curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 medium onion chopped
2 medium tomatoes chopped
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp fennel seed powder
1 and 1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup hot water + 3 tbsp coconut milk powder

METHOD

Heat a tbsp of oil in pan and add the mustard seeds .
When they start to splutter add the curry leaves and the fenugreek seeds.
Add the onions and cook for a few min.
Add the ginger ,garlic and the green chillies
Add the spice powders and add about 2 tbsp of water just to cook the spices .
Add the tomatoes and cook on low heat till it turns into a paste.
Add salt to taste
Add a cup of hot water and bring it to a boil and then add in the fish
Now turn down the heat and cook till the fish is done .
Mix the hot water and the coconut milk powder and add it and simmer it till it becomes thick and creamy , it takes about 5 min .


NOTE

This can be made with prawns and chicken as well and it all tastes good .

Kerela Fish Stew

This is a simple recipe which can be made very quickly . I always make this when I buy fresh fish from the market . With just a handful of ingredients and little cooking time you get a nice delicious dish . It goes very well with some crusty bread to mop up all the creamy gravy . I like things spicy so this one is a little spicy but if you like it less then just reduce the number of chillies in it so here goes...

INGREDIENTS

500 gms king fish or any firm white fish
1 inch piece ginger finely chopped
5-6 green chillies chopped finely
7-9 curry leaves
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
4 green cardamom
1 inch piece Cinnamon stick
3-4 cloves
1 tbsp vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 and 1/2 cup hot water + 1 and 1/2 tbsp coconut milk powder
1 cup hot water + 2 heaped tbsp coconut milk powder
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp sliced shallots

METHOD

In a saucepan , heat the oil and add the mustard seeds .
When it starts spluttering add the curry leaves and the whole spices .
Add the ginger , green chillies and the fish and fry them for a couple of minutes turning the fish once.
Add the vinegar on top of the fish .
Mix the 1 and 1/2 cups of water and the coconut milk powder and bring it to boil .
Add the seasoning
Now simmer it till the fish is done .
Add the 1 cup of hot water and the remaining coconut milk powder and cook it for a couple of min .
In another small pan , heat the oil and fry the shallots and use it to garnish the curry and serve hot .