Best Fish Masala Recipes

FISH MASALA

Steps:

• Scoop off 1/4 cup cream from top of canned coconut milk. Reserve remaining cream and milk for another use.
• Heat oil in wok over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Add mustard seeds and cook until they make popping sounds, about 15 seconds. Add ginger, garlic, and chiles to taste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add coriander, chile powder, turmeric, and curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 5 to 10 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in coconut cream until incorporated, then add fish and salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until fish is just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently stir in mango.
• *We like Laxmi brand. Available at Indian markets and Kalustyan's (212-685-3451).

MUCHLI MASALA (INDIAN SPICY FRIED FISH)

Steps:

• Rinse fish in cold water, pat dry with paper towels.
• In small bowl combine salt, spices, ginger, garlic and lemon juice - form into a paste.
• Rub fish with paste.
• Let the fish stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• In a heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
• Fry fish about 5 min, turn and fry other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes more.
• Garnish with fresh coriander or parsley and lemon wedges.

KHARRA MASALA FISH

Steps:

• Heat ghee in a medium pot over medium until it melts, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the seeds and round red chiles. Stir continuously until fragrant, about 30 to 45 seconds.
• Add onion. Stir occasionally, and continue cooking until it starts to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garam masala, cumin, turmeric and chile powder. Add the tomatoes and salt, and stir so all the ingredients are evenly mixed. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are tender and the oil starts to separate (you'll see the oil form an outline around the jammy tomato), about 7 minutes.
• Add the fish pieces in one layer, cover and let cook over low heat for 7 minutes. Remove the lid, and flip the fish pieces so they are coated with masala on all sides. Cover again and let it cook on low until the fish is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Top with lemon juice, green chiles, ginger and fresh cilantro. Serve with roti, rice or by itself.

BLACKENED GARAM MASALA FISH

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the garlic and tamarind pastes. Place the fish in a large, flat dish. Mix together the garlic paste, all the spices and salt, and rub well over the fillets, making sure each one is well-coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 and up to 4 hours.2. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking, about 2 minutes. Carefully place the fillets in the pan in a single-layer and cook until blackened on the bottom, about 5 minutes.3. Drizzle the remaining oil on top of the fish fillets and turn them over. Cook, pressing the top blackened side gently with the back of a spatula to flatten, and cook until the other side is well-browned and the inside just flaky and opaque, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle the lemon juice on top, and serve hot.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

MASALA FISH TACOS WITH CUCUMBER PEPPER RAITA

Steps:

• Grate zest from lemon and squeeze all juice from it. In a bowl mix zest, lemon juice and all other ingredients. Refrigerate 2-3 hours. Meanwhile prepare raita. Mix sliced cucumbers with salt in colander. Let stand 30 minutes. Using paper towels, squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Grate zest from lemon and extract 2 tablespoon lemon juice. Mix cucumber, lemon zest, juice and all other ingredients in bowl. Adjust salt to taste. Refrigerate. Oil grill and preheat grill to hot. Thread fish on 12 long metal or bamboo skewers. Spray fish cubes with nonstick spray. Grill about 4-5 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily and outside is nicely browned. Warm chapati by placing them on outside of grill. Serve fish with chapati and raita. Let each diner push fish cubes from skewer, place a few on chapati, top with some cucumber raita, fold over in half and eat.

COCHIN MASALA FISH WITH PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the coconut milk. In a blender or a food processor, blend together the garlic, curry leaves, green chili peppers, cumin, coriander, turmeric, asafoetida, salt, and 1/4 cup coconut milk to make a smooth paste.2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the pearl onions, stirring, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic-coconut milk paste and cook over medium heat until fragrant and golden, 5 minutes.3. Add the fish and cook, turning once, about 2 minutes per side, then add the remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk and the cilantro and cook until the oil separates to the sides, about 2 minutes.4. Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the sauce is thick and the fish is tender but not breaking apart, about 5 minutes.5. Transfer to a serving dish, cover with another dish, and keep warm. To the same pan, add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Spread evenly over the cooked fish as a garnish. Serve hot.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.