Sardines and Zucchini stir-fry

Sardines and Zucchini stir-fry

Ingredients 

2 cans tinned sardines in oil

2 large zucchini’s, sliced thinly 

1 large onion, sliced thinly

1 large tomato, chopped 

1 green chili, chopped 

2 tsp mild curry powder 

1 tsp nigella seeds

Salt to taste 

1 tbsp cooking oil 

Directions 

In a heated pan, add the oil from the sardine cans. Add nigella seeds and when they start spluttering, add sliced onions and fry till translucent. Add the chopped green chilies and fry for 2 minutes, then add curry powder and stir for a few minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till tomatoes are soft. Add cooking oil and salt to taste and mix. Now add the sliced zucchini, mix and ad 1/2 cup water. Mix and cover the dish. Cook for a few minutes on low heat till zucchini is tender. Now add the sardines and mix gently. Cover and cook for a minute. Open the lid and mix again. Turn off the heat and serve with warm tortillas. 

Watch this recipe video on Pinterest 

https://pin.it/2sFwn95g5

Prawn Chili Fry

Ingredients 

1 kg prawns, cleaned and de-veined
3-4 red onions, chopped finely
3-4 tomatoes, chopped finely
2 green chillies, chopped finely
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
2 teaspoons lime juice
2-3 tablespoons cooking oil
salt to taste
some fresh coriander for garnishing

Directions

Wash the cleaned prawns and drain well in a sieve. In a non-stick pan, heat about 2-3 tablespoons of oil and saute onions till translucent. Add the powdered spices and saute for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and cook till they are soft and oil releases from the sides. Add the green chillies and salt to taste. Add the prawns, mix well and simmer on low heat for a few minutes till prawns a cooked. Turn off the heat and add lime juice. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander. Serve with flat breads or stuff baguettes or any bread with the prawn chili fry.

Sweet & Sour Fish

Sweet & Sour Fish

Ingredients

3 pieces Basa fish fillets, cut in bite size pieces
2 green bell peppers cubed
3 spring onions, chopped
2 flakes garlic, sliced
3-4 rings pineapple (canned), cut into pieces
1 tsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
3 tablespoons corn flour
some cooking oil
few drops of sesame oil

Directions:

Pat the fish pieces dry with a paper tower. Add some cornflour, about a tablespoon and 1 tsp soy sauce to the fish. Mix and fry lightly on both sides in a shallow frying pan. Remove and set aside. Mix the remaining corn flour with some water and set aside. In a wok heat some cooking oil and add the sliced garlic and white part of the spring onions. Add the bell pepper and stir fry for a few minutes. Add the fish, remaining soy sauce, corn flour, black pepper powder, pineapple pieces, ketchup and vinegar and stir fry gently, taking care not the break the fish. Sprinkle some sesame oil, check seasoning and top with the green onions. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Korean Seafood Pancakes (Haemul Pajeon)

Korean Seafood Pancakes (Haemul Pajeon) 

Serves 4 people

Ingredients:

Dipping Sauce:

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sweet sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chillie flakes) or regular red chillie flakes

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 spring onion or scallion, finely diced

For the batter:

1 1/3 cups (300 millilitres) cold water

2/3 cup (100 grams) rice flour (makes pancakes crispy)

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

1 packet fresh or frozen prawns, cleaned, deveined and halved

1 packet crab sticks, sliced into pieces

3 spring onions or scallions, chopped finely

1 tsp black pepper powder

Salt to taste

Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

For the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the sauces, vinegar, chillie flakes, sesame oil, sesame seeds and spring onions and set aside.

For the batter: In a large bowl, gently whisk together the eggs, rice flour, all-purpose flour, black pepper and salt until smooth, adding the water gradually. Add the prawns, spring onions, crab sticks, and mix to coat well and evenly. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, spoon in one-third of the batter and spread out evenly to make a small circular pancake measuring about 3-4 inches. Fry until golden brown and crispy on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip over carefully and cook until the other side is golden, another 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Working in batches, make 3 more pancakes, drizzling in more oil as necessary, about 2 to 3 tablespoons per pancake, and adjusting the heat down as needed. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Schezwan Fish

