How to Cook Indian (38 page)

¼ teaspoon
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

¼ teaspoon ground fennel seeds

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 2/3 cups (200 grams)
maida
(refined flour) or pastry flour

2 large eggs, well beaten

1. Pat the fish dry with an absorbent towel. Put in a bowl and sprinkle with the chile powder, coriander, turmeric, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Toss once or twice. Cover the bowl and put in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the curry leaves, shallots, ginger, garlic, and chile, and sauté until the shallots are golden brown.

3. Add the fish and stir. Lower the heat to low and cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a plate and flake the fish into small pieces.

4. Sprinkle with the
garam masala,
fennel, and lemon juice. Set aside.

5. Sift the
maida
and the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt into a bowl. Rub in 3 tablespoons of the oil. Add 1/3 cup (70 ml) water and knead to make a stiff dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 20 minutes. Divide into 4 portions.

6. Roll out each portion into a thick 6-inch (15-cm) round. Place a portion of the fish mixture in the center of each, gather the edges to enclose the filling, and seal the
pathiris.

7. Place a nonstick wok over high heat and add 1 quart (800 ml) oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, slide in the
pathiris,
two at a time, and cook, gently stirring with a slotted spoon, until golden on all sides. Remove with the slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Leave the wok on the heat.

8. Dip the
pathiris
in the eggs and return them to the hot oil. Remove when the egg is cooked. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Patrani Machchi

Fish fillets spread with green chutney, wrapped in banana leaves, and steamed

Traditionally this dish is steamed, but you can also cook it in a sauté pan over medium heat, turning it frequently so that the banana leaf doesn’t burn.

Serves 4.

8 (7-ounce/200-gram) boneless pomfret fillets (you can use pompano or butterfish)

1½ teaspoons table salt

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup (120 grams) grated fresh coconut (or frozen unsweetened coconut)

2 cups (120 grams) chopped fresh cilantro

5 green chiles, stemmed

4 teaspoons cumin seeds

12 cloves garlic

3 or 4 banana leaves

1. Cut each fish fillet into pieces 2 inches by 1½ inches (5 cm by 4 cm). Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and put in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Put the coconut, cilantro, chiles, cumin, and garlic in a food processor with 2 to 3 tablespoons water and process until smooth. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and blend. Spread the chutney on both sides of all the fish pieces and marinate for about 15 minutes.

3. Cut each banana leaf into 4 pieces. Holding them with tongs, singe the leaves one at a time over an open flame to make them malleable.

4. Place a few marinated fish pieces in the center of each piece of banana leaf and smear some of the chutney on them. Fold in the ends of the leaf to cover the fish pieces completely and shape into a parcel.

5. Put water in the bottom of a steamer over high heat. Place the fish parcels in the top of the steamer, lower the heat to medium, cover, and steam for 15 minutes.

6. Serve the fish in the leaf so that each guest can open the parcel and enjoy the fish hot.

Paturi Maach

Marinated fish fillets wrapped in banana leaves and steamed

This is a fantastic dish both in taste and in presentation. Serve the fish still wrapped in the leaf. As your guests open the parcels, the heady aroma of the fish and mustard will fill the air, getting the meal off to a spectacular start. In India, I would use
betki
fish, but you can use red snapper fillets.

Serves 4.

4 (6-inch-square) pieces tender banana leaf

4 (4-ounce/125-gram)
betki
or red snapper fillets

¼ cup (50 ml) filtered mustard oil (see Note page 87)

6 teaspoons
kalonji
(nigella; see Note page 231)

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon red chile powder

1 teaspoon table salt

6 teaspoons black mustard seed paste (see Note)

¼ teaspoon sugar

1. Singe each banana-leaf piece over an open gas flame to make it malleable.

2. Wash the fish thoroughly under running water and drain well. Pat dry with paper towels and cut the fillets into 4-inch squares.

3. Put 2 tablespoons of the mustard oil in a large bowl. Add the
kalonji,
turmeric, chile powder, and salt. Stir well. Add the fish pieces and toss so that all of them are coated with the mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour.

4. Add the mustard paste, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons mustard oil, and stir. Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes more.

5. Wrap the individual fish pieces in the banana-leaf pieces. Secure the open edges of the banana packets with toothpicks so that they do not open during the steaming process.

6. Place a steamer over high heat, and add 1½ cups (300 ml) water, and bring it to a boil. Fit a perforated plate in the steamer and place the fish parcels on it. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and steam for 15 minutes.

7. Serve the fish in the leaf so that each guest can open the parcel and enjoy the fish hot.

To make the paste, combine 1 teaspoon ground mustard seeds with 2 teaspoons water.

Pomfret Reichado

Fish with red chiles

This dish is a classic Goan fish recipe. It uses
reichado masala,
which includes Kashmiri red chiles and vinegar. This dish is best prepared just before serving; otherwise the fish will lose its crispness.

Serves 4.

4 (7½-ounce/220-gram) whole pomfret fish (you can use pompano or butterfish)

30 to 35 Kashmiri red chiles, stemmed and broken in half

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

4 to 6 cloves garlic

2-inch (5-cm) piece fresh ginger, chopped

10 to 12 whole black peppercorns

2 tablespoons tamarind pulp

¼ cup (50 ml) malt vinegar or cider vinegar

1 teaspoon table salt

2 cups (400 ml) vegetable oil

1. Clean and wash the fish thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towels. With a sharp knife, make 2 or 3 slits on either side of the center bone on both sides of the fish. Also make a slit in the side of each fish.

2. Soak the chiles, cumin, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, and tamarind pulp in the vinegar for 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a mini food processor with 2 tablespoons water and process to a smooth paste. Add the salt.

3. Using your fingertips, apply the ground spice paste all over the fish, coating it liberally and stuffing the paste inside the slits. The fish should be covered completely with the paste. Put the fish on a plate and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate.

4. Place a wide nonstick sauté pan over high heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, gently place one fish in the oil. Lower the heat to medium and fry, turning once, for 10 to 15 minutes or until both sides are golden brown. Fry the remaining fish and serve hot.

Poricha Konju

Crisp shrimp with curry leaves

Shrimp fry well, but only if the tender meat is protected from the hot oil. I personally enjoy the soothing flavor of curry leaves in the crisp coating here. Serve the shrimp with a sauce or chutney of your choice.

Serves 4.

14 ounces (400 grams) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons table salt

25 fresh curry leaves

4 green chiles, stemmed and chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon
ajwain

2 teaspoons red chile powder

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (60 grams) rice flour

¼ cup (50 ml) vegetable oil

1. Wash and drain the shrimp. Pat them dry with an absorbent towel. Put them in a bowl, add the lemon juice and salt, and toss. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.

2. Put the curry leaves, chiles, and garlic in a spice grinder with 2 tablespoons water and grind to a smooth paste. Crush the
ajwain
lightly in a mortar and stir it into the paste along with the chile powder.

3. Add the paste to the marinated shrimp and stir well so that the shrimp are well coated. Set aside to marinate for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the rice flour and stir well.

4. Place a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the shrimp and cook, stirring continuously, until golden brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

5. Serve hot.

The paste here should be thick enough to adhere to the shrimp. You can substitute fish, crabmeat, squid, or even mussels for the shrimp.