Bhajani fish curry: super simple, ready in 15 mins!!

I am a member of a few food groups on Facebook. It makes for good sharing and learning experience. Quite often I note down recipes that seem interesting and save them in my "to try" list. But the truth of the matter is that seldom do I actually try any of them. I have so little precious time to cook, that I just make recipes that I already know, have been making for a while or experiment/change something in that familiar recipe. Trying some new recipe means I would have to spend a few more minutes figuring it out; precious time that I don't have!! I am sure all you foodies who are working moms would agree with me. Then again, every now  and then you come across that kind of recipe which tempts you to try it. This is one such recipe, which upon reading I figured was so simple that it was worth giving it a try. Boy! Am I glad that I tried it!! It is a ridiculously easy and simple recipe that the entire dish could be ready in 15 minutes or less! It is so delicious and flavorful that you cannot stop eating! I fell in love with this recipe. This recipe was shared by Mr. Prasad Naik who is a foodie who believes in sharing without any hesitations. I just fell in love with this recipe of yours Prasad Naik! So this post is dedicated to you. I would strongly urge all my readers to try this recipe atleast once!

 
Servings: 3-4

 
Ingredients:

Tilapia : 1 medium sized fish, cut into medium-size slices.( Any fish that cooks quickly can be used. Fillets are perfect).

For marination:
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Salt : 1/4 tsp
Black pepper: 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice: from 1/2 lemon

For the sauce/ masala:
Cooking oil: 1 tbsp ( I used coconut oil).
Onion: 1 big, chopped fine or puréed into paste in a food processor.
Garlic: 6-8 cloves, minced
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli powder: 1 tsp
Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
Cilantro ( coriander leaves): 1 cup + 1 tbsp for garnishing.
Salt : 1/2 tsp
Tamarind pulp: 1/2 tsp dissolved in 1 cup water.

 
Method:

Clean the tilapia, marinate it with salt, pepper powder and lemon juice and keep aside for 10-15 mins.

When the fish is being marinated, add the onion and garlic to the food processor and pulse it until it is chopped fine.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pot/skillet. Add the chopped onion-garlic mixture, red chilli powder, haldi ( turmeric powder), garam masala, cilantro and salt and let it sauté for 3-4 mins.

Now add the tamarind solution and bring it to a boil. Add the marinated fish pieces and let it cook for 5 mins or until the fish is cooked to desired consistency.

Garnish with cilantro.

 Serve hot with white rice!

Enjoy! I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday # 63. Julianna@Foodie on Board and Hilda@Along the grapevine are this week's co-hosts.
 
Cooking made easy:

I have used fresh fish slices in the above recipe. You could use any fish fillets like Tilapia, Salmon, which cook easily.

Instead of chopping the onions and garlic, if you have readily available onion paste and garlic pastes, you could use it. This makes the process even faster!

 
Tip for healthy living:

Whenever possible buy and use wild caught fish. The farm-raised fish have been found to have higher amounts of chemical residues in them.


 Food for thought:

Love will draw an elephant through a key-hole. Samuel Richardson

SWEET 'n' SOUR FISH

I am an avid connoisseur of Asian cuisine . I not only like to eat it but also like to try and make it at home. One of my colleagues and close friend is a Filipino. Her sister is also a foodie and is into cooking healthy too. This recipe I learnt from my dear friend Jean & her sister Betty. It was an instant hit in my household. It's quick and easy to make.

Servings: 4

Ingredients :

Fish  fillets:  4 palm sized. ( I used Salmon. Tilapia or any bland dish can be used)

For marination:

Lemon juice: 1/2 lemon
Pepper: 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1/2 tsp

For the sauce:

Garlic: 1 tbsp chopped fine
Onion:1 medium sized ,  diced
Ginger:  2 inches, chopped julienne.
Bell pepper ( red and green): 1 cup diced into 1 inch squares.
Carrot: 1 medium , cut into strips
Cooking oil: 1tbsp for the sauce + 2 tbsp to fry fish
Water: 2 cups +1/2 cup
Tomato paste:3 tbsp
Brown sugar: ½ cup
Vinegar: ½ cup
1 tablespoon  cornstarch

Method:

The fish:

Clean the fish and marinate it with lemon juice salt & pepper.Keep it in the fridge for atleast 20mins.

Heat 1-2 tbps oil in a skillet/ frying pan and pan fry the fish till it flakes approximately 4-5 mins on each side. When done, keep it aside in a serving dish.

 The Sauce:

In a clean pan/ wok,  heat 1 tbsp oil. 

Then on high heat,sauté garlic, onion, carrots, ginger, and bell pepper ( red and green) a minute each. 

Add 2 cups of water and simmer for 5 mins.

Put in tomato paste, sugar, and vinegar then mix  thoroughly. 

Dilute cornstarch in ½ cup water and add it in. This will thicken the sauce.

Putting it together:

Pour the sauce on top of the fish

Serve hot with Jasmine rice.

Cooking made easy:

I did not have bell peppers with me, hence I have not used it in this dish. While cooking, try to make use of what is available in your fridge/pantry. Sometimes, some ingredients( if unimportant) can be substituted/ skipped if unavailable at the time you are cooking.This is not true all the time.

 This dish can be made with chicken too. Use boneless chicken breast. Cut it into bite size pieces and fry it.

Tip for healthy living:

Salmon is a very rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. It is also considered a super-food. Try and  eat wild salmon. Eating 2-3 servings per week of omega-3 fatty acid rich fish like salmon may help keep our heart healthy.

Food for thought:

Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.(Og Mandino).