Roasted Catfish

Fish can be roasted in many different ways. Today I chose to keep the ingredients to the minimum and let the taste of the fish take the center stage. Catfish steaks were marinated in ginger garlic paste, red chili powder and lemon juice for two hours. I roasted them in my newly bought cast iron pan. It gave the fish a beautiful golden color and a wonderful roasted flavor.


Ingredients:
6 catfish steaks
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp chili powder (adjust to taste)
½ tsp turmeric
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

Marinate fish with all the ingredients and leave in the refrigerator for two hours.

Heat pan with 1 – 2 tbsp of oil.

Place fish in the pan and let them roast on medium heat for 5 – 8 minutes.

Gently flip them on to the other side.

Let them cook for another 5 – 8 minutes.

Increase the heat and roast for a minute on each side.

Note: ½ to 1 tsp of garam masala can be added to the marinade to increase the spice level. Coriander powder and cumin powder are other interesting choices.

Beetroot with yogurt

Beetroot, though known for all its health benefits, was not my choice of vegetable. I felt the cutting was tedious and the color gets on to all the utensils. That was until I came across this recipe which made it a highly desirable dish. It is extremely easy to make (with the help of a food processor with shredding disc) and too yummy to eat. Grated beetroot along with ginger is sautéed till done and yogurt is added before serving. Ginger and asafetida in tampering play a major role in this recipe. Do not attempt this recipe if you do not have those two ingredients.

Ingredients:
2 big beetroots
2 inches ginger
4 green chilies slit (adjust to taste)
½ tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp ghee or butter
1 ½ cups thick yogurt

Tampering:
½ tsp mustard
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp asafetida or hing
Few curry leaves

Grate beetroot and ginger together.

Heat oil and ghee in a wide pan.

Add mustard, cumin, curry leaves and asafetida followed by green chilies.

Add grated beetroot and ginger.

Sauté till done.

Add salt and turmeric and remove from heat.

When it reaches room temperature add yogurt and mix well.
It has a simple, lite, healthy feel to it. Tastes wonderful with roti or all by itself.

Scrambled Tilapia

After a very long break, today I am back with an easy to make, nutritious recipe. Steamed and flaked Tilapia fillets are sautéed with onions, ginger garlic and garam masala. Lemon juice and cilantro are added at the end for added flavor and aroma. Kids love this easy to eat boneless fish fry.


Ingredients:

1 lb Tilapia fillets
1 medium onion chopped fine
3 – 4 green chilies (optional)
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste)
½ tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
Juice of one lemon
Cilantro for garnishing

Tampering:

½ tsp mustard
½ tsp cumin
2 red chilies broken
Few curry leaves

Steam fillets in steamer of pressure cooker for 8 minutes. Do not over cook, they should be soft and moist not hard and dry.

In the mean time heat oil in a pan, add tampering, followed by onions and green chilies.

When onions are about half way cooked add turmeric, chili powder, salt and ginger garlic paste.

Transfer the fish fillets from the steamer into a bowl and scramble them with a fork.

Add fish to the pan when onion, ginger and garlic are well cooked. Sauté for 2 minutes and add garam masala.

Sauté for another 2 minutes, and remove from the flame.

Add lemon juice and cilantro.


Scrambled Tilapia tastes wonderful with rice or roti.

Note: Do not let red chili powder and garam masala over power the taste of the fish. Use them scarcely. For fresh garam masala powder 4 cloves, ½ inch cinnamon, 1 tsp poppy seeds, 1 tbsp coriander seeds.