Schezwan Fish

Ingredients

1 kg Basa fish filets cut into chunks

1 egg, beaten

½ cup flour

2 tbsp soy sauce

¼ tsp black pepper powder

2-3 garlic flakes, chopped finely                       

1” piece ginger, chopped finely

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 tsp corn flour

6-7 dry red chilies

2 tbsp vinegar

¼ tsp ajino moto (MSG)

1 tsp sesame oil

vegetable oil

Directions

Marinate the fish pieces with 1 tbsp soy sauce, black pepper powder and beaten egg for ½ an hour. Soak dry red chillies in warm water. When they have hydrated, remove some of the seeds and grind it to a paste in a blender using vinegar. Keep the paste aside. Prepare a slurry with corn starch and some water and keep aside. In a wok heat about 4 tbsp vegetable oil. Take each piece of fish and coat it in flour and fry it the hot oil till golden brown on both sides. Remove and set aside. In the same wok add a teaspoon of sesame oil and some more vegetable oil. Add the chopped ginger garlic and stir fry for 2-3 seconds. Add about 2-3 tablespoon of the red chili paste (depending on how spicy you like it, you can store the rest of the paste in a container in the fridge) and stir fry for a few seconds. Now add the white part of the spring onions and stir fry. Add soy sauce, ajino moto and the corn flour slurry and stir. When the gravy thickens, add the fried fish pieces gently to the wok and mix. Check seasoning. Garnish with the green leaves of the spring onions. 

Malaysian Fish & Okra Curry

Malaysian Fish & Okra Curry

Ingredients

300 gms okra

350 gms white fish (I've used Basa fish fillets)

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

6-7 cloves

5-6 dry red chilies (I de-seeded a few since I like it less hot)

1 tsp turmeric

1 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tamarind broth cube

½ cup water

275 ml tin of coconut milk

Directions

Cut the fish fillets in chinks. Wash okra and wipe each okra with a kitchen towel. Take of the heads and ends of the okra and slice them in large chunks diagonally. Grind coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, chili, star anise, cinnamon and turmeric in a spice grinder until it is a fine powder. Heat oil in a large pan and saute the chopped onion till translucent. Add the garlic and stir for 3 seconds. Tip the spices, stirring occasionally, until you can smell the oils being released from the spices. Add the water in and stir to form a paste. Add the okra and tamarind broth cube. Stir and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add coconut milk and tip in the fish pieces gently into the curry. Stir well to combine, pop the lid on and simmer for about 5-7 minutes. When the fish is done, check seasoning. Serve with yellow rice that’s been cooked with turmeric, cloves and cardamom pods. You can also serve it with white rice.

Stuffed Pomfret

Stuffed Pomfret

“Stuffed Pomfret is a delicacy cooked and enjoyed by East Indians all over the world. This is my mother’s recipe and we always liked it when she would prepare the fish this way, relishing every mouthful with Indian flat breads. I recreated this recipe today and I think did justice to it!”.

Ingredients

1 medium sized pomfret fish

2 medium sized red onions

1 green chili

4-5 flakes garlic

2” piece ginger

2 medium sized tomatoes chopped finely

a handful of coriander leaves chopped finely

1 tsp garam masala powder (I prefer Mother’s Recipe Garam Masala)

1 tsp turmeric powder

¼ tsp pepper powder

salt to taste

1 tsp juice of a lemon

Oil for frying

Directions

Clean fish by removing scales, tail, fins and the insides (you can ask your fishmonger to do it). Wash the fish and pat dry. Make two large slit horizontally on each side of the fish. Apply some salt and ½ tsp turmeric powder and keep aside. Chop onion, garlic, ginger and green chilie finely (I used a food processor and chopped them altogether). Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a large non-stick pan and add the chopped onion, ginger garlic and chilie mixture. Sauté for a few minutes till the onion turns brown. Add the garam masala powder, turmeric, pepper powder and salt and stir for 3 seconds. Now add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes have melted and the filling is semi-dry. Add chopped coriander and some lime juice and check seasoning. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool. Stuff this filling carefully into the slits of the fish. Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan. Fry the fish on both sides till golden brown and cooked. Serve on a large plate with the remaining stuffing on top of the fish and some warm flat breads.

