Cochin Masala Fish With Pearl Onions Recipes

FISH CURRY | INDIAN FISH MASALA

Steps:

• Marinate fish with ½ tbsp ginger garlic paste, ⅛ tsp turmeric, ¼ tsp red chilli powder & ¼ tsp salt.
• On a flat fry pan, heat 1 tsp oil. Fry fish pieces slightly until the raw smell goes away just for 2 to 3 mins on both sides. You can also sear the fish. Keep this aside. (refer picture below)
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pot and add cumin. When they sputter, add onions and saute until lightly golden.
• Next add ginger garlic paste and saute for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes & ½ tsp salt. Saute until tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
• Next add coconut, fennel seeds (optional), red chili powder & turmeric. Fry until the mixture turns fragrant & raw smell has gone away.
• Cool this & add to a blender jar along with 2 to 4 tbsps water. Blend to a smooth or coarse paste to suit your liking. (refer notes). You can also use a immersion blender. Keep this aside.
• Add 1 tbsp more oil to the same pot used earlier. Heat up on a low flame.
• When the oil turns slightly hot, add curry leaves & green chilies.
• When they splutter, add the ground onion tomato paste and garam masala. Fry until the mixture smells good. If you feel it is not hot enough for your taste, then add more chilli powder at this stage & saute.
• Pour 1 ¼ to 1½ cup water. Mix and bring it to a boil. Cook until you see traces of oil on the surface and the gravy thickens a bit.
• Gently slide the fish pieces and cook covered on a medium heat.
• Carefully flip or turn the pieces to the other side after 3 to 4 mins.
• Cook until the fish pieces bulge a bit. This is the indication they are cooked completely. Taste the curry and add more salt if needed.
• Optionally garnish fish curry with coriander leaves if desired.

KHARRA MASALA FISH (FISH WITH TOMATOES AND ONIONS)

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.

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.