Achari Fish Tikka / Spicy Pickled Fish Fry

Here comes pickles season.....the markets are flooded with huge green kairis that are bound to make your mouth water!!!

Had gone shopping a few days back and picked up a packet of pickle masala just on a whim...guess just looking at those yummilicious kairis made me want to pick it up...Anyway, now that I had the masala I had to use it. Making mango pickle is really time consuming and needs accuracy. And time is something I am lacking right now with all the guest dropping over and my kiddo vacays and so on and so forth!!!

I had a huge and totally boneless piece of ghol fish which was sitting in the fridge so I though why not use it with the achar masala?? I make prawns pickle which stays for 8 to 10 days in the fridge but here making pickle was not possible as ghol fish is really delicate and tend to break so fish pickle was out....but since the fish was already marinating I went ahead and pan fried it...and it came out totally yummy with just the right amount of zing and punch!!

Since I had some left over marinade I just added the maida and besan to it and coated the potato roundels and pan fried them..they perfectly complimented the achari tikka...so do go ahead and make these.



Ingredients:

8 / 10 pieces       Ghol fillets (You can use rawas or surmai fillets also)
2 tsp                   Mango pickle masala (I used bedekar's)
2 tsp                   Ginger Garlic paste
2                         Lemons
1/2 tsp                Haldi powder
1/2 tsp                Namak Shamak (the pickle masala already had a little salt)
4 tsp                   Besan
4 tsp                   Maida
Oil for frying

Method:

Remove the juice of the lemons.

Marinate the fish pieces in the lemon juice, pickle masala, ginger garlic paste, haldi powder and salt and leave them for atleast an hour.

Mix the besan and maida. Do not add water.

Take the marinated fish pieces and roll them in the besan, maida mixture till evenly coated.

Shallow fry in oil on a skillet or non stick tawa on low heat till crisp and evenly browned.

If you have some left over marinade just toss in the remaining besan and maida. Add a little water to make a thick batter. Now dip the potato roundel in it and pan fry them on low heat.

Serve the achari fish tikka with crisp white onions.

Fish Ambotik/Surmai Ambotik/ Hot and Sour Indian Fish Curry

The best Seafood recipes of Maharashtra come from the coastal belt of Konkan and Malvan.
Though I have been on a seafood staple since childhood, in Mumbai , the best Fish curry I ever had , was this Fish Ambotik , that my elder sister made for dinner, at her In Laws place! She is my true cooking Idol! Its from eating her delicious treats and watching her cook and bake that I developed a liking towards cooking, in addition to being a foodie!
Years later, I still remember that taste ,  and this recipe is an attempt to recreate that magic!

Ingredients:

200 to 500 gms Fish ,preferrably Surmaior Kingfish/Pomfret/Rawas or Indian Salmon,Cut into slices and cleaned.
2 tsp Lemon Juice
2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Small chopped Onion
1/2 tsp Sugar if required
1 tbsp Oil

For Ground Paste:

3/4 Cup Scraped Coconut
3-5 Dried Red Chillies
3 Cloves Garlic
2 tbsp Cup chopped Coriander leaves
1 tsp Tamarind
1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds or methi dana
1 tsp Jeera or cumin
1 Small onion ,chopped
1/2 Cup Tomato chopped
1 tsp Salt

Method:

Marinate the fish pieces with lime juice and turmeric and keep aside.

Grind a fine paste using all the ingredients for ground paste.

Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onion and saute till translucent.
Add the ground paste and fry till it starts leaving oil.

Now add 1/2 cup water and slip in the fish pieces.
Simmer on low flame for 2-3 mins, till the fish is cooked.
garnish with chopped coriander and serve.

Parmesan and Herb Grilled Basa Fillets

Just another innovation ,when two foodie sisters meet....But just a simple,no frill one!!
Our weekend together , and we were more than happy to be getting a chance to cook together!!
With an extraordinary achievement,of getting a frozen basa fish fillet here , I was happy and proud of my sister!
So a quick treat for her and my sweet nephew ,who successfully kept my toddler occupied, till the time me and my sister indulged in cooking and some soul sharing!

Ingredients:

2-5 Skinless,boneless Basa Fish Fillets (Any white fish fillets will do)
4 tsp Mixed Italian Herbs
2 tsp Chilli Flakes
2-3 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp Cracked Pepper
1 tsp Namak Shamak
2-4 tbsp Cornflour
1 Egg
2 tbsp Oil
Chopped Spring Onion and Orange slices for garnish

Method:

Wash and pat dry the fish fillets on a plate.
Sprinkle,salt,pepper,chilli flakes,italian herbs and cheese over the fillets on both sides.