Fish Cakes

Fish Cakes

Ingredients

4 Basa fish fillets or any white fish fillets

1 spring onion or scallion finely chopped

1 small red onion finely chopped

2 flakes garlic crushed in a garlic crusher

½ tsp red chilli flakes

½ tsp black pepper powder

1 tbsp mayonnaise

2 slices white bread

salt to taste

1 egg, beaten

1 cup or more breadcrumbs or fine semolina

Oil for shallow frying

Directions

Cook fish fillets with a little salt and water. Remove the fish in a large bowl and flake the fillets with a fork. Retain the stock. Soak bread slices in the stock and squeeze out the remaining liquid. Add the bread to the fish. Add the onions, garlic, red chilli flakes, pepper powder and mayonnaise to the fish. Mix gently and form into large patties. Press each patty lightly on the palm of your hands to flatten. Dip each patty in beaten egg and then roll on both sides in breadcrumbs or semolina. When all the patties are done, keep them in a fridge for 15-20 minutes to harden (it’s easier to fry). Heat some oil in a skillet and fry each patty on both sides till golden brown. Serve with some Tzatziki or Thousand Island sauce.

Stuffed Squids

Stuffed Squids

Ingredients

10 medium sized squids

4 large red onions

4 large tomatoes, chopped finely

6 flakes garlic

1 green chillie, deseeded

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp black pepper powder

½ tsp cumin powder

200 gms pack of strained tomatoes, or tomato puree

4 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 cup soya granules soaked (you can also substitute it with 1 cup of bulgur or 1 cup of cooked rice)

2 tbsp chopped walnuts or pine nuts

½ cup or more olive oil or canola oil

1 vegetable bouillon cube

2 tbsp cooking cream for garnishing (optional)

salt to taste

10 toothpicks for sealing the squids

Directions

Soak the soya granules in water for 15 minutes. When they have hydrated, squeeze the water out and keep aside. Clean squids or better still ask your fishmonger to do it. Take off the wings and tentacles and rinse them well. Clean the squid tubes and rinse them. Chop the tentacles and the wings finely. Chop the onions, green chillie and garlic finely (I did it in a food processor). Heat half the oil in a pan and sauté half the chopped onion garlic mixture until well browned. Add soya granules and continue to sauté. Add half of the cumin, pepper and red chilli powder and stir for a few seconds. Add the chopped squid tentacles, chopped nuts and half of the bouillon cube and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add half of the chopped tomatoes and sauté until the tomatoes melt and the squids are cooked and filling is a bit dry. Check seasoning and turn off the heat. Let the filling cool.

Stuff each squid with the filling leaving a bit of space enough to seal. Secure the opening of each squid with a toothpick. In a pan heat the remaining oil and add each squid to the pan. Fry on both sides for 3-4 minutes. Remove the fried squids and add the remaining onions and garlic mixture to the same pan and sauté till well browned. Add the remaining spices and bouillon cube and stir. Then add the remaining chopped tomatoes and sauté till tomatoes melt. Add tomato puree and salt to taste and stir. Add a cup of water, stir and return the squids to the pan. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Turn the squids over gently in the pan and simmer for another five minutes. The gravy should thicken a bit by now. Turn off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Remove the toothpicks gently and discard them. Transfer the squids to a serving dish and pour the gravy on top. Garnish with cream.

Spicy Prawn Pilaf

Spicy Prawn Pilaf

Ingredients

2 cups prawns, cleaned and deveined

2 cups basmati rice, washed and drained well

4 cups lukewarm water (same measurement as the rice)

2 medium sized red onions finely chopped

2 large tomatoes finely chopped

2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala powder (I prefer Mother’s Recipe Garam Masala)

½ tsp turmeric

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 vegetable bouillon cube

salt to taste

½ cup cooking oil

a handful of chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

For tempering:

2 bay leaves

1 star anise

4-5 black pepper corns

2-3 cloves

4-5 cardamoms

1 stick cinnamon

Directions

In a deep dish heat oil and add the spices for tempering for 2-3 seconds. Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent. Reduce heat and add the powdered spices and sauté for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and fry until they have melted. Add prawns, bouillon cube and mix well. Add the drained rice and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add 4 cups of lukewarm water and salt (check seasoning as the bouillon cube has salt). Reduce heat completely and cover the dish with lid. Cook until all the water has been absorbed. To serve, gently mix the rice well and garnish with a handful of chopped coriander leaves.

