Chinese Style Fish Bake

Chinese was the theme for Sunday Night dinner. Wanted to try something new and exotic! And healthy at the same time. Just then remembered that I had bought some wonton wrappers and decided to make shrimp wontons and fish. Googled a lot for some chinese style fish but nothing really interested me. So thought of just coming up with something new all by myself!

The ingredients I used were everyday chinese ingredients you will find in your pantry. It was simple and quick to make and the end result was delicious!!!

Ingredients:
2 Fish fillets (I used Tilapia ofcourse.. hehe)
1 tbsp Soya Sauce
1 tspn vinegar
1/2 tspn sesame oil (Optional)
1/2 tspn sugar
1 tbsp ginger, chopped
1 tbsp garlic,chopped
1/2 tspn green chiliies, chopped (optional)
1 scallion, chopped
Salt to taste

Method:

• Marinate the fish with all the ingredients and set aside for 1/2 an hr.
• Preheat the oven at 350 degrees and bake the fish for about 15-20 mins or till fully cooked.
• Sprinkle with some more green onions for garnishing.

Enjoy!

Thai Fish Satay

Friday night dinners are usually out or we order in a pizza. This friday I did not want to eat out and no pizza either. I had this strong urge of eating thai. So thought would make simple... Chicken Satay and Red Thai curry with Jasmine rice. But as evening approached, I had this tempting need to taste the same spicy n tangy drunken noodles that I had in Vegas at Krung Thai!! I could actually taste them... hehe!

So I set out googling and after going through tonnssss of recipes, I made a rough sketch in mind how I would make mine!! As usual hubby dear asked me what I was preparing. When told about the drunken noodles.. he was like.. and what about appetizers???! I was like hmm... chicken satay maybe? He was like nah... feel like eating some fish!! Now I had no clue what thai appetizer I could make with fish! And I was already in the kitchen and had no time to google.

Hubby dear suggested I make something on my own.. get creative! He believes that when I try something new, it usually is nice. So I hesitantly decided to make Fish Satay... on the lines of Chicken Satay... but with a difference!

And it turned out amazingly goood!! Yuummooo :)

Ingredients:
All Approx
2 fish fillet (I used Tilapia)
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Thai Red Curry
1/2 tbspn red chilli flakes
1 tbsp fish sauce
A pinch of sugar
Pinch of turmeric
6-7 Basil leaves, chopped
Salt & Pepper
4 tbspn water

Method:

• Marinate the fish with all the ingredients except basil.
  
• In a hot pan, add some olive oil and shallow fry the fish.
• When it turns crisp and brown, turn around and fry.
• After its done, place it on the serving dish.
• to make the sauce, add the leftover marinate and water in the pan and **deglaze the pan.
  
• Add basil and stir till the basil wilts and pour over the fish.

Enjoy!

Note:
**This means liquid is added to loosen and dissolve the brown bits and pan drippings at the bottom of the pan that form during cooking and basting. This pulls all the flavor possible out of the cooking process. Deglazing liquid is usually broth, a marinade, or wine. Deglazing is the first step when cooking many sauces.

Bangda Curry

We found this new Chinese place which sells fresh fish!! Anyone will be surprised to hear how we stumbled upon this place... on our way to temple!!! Yeah its just 2 blocks away!

Anywayz, we got a nice black pompfret and just 1 bangda. I m not into eating fish but hubby loves them. I have found out that I do like tilapia though. And I baked the pomfret last night for dinner but before I could click some pictures, hubby had already started as he just couldnt wait.. hehehe!! And I liked the pomfret too. I think I like fish which dont have a very strong taste and thus.. tilapia and pomfret :)

Getting back to the bangda curry. This is the way my MIL cooks. She is an excellent cook and I have learnt most of the south indian curries from her... she has lived her entire life in Karnatak. Now even my MOM is an excellent cook too. Everyone says I have picked up after my mom :) I love to hear this but I just cant make things as good as her.. Nowayz!!

Now my mom and MIL have entirely different ways of making fish curry.. so I am lucky that I can make curries both MIL style n mom style :)

As i said before I have learned this curry from my MIL who has learnt from her MIL :) And thus the tradition continues!!!

Ingredients:
1 bangda medium slices washed with turmeric n salt
1/4 medium onion sliced vertically
1/2 tsp jeera
2 tbsp grated fresh coconut
1 tspn tamrind paste
1 inch ginger
2 big cloves garlic
1-2 sprigs of cilantro
2 tbsp chilli powder (increase or decrease according to taste)
1 tbsp garam masala powder
Salt as per taste
1 pinch of turmeric


Method:

• In a heated pan, saute the onions in abt 1 tspn oil till they turn translucent.
• Now add the jeera and saute till the jeera turns color. Be careful not to burn the jeera.

• In a belnder, grind the onion-jeera alongwith cilantro, ginger and garlic with some water.
• Make into a fine paste and pour over the fish.
• Add the turmeric, salt, tamrind paste, chilli powder and garam masala powder and mix and let it marinate for 1-2 hrs.

• In a hot pan, add 1 tspn of oil and add the marinated fish.
• Add water to the desired consistency* and get it to a boil and immediately turn the heat to medium.

• Let it simmer on medium heat for about 20 mins, after which the greeninsh curry will turn into a nice deep red color.
• Done... have it with bhakri or rice.

Note:
* Add little more water than the desired end consistency as while boiling the water will evaporate.
** If there is leftover curry (without the fish) break 1-2 eggs in the boiling curry to make this into egg curry!

Verdict:
"Heaven"... these are the words from my hubby as soon as he tasted the curry!!! I was sooo happy as this is the first time I made this one!!

Baked Tilapia

As I mentioned earlier, we have been trying to eat healthy these days. So try and eat baked fish or chicken or soups for dinner... atleast during the weeknights! As weekends are aphazard.. you know having friends over or going out et al! :)

I am not a fish person. But hubby dear loves fish. Poor thing doesnt get to eat as much fish coz of moi! Used to have slamon before... but its tooo strong a taste for me. However I tried tilapia and I think I like it. So tilapia is the fish for me for now :)

Had been having soups in a row for quite some time. Had some frozen tilapia in the fridge (had got from Costco) so thought of baking it. Though for a while and came up with this recipe... and it turned out pretty good. Made a side dish of sauteed spinach with garlic which hubby had with some basmati rice (he was sooo hungry cudnt wait for the fish to bake :) !!!)

Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients:
2-3 Tilapia fillets
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic. finely chopped
3-4 white button mushrroms, cut lenghtwise
3-4 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped.
1 stalk celery
Salt n' pepper
2 tspn Olive Oil

Method:

• Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
• Marinate the fillets with salt n' pepper and keep aside.

• In a pan, add olive oil. When hot, add garlic, onion, celery and mushroom and cook for 2 mins on high heat. Add the parsley and mix.

• Lay the fillet on a aluminium foil and place the marinated fillets on them.
• Layer it with the sauted veges. Sprinkle a lil more salt n' pepper and a dash of olive oil and fold the foil to form a packet. Place this on a tray.

• Place the tray in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 12-15 mins or until cooked.

• Unwrap the foil and slowly place the fillet on a serving dish and spoon some liquid (juices from the fish) over it. Enjoy!