Basa in five spice marinade
"According to the supermarkets, there is no such thing as 'out of season.' Berries in the middle of February? Why not? Seafood flown in from Japan? Sure. While it all adds up to appetizing and varied meals throughout the year, regardless of the weather, it comes with a price tag - both ethical and financial ". - Homaro Cantu
Today's recipe goes out for my Sis-in-law who is celebrating her wedding anniversary today.
Happy Anniversary Dinki and Abilash!!!
When I got married, there was this talk going around in our family that Dinki looks more like my sister than Deepak's.We resembled each other, or so everyone thought. Both kept to ourselves, took our own time to open up with people ( Come on, that was years back) and the greatest similarity that I so loved at that time was that we both did not know anything about what happens in the kitchen.
Now, she stayed with us for a few months in Bangalore in those early years. Kitchen was something that came with my apartment, so I dropped in there once in a while. Deepak had no choice, but I really felt bad for her. To top it all, we were just getting to know each other. Office consumed a major part of my day, and whatever time was left was spent figuring out what to cook. I am really really thankful that she was such a sweetie and did not complain.
If I am more open to food and trying out different things, the credit goes to her. Yes, Deepak comes after her. I do not think she even knows about it. So, here goes. I owe my interest in cooking (Whenever that happened) to her. Just all that talk about food, and the discussions that we have about world food has got me here.
Also, I am so glad Abilash came along. They both enjoy food. I know, we all do. You have to know them to understand what I mean. I cannot take Abilash's name and not finish the sentence without mentioning 'movies'. Believe me, I always thought Deepak was a movie library. Along comes this guy, and now Deepak does not talk when Abilash is speaking. Ask him about any movie, any period, Malayalam movie in particular, and then just sit back and listen. Amazes me every time.
The below recipe is my own. And for the first time, I liked it. And I am sure, Dinki will like it too.
Basa Fillets - 2 - 350 gms approx in all
Olive oil - For shallow frying - 2 Tbsp
Onion -1 - Finely chopped.
Tomatoes - 2 - Large - Finely chopped
Carrot - half of a big carrot - Finely chopped
Garlic- 5-6 Cloves - Finely chopped
Worcestershire Sauce - 1 -2 Tbsp
Pepper - Powdered - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Parsley( Dry) - 1/2 tsp
Heat Olive oil in a pan.
Toss in the onions, garlic and stir well. Cook till the onions sweat.
Add the tomatoes and carrots. Cover and cook on medium flame till they turn mushy.
Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.
Cook on simmer till the ingredients blend with one another and the sauce consistency is reached.
Sprinkle parsley and mix well to combine. The sauce is ready.
The sauce tends to thicken over time. So switch off, when the sauce is still runny.
Garlic - 4 cloves
Butter - 1/2 tsp melted
Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Lime - Juice of half a lime.
Parsley ( Dry) - a generous pinch
Clean and marinate the Basa fillets with the above marinade.
Keep aside for 30 -40 minutes.
Maida / All purpose flour - 3 Tbsp
Panch Phoron / 5 spice mix- 1 1/2 Tbsp ( You can use ready made mix or make it at home. Recipe here)
Egg - 1
Salt to taste.
Mix all the above ingredients in a wide pan.
Coat the marinated Basa fillets with the second marinade. Ensure that the fillets are well coated with this mixture on both sides.
Leave for 10 minutes.
Heat Olive oil in a pan.
Shallow fry the spice coated Basa fillets. Discard the rest of the marinade.
Cover and cook on medium flame till the outside turns golden and the fish is half cooked.
Transfer the tomato sauce to the pan with the fish.
Cook on simmer so that fish cooks in the sauce for 10 minutes and the flavors are well incorporated.
Serve hot with herb rice or tossed vegetables.
Note :
1. The sauce thickened up by the time I photographed it. But there was enough moisture and the flavors were just right. If you like it to be runny, just add couple of spoons of ready made tomato sauce and adjust seasoning to get the desired consistency.
2. The panch phoran spice blend will get toned down by the maida and egg mixture. So do not reduce the quantity that I have specified. You may tone it down, If you just want a subtle hint of flavor. I have tried it both ways, and liked it. I would lean more towards this recipe than the toned down one. So, your choice. Play around.