Grilled Salmon

Grilled Salmon

Ingredients

4 Salmon fillets

2 tbs olive oil

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper or red chili powder

¼ tsp ginger powder

¼ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

Juice of one lemon

¼ cup fresh parsley - chopped

Directions

Pre-heat an oven grill at 180 deg C. Season the salmon with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, ginger and garlic powder and 1 tbsp of olive oil. In a skillet heat 1 tbsp olive oil and place the skin side of the salmon. Let the skin crisp up a bit. Transfer the pieces of fish on to an oven tray and grill for 8-10 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and transfer on to a serving place. Heat the same skillet in which you fried the salmon, add parsley and stir for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and stir. Pour the juices with parsley on the grilled fish. Serve with some green salad.

Chili Crabs

Chili Crabs

Ingredients

4 medium sized blue/mud crabs, washed thoroughly and cleaned

2 spring onions chopped

5-6 dry red chilies (de-seed some if you like it less hot)

3-4 flakes garlic

2” piece ginger

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp white vinegar

6 black pepper corns

2 cups coconut milk

salt to taste

4 tbsp oil

Directions

Soak red chilies in some water for 20 minutes to hydrate them. In a blender grind red chilies, pepper corns, ginger and garlic to a paste with vinegar and a little water. Keep aside. Boil or steam crabs for 15-20 minutes with a little salt. Retain the stock.

In a wok or casserole heat oil and sauté the spring onions for 2 minute. Add the ground red chili paste and continue to sauté for 5 minutes or until the oil separates. Lower the heat, add the stock from the boiled crabs, sugar and stir. When the gravy starts bubbling, add the coconut milk and stir. Check seasoning. When the gravy thickens, place each crab carefully in the dish. With a ladle pour gravy on top of the crabs and let it simmer for few minutes. To serve, place a crab and its claws in a serving dish and ladle gravy on top.

Salmon Steak with Mushroom Sauce

Salmon Steak with Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

3 pieces Salmon steak

salt to taste

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ginger powder

flour to coat the fish

oil for frying

For the sauce

1 cup sliced button mushrooms

1 spring onion sliced

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

½ tsp black pepper powder

¼ tsp garlic powder

salt to taste

Directions

Apply some salt, paprika, ginger and garlic powder to the fish and keep for 20 minutes. In a frying pan heat about a tablespoon olive oil. Take the pieces of the salmon steak and coat on both sides with flour. Fry for about 4 minutes on both sides. Remove the fish pieces on to a serving plate. In another pan heat butter and sauté the spring onions, then add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the flour and fry till it turns a little brown. Then add a glass of water and stir quickly until all the flour is well dissolved. Let the sauce thicken. Add garlic and pepper powder and check seasoning. Pour the sauce over the salmon steaks.

Green Prawn Pilaf

Green Prawn Pilaf

Ingredients

1 kg prawns, cleaned and deveined or you can use frozen prawns (I prefer Tesco frozen prawns)
2 large potatoes, chopped in large chunks and par boiled
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 bay leaves
3-4 peppercorns
3-4 cardamoms
2 sticks cinnamons
2-4 cloves
salt to taste
1/2 cup oil and 2 tbsp. ghee
2 cups basmati rice (I prefer Tilda Basmati rice)
To be ground to a paste
6 green chillies (can deseed some if you like it less spicy)
2 bunches of coriander cleaned
2″ piece ginger cut into bits
6-8 flakes garlic peeled
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 cloves
3-4 cardamoms
2 sticks cinnamon
1 star aninse

Directions

Wash rice and drain. In a deep bottomed dish heat oil and ghee. Add bay leaves and the whole spices. Fry onions till translucent. Add the ground masala paste and fry well. Add the tomatoes and fry till they are soft. Add prawns and fry for a bit. Add the potatoes and rice and mix well. Add 4 cups of warm water (use the same cup you measured rice with). Add salt to taste. Lower the flame, cover and cook for 10 minutes till all the water is absorbed. Open lid and mix well. Serve with a salad or raita.