Spread cornflour over a plate.Lightly wisk the egg in a bowl,adding a pinch of salt to it.
Dip the fillets in the egg ,and then dip them in the cornflour.

Dust the excess cornflour and place the fillets on a hot grill pan with 1 tbsp oil drizzled over it.
Repeat for the remaining fillets.

Fry the fillets on low flame till brown and crisp on both the sides.
Transfer in a serving plate and garnish with spring onions and orange slices.

Fish Cutlets

Got this recipe from a Bengali friend of mine. I personally think you get the most awesome fish recipes from Bengal, after all its their staple food. Bongs and fish go hand in hand!!!!


I have made some changes to the original recipe but all in all the results were good. My hubby being a true blue maharashtrian loves spicy food.....garam masala et al..

I have used Ghol fish in here, the reason being its white flaky flesh and less bones...... the bigger the fish the lesser the bones but you can use surmai or rawas or even the fresh water fish like Rohu. Ghol fish is also know as Jewfish.

Ingredients:

6 to 7 pieces       Ghol Fish 
1/2 cup               Coriander leaves
1 tsp                   Lemon juice
1                         Onion
8 to 10 cloves     Garlic
1                         Egg
1 tsp                   Garam Masala
1 tsp                   Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp                Haldi powder
1 tsp                   Dhania powder
1 tbsp                 Besan
2 tbsp                 Cornflour
1 tsp                   Namak Shamak
1 cup                  Bread crumbs
Oil for frying

Method:

Gently steam the fish in very little water till its cooked, This will take not more than 7 to 8 mins. Cool and mash it, remove bones if any.

Chop the onion, garlic finely.

In a bowl take the mashed fish, add the coriander leaves, chopped onions, garlic, egg, lemon juice, garam masala, chilli powder, haldi powder, dhania powder, besan, cornflour and the salt and combine them together till they are fully incorporated.

Now make oblonged shaped shaped cutlets. Roll the cutlets in the breadcrumbs and shallow fry in hot oil on low heat till crisp.

Drain on a kitchen towel and serve hot with coconut dhania chutney.

 

                 

Sweet and Spicy Fish with Orange Sauce/Basa Fish with Orange Sauce

This is what happens when two foodie sisters meet!! It was the weekend ,when my sister ,whos also the co-author to Namak Shamak , visited us at Nasik with her family. And it was extraordinary ,as usual..Be it the outings,eat outs or our cooking !! Its never a guest host relation between us when we are together! The last time I had been to visit her , our blog came into existence.....
So ,its kinda special!!
It was month ending,hectic as usual for my husband, who was working late , so it was more than a delight to have my sis and family at home!! Ofcourse my kiddo was delighted too to have his patronizing and indulging big bro come for a visit! So my toddler had a company too!!
Back to the foodie aspect... my sis and her equally foodie husband,wanted a special treat,and I really wanted to indulge them in one...but unfortunately ,my home wasnt stocked with the necessary party stuff....My poor guests had to step out to fetch something for themselves...
And here comes my elder sis with a pack of fish fillets!! Wow I m proud of her....I normally dont get such fancy stuff here!!

So thats how the recipes happened...and my poor husband missed it!!

Ingredients:

3-4 Boneless,skinless Basa Fish Fillets (Can use any boneless ,skinless fish fillets)
Sweet and Spicy Seafood Sauce ( I got it from my fancy grocery shoppings,but you can use a mix of chilly sauce,sugar,and vinegar)
Zest of half an Orange
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cracked Pepper
1 tsp red Chilly powder
2 -5 tbsp Corn flour
1 Egg
2-3 tbsp Oil for frying
Juice of 1 Orange
2 tsp Chilli Flakes
Spring Onion greens and Orange slices for garnish

Method: 

Marinate the fish fillets in salt,pepper,red chilly powder,oranger zest,and the seafood sauce for 1/2 hour.

Drizzle 1 tbsp oil over hot grilling pan .

Spread the cornflour on a plate . Crack and lightly beat egg in a bowl and add a pinch of salt to it.

Dip the marinated fillets in cornflour,on both sides.

 Now dip it egg and further dip it in cornflour again.

Now place the fillet on the grill pan and fry on medium heat till browned on both sides.

Repeat for the rest of the fillets.

Once the fillets are done , add the orange juice and chilli flakes to the grill pan and let it simmer till it thickens.

Pour the hot sauce over the fillets.

Serve garnished with Orange slices and Spring Onion Greens.