Today's recipe goes out for my Sis-in-law who is celebrating her wedding anniversary today.
Happy Anniversary Dinki and Abilash!!!
When I got married, there was this talk going around in our family that Dinki looks more like my sister than Deepak's.We resembled each other, or so everyone thought. Both kept to ourselves, took our own time to open up with people ( Come on, that was years back) and the greatest similarity that I so loved at that time was that we both did not know anything about what happens in the kitchen.
Now, she stayed with us for a few months in Bangalore in those early years. Kitchen was something that came with my apartment, so I dropped in there once in a while. Deepak had no choice, but I really felt bad for her. To top it all, we were just getting to know each other. Office consumed a major part of my day, and whatever time was left was spent figuring out what to cook. I am really really thankful that she was such a sweetie and did not complain.
If I am more open to food and trying out different things, the credit goes to her. Yes, Deepak comes after her. I do not think she even knows about it. So, here goes. I owe my interest in cooking (Whenever that happened) to her. Just all that talk about food, and the discussions that we have about world food has got me here.
Also, I am so glad Abilash came along. They both enjoy food. I know, we all do. You have to know them to understand what I mean. I cannot take Abilash's name and not finish the sentence without mentioning 'movies'. Believe me, I always thought Deepak was a movie library. Along comes this guy, and now Deepak does not talk when Abilash is speaking. Ask him about any movie, any period, Malayalam movie in particular, and then just sit back and listen. Amazes me every time.
The below recipe is my own. And for the first time, I liked it. And I am sure, Dinki will like it too.
Ingredients :
Basa Fillets - 2 - 350 gms approx in all
Olive oil - For shallow frying - 2 Tbsp
For the Sauce :
Onion -1 - Finely chopped.
Tomatoes - 2 - Large - Finely chopped
Carrot - half of a big carrot - Finely chopped
Garlic- 5-6 Cloves - Finely chopped
Worcestershire Sauce - 1 -2 Tbsp
Pepper - Powdered - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Parsley( Dry) - 1/2 tsp
Sauce Preparation :
Heat Olive oil in a pan.
Toss in the onions, garlic and stir well. Cook till the onions sweat.
Add the tomatoes and carrots. Cover and cook on medium flame till they turn mushy.
Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.
Cook on simmer till the ingredients blend with one another and the sauce consistency is reached.
Sprinkle parsley and mix well to combine. The sauce is ready.
The sauce tends to thicken over time. So switch off, when the sauce is still runny.
First Marinade :
Garlic - 4 cloves
Butter - 1/2 tsp melted
Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Lime - Juice of half a lime.
Parsley ( Dry) - a generous pinch
Clean and marinate the Basa fillets with the above marinade.
Keep aside for 30 -40 minutes.
Second Marinade :
Maida / All purpose flour - 3 Tbsp
Panch Phoron / 5 spice mix- 1 1/2 Tbsp ( You can use ready made mix or make it at home. Recipe here)
Egg - 1
Salt to taste.
Mix all the above ingredients in a wide pan.
Coat the marinated Basa fillets with the second marinade. Ensure that the fillets are well coated with this mixture on both sides.
Leave for 10 minutes.
Method :
Heat Olive oil in a pan.
Shallow fry the spice coated Basa fillets. Discard the rest of the marinade.
Cover and cook on medium flame till the outside turns golden and the fish is half cooked.
Transfer the tomato sauce to the pan with the fish.
Cook on simmer so that fish cooks in the sauce for 10 minutes and the flavors are well incorporated.
Serve hot with herb rice or tossed vegetables.
Note :
1. The sauce thickened up by the time I photographed it. But there was enough moisture and the flavors were just right. If you like it to be runny, just add couple of spoons of ready made tomato sauce and adjust seasoning to get the desired consistency.
2. The panch phoran spice blend will get toned down by the maida and egg mixture. So do not reduce the quantity that I have specified. You may tone it down, If you just want a subtle hint of flavor. I have tried it both ways, and liked it. I would lean more towards this recipe than the toned down one. So, your choice. Play around.
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