Fish in Coconut Yellow Curry with Eggplants

Fish in Coconut Yellow Curry with Eggplants

Ingredients

4 White Fish fillets

1 large eggplant diced

2 spring onions/scallions diced (reserve some green parts for garnishing)

1 can coconut cream

3 tbsp yellow curry powder (I prefer Sharwoods Yellow Curry Powder)

1 tbsp corn flour

salt to taste

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

Directions

Cut the fillets into pieces and apply some salt and corn flour. Keep aside. In a wok heat some oil and fry diced eggplants. Remove and keep aside. Add some more oil to the wok, then add the spring onions. Fry for a bit and add the ginger garlic paste. Add yellow curry powder and fry for a minute. Add the fish fillets and fry gently. Add coconut cream and eggplants and stir. Add salt to taste. Then simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with greens of the spring onions. Serve with hot white rice.

Shark Fish Curry (Chinchoni)

Shark Fish Curry (Chinchoni)

Ingredients

500 gms shark fish pieces/fillets cut into pieces

6 red chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ coconut cut into pieces

8 flakes garlic

1 tsp turmeric

some tamarind soaked in some warm water

Oil

Directions

In a blender grind the red chillies, cumin coconut and garlic to a paste adding some water. Keep aside. Extract the tamarind juice and keep aside. In a deep dish, heat about 4 tbsp oil and add the ground masala. Add turmeric and fry for a few minutes. Add a glass of water and tamarind juice and stir. Add the fish pieces and salt to taste. Let it simmer for 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked. Serve with hot white rice.

Fish Masala Curry

Fish Masala Curry

Ingredients

1 kg King Fish or any other fish cut in slices

4-5 flakes garlic

2” piece ginger

2 small red onions chopped

1 stalk spring onions chopped

¼ tsp turmeric

5-6 Kashmir red chillies soaked in warm water and deseeded

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

50 gms cashews

Some coriander leaves

6 tbsp cooking cream

Salt to taste

Oil

Directions

Apply some salt and turmeric to the fish slices and shallow fry them in oil. Keep aside. In a blender, grind together ginger, garlic, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, red chilies, cashews, some coriander leaves. Grind to a fine paste adding some water. In a pan heat about 8 tbsp cooking oil and add the chopped onions and fry till golden brown. Add the white part of the spring onions and fry. Add the masala paste and fry till the oil separates. Now add tomato paste and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add 2 glasses of water and some salt to taste. Check seasoning. Stir and add the fish slices gently. Let the gravy simmer. Add 4 tbsp cooking cream and stir. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the greens of the spring onions and cream. 

Fish in Lemon and Garlic Sauce

Fish in Lemon and Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

4 white fish fillets cut into pieces

A handful of sugar snap peas sliced

1 cup button mushrooms sliced

2 spring onions chopped

2-3 garlic cloves finely minced

1 tsp corn flour

1 tbsp flour

Juice of one lemon

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp black pepper powder

Salt to taste

Cooking oil

Directions

Add corn flour to the fish pieces and fry them in a little oil. Drain and keep aside. In a deep wok, heat oil and add the sugar snap peas and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and the white part of the spring onions. Stir fry for a few minutes. Remove and keep aside. Add some more oil to the wok and add the garlic paste, then add the flour and stir well. Add turmeric and stir. Add 2 cups of water and blend the flour paste with the gravy. Add soy sauce and some salt to taste. Add the fish fillets and cook till the fish is almost done. Add the stir fried veggies and lemon juice and black pepper powder. Check seasoning. The consistency of the gravy should be a little thick. 

Prawn and Okra Curry

Prawn and Okra Curry 

Ingredients

2 cups shelled and deveined prawns

¼ kg okra (lady fingers)

2 medium onions chopped finely

2 medium tomatoes chopped finely

2-3 flakes garlic sliced finely

2 tbsp East Indian bottle masala*

2 tsp tamarind paste

4 tbsp cooking oil

Salt to taste

Directions

Wash okra and wipe clean with a kitchen towel. Cut the ends of the okra and discard. Chop them in 3-4 pieces. In a deep dish, heat oil and add onions. Sauté the onions till pink, then add garlic and fry for two minutes. Add the bottle masala and fry for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and fry till the dissolve completely and oil separates. Now add the okra and stir for a few minutes. Add about 2 cups water and prawns. Add the tamarind paste and salt to taste. Cook for a few minutes till prawns and okra are done and the gravy has thickened. Serve with hot rice.

*If you don’t have East Indian Bottle Masala, you can substitute with 1 tsp garam masala, 2 tsp red chillie powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder and 1 tsp turmeric powder.