This is our entry for

Seafood Feast – Event Announcement

Hosted by My Spicy Kitchen

Kolambichi Khichdi / Prawns Pulao with Coconut Milk

This week just buzzed by!!!!!! Had a super duper hectic week with my kiddos projects and skits. Hope to have a relaxing weekend. Just want to chill and have garma garam adrak chai and pakodas...... and chill at home watching the rains.
But my duties as a mom never ends. So have to cook a meal for my son! But something simple and fast ,so that my motive to chill and relax at home is also fulfilled.
A simple prawn rice would do just that.Especially since I already have Prawns washed and cleaned in my freezer!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup    Basmati Rice (I used India Gate)

20 to25       Prawns

1 pack        Coconut Milk (I used Dabur Homemade tetrapack)

2 tsp           Ginger Garlic Paste

1/2 tsp        Haldi/Turmeric

1 tsp           Red Chilli Powder

1                 Lemon

1                 Onion

1 tsp           Jeera Powder

1 tsp           Dhania Powder

1/2 tsp        Pepper Powder

3 tsp           Oil

1 1/2 tsp    Namak Shamak

Whole Garam Masala:

6 ti 7          Pepper Corns

5 to 6         Cloves

2 to 3         Small Elaichi

1                Badi Elaichi

3                Star Anise

2                Bay Leaves

1/2 tsp      Jeera

Method:

Marinate the prawns with ginger garlic paste, haldi, salt, red chilli powder, dhania powder, jeera powder, pepper powder and juice of one lemon.

Heat Oil in a heavy bottomed kadhai. Put in the whole garam masala and fry till it gives a nice aroma. Add the finely chopped onions and saute. Now add the marinated prawns and cook for 2 to 3 mins. 

Wash and drain the rice. 

Add the rice to the prawns and mix. Now pour in the coconut milk and add the salt. Pour in approx. 1 cup of water  and cook covered on low heat till all the water evaporates.

 

If you feel the rice is undercooked pour some water on the lid and cook for few more mins. 

The amount of water required depends on the quality and type of the rice. 

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Crab Curry / Chimbori Masala / Kurlya Masala / Khekda Masala

Its Crab season...... Got the best crabs today.

Had to literally fight for it.... they are so much in demand. Your best bet is to purchase live crabs whenever possible. Step 1 accomplished now for step 2 the cleaning part. Now this can be messy. Your best option is to ask the macchiwali to break their legs. Yup I had a bad experience running after 12 of those when my nephew accidentally opened the bag. We found the last two the next day.....

Ok back to the cleaning part. Separate the legs and claws and wash them thoroughly with water and clean the mud. Do the same with the crabs. Now remove the flap like thing that is at the back of the crab. Wash again.  Now you have two options, either remove the shell entirely or break the crab into two (this requires a little strength and wrestling). Next take the claws and crack them using a pestle. As for the small legs you can either cook them as it is or you can just grind them using a little water. Strain and use this in the curry.  This

done, we are ready to cook.

There is a wide variety of crabs available but the best are the crabs that are found in the rocks, especially in the monsoons. Crabs are also known as khekda, chimbori, kurlya and so on. One interesting fact is that the crabs caught around "Amavasya" are fleshy and tasty.

I have made this crab curry as my mom used to make the only difference is that she uses dry coconut and I have used fresh coconut.

Ingredients:

2 big         Crabs

1 cup        Grated Coconut

1               Tomato

3 tsp         Whole Dhania

1 tsp         Jeera

1 inch       Dalchini

6 to 8        Pepper Corns

1/2 tsp      Haldi Powder

1 tsp         Namak Shamak

5 to 6        Red Chillies

2 tsp         Ginger Garlic Paste

1 tsp         Tamarind Pulp

1 big         Onion

1/2 cup     Coriander Leaves

3 tsp         Oil

Method:

In a pan  heat a little oil. Now roast the red chillies, dhania, jeera, dalchini, pepper corns, and the grated coconut till a little brown. Cool and grind to a fine paste using a little water.

 

Heat Oil in a pan. Add the finely chopped Onions and ginger garlic paste and cook till golden.  Toss in the tomatoes and cook till tender.  Now add the crabs and the pincers and saute till the become red. If you have ground the legs, add that pulp too.  Add the haldi powder, salt and the ground masala. Cook and cover for 15 to 20 mins. Now add the tamarind pulp and a little water if required. Cover and cook for 5 mins.

Serve garnished with coriander leaves.

This curry tastes good with rice, chapati or amboli.

This is our entry for

Seafood Feast – Event Announcement

Hosted by My Spicy Kitchen