Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. I would love to a go a step further and add ; Teach him how to cook it and the whole family eats well. This is an old Chinese proverb where men and women shared all kinds of household chores, so let us not get into the gender bias argument. But seriously, so few people actually like fish that something needs to be done about it. The kids, in particular, complain about the fishy smell and will not eat it unless its double dipped in flour and eggs and deep fried making the whole idea of eating the healthy option such a wasted exercise. The Prodigal Kids (mine, for the uninitiated) love sushi, so go figure.
Fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which is essential for development of the brain and eyes. Research shows that making fish a part of your regular diet, has been helpful for patients with diabetes, asthama and also cognitive dysfunction . The caveat being to mostly eat wild caught as opposed to farmed fish. Rainbow trout, squid, salmon, walleye are some tasty and easily available wild caught fish. But as in anything in life everything should be done in a balanced way rather than take one thing and run with it. I get catfish and black pampano sometimes because they both take to Indian spices really well.
I make it a couple different ways: baked or curry. In India some of the best fish preparations come from the coastal areas, be it the Macher Jhol from the east, the Meen Kuzhambhu from the south or my personal favorite the Malwani masala fish from the west coast that is spicy and flavorful but bakes well and the masala translates well to the curry form , too. You could definitely shallow fry it too. Today I share with you a recipe for the masala, which stores well in an air tight container and the dish itself.
Malwani masala
5 tsp coriander seeds
2 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
7-8 dried red chillies
1 small star anise
1 inch pc cinnamon
2 tsp black peppercorns
5 cloves
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp mace
2 tsp dry dessicated coconut (optional)
Dry roast all the ingredients on a low flame till light brown. Cool off and then grind, store well.
Baked fish
1 lb fish ( salmon, black pampano or trout) or any fish you prefer.
1 tsp garlic and jalapeno and paste (5 garlic pods and 2 jalapenos)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp tamarind paste (bottled works well)
2 tsp malwani masala
2 tbsp oil
salt as needed
Wash fish well and pat dry. In a bowl mix all the other ingredients well and apply to the fish using your hands so it spreads nicely. Marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, lay the fish out on a pan covered in foil and use a light cooking spray. bake for 20-25 minutes(depending on the fish).
Serving suggestions;
- With Dal and Roti with a side of an onion and tomato kachumber (salad)
- With Dal and Rice with a side of sliced onion and cucumber tossed in vinegar, sugar and salt.
- With Gnocchi tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper.
Wine Suggestions;
A good rose will go well or a Gruner Veltliner which is an Austrian white that compares well with any good chardonnay.
Side bar:
This masala can used to make a curry using fish, shrimp, chicken or dried peas (soaked over night).
Basic Malwani Curry
3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp ustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp malwani masala
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
5-6 curry leaves (important but optional)
2 tsp tamarind paste (4 chopped tomatoes for chicken)
salt as needed
Add mustard and cumin seeds to 1 tbsp oil, when they sputter add the curry leaves and turmeric. Add onions and saute till light brown and then add ginger garlic paste. Add the malwani masala, coriander powder. Saute well, cool and grind to a paste. Take 2 tbsp oil in the same pan and add the ground masala to it , saute. Now add the tamarind paste (or chopped tomatoes ) and salt. Saute well till oil appears on the sides. Now add your protein and cook. If using dried peas, soak overnite and pressure cook before adding it to your curry.
HAPPY COOKING FROM KAVITA ATUL!