Seafood

[Suvir Saran]

What Indian seafood recipes do you use?

Where are they from?

What fish do you think lend themselves best to Indian cooking?

[oliva]

Prawns are lovely when cooked subcontintental style.

This dish takes literally five minutes to cook and it tastes best when cooked on a 'tava', a circular iron plate with a handle, available at Indian/ Pakistani specialty stores. (Suvir perhaps you can elaborate further on this).

I use vegetable oil and simply saute slivers of garlic till slightly golden. (I am a garlic nut so I use three or four cloves for a pound of prawns. ) Add salt, a pinch of red pepper, a pinch of turmeric, the prawns and stir fry. (Sprinkle some water on the prawns). Add freshly chopped green chillies (discard the seeds if you don't like it too spicy) and right before serving, some finely chopped fresh coriander stems.

[Fat Guy]

I've occasionally thought about trying an Indian-style approach to monkfish. It seems like a fish that's just screaming for complex and subtle spicing. Not that I've ever done anything about it.

[polly]

Monkfish sounds great. I've never cooked it with Indian flavours either, but with it's meaty texture it holds up to so many cooking styles.

If you do try something, please tell us about it.

I love monkfish, but it's a bit hard to come by at the moment in Australia.

[Suvir Saran]

What fish do you use Polly? And are there any favorite Indian fish preparations you have in your repertoire?

How do you usually cook your fish dishes?

Do you make the sauce separately and steam the fish in it? DO you bake the fish? Saute it?

So many Indian restaurant style fish dishes are over cooked and bad. WOnder what your experience has been.

[Suvir Saran]

Crab Curry

4 Large Crabs, preferably Sri Lankan Crabs, cleaned and divided into 4 portions

1 small onion, finely diced

1jalapeno pepper, finely diced

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

16 fresh curry leaves or 24 dry

2 inch fresh ginger root, finely diced

2 cups water

4 cups coconut

juice of 1 lemon

3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorn

1. Add all the dry ingredients with the crab into a bowl and marinade for 10 minutes.

2. Add the water and bring to a boil.

3. Add the coconut milk and bring back to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Add the lemon juice, salt and peppe and stir till you are ready to leave.

5. Remove from heat and serve hot with price.

[anil]

I've occasionally thought about trying an Indian-style approach to monkfish. It seems like a fish that's just screaming for complex and subtle spicing. Not that I've ever done anything about it.

Hmmm !!! Sounds delicious. Better still convince one of the restaurants to make it as a one-out special, this way non-cooks like moi can enjoy it too

[Suvir Saran]

What a great idea... maybe we can ask Bukhara Grill to do that....

Vivin.. want to call your friend Raja??

[Simon Majumdar]

The use of hot and sour works well with shrimp

I marinade large Tiger prawns in a paste of ginger, red chillie, lime juice and sugar and then grill them.

Or

You can use the same marinaded shrimp in a dish with a sauce made of ginger, coriander, vinegar and creamed coconut.

It is a wonderful dish for summers day and best served with a fresh lime soda, salty naturally

S

[Suvir Saran]

Simon,

How do you make the sauce you mention above? It sounds wonderful.

Are there any "jol torai" (seafood) recipe you have from your Tarmar?

[Basildog]

Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant have done Monkfish Vindaloo in the past.

[Simon Majumdar]

Simon,

How do you make the sauce you mention above?  It sounds wonderful.

Are there any "jol torai" (seafood) recipe you have from your Tarmar?

The sauce could not be more simple

The spices are

Cumin seeds

Corriander seed

White mustard seeds

Kalonji ( Nigella seeds )

Turmeric

Fennel Seeds

Plus

2 red chillies

1 small onion finely chopped

1 fat clove of garlic chopped

A good chunk of ginger freshly grated

1 bunch of corriander leaves roughly choped

2 tbl spoons of red wine vinegar

1/2 pint stock ( fish stock ) or water

creamed coconut ( from a block

Dry fry and grind the spices.

In a tbl spoon of nut oil fry the spices unti they lose their rawness. Add the onion and garlic and chillies and sweat until soft but not coloured.

Add the ginger, vinegar, stock and coconut and cook until reduced by half.

meanwhile fry the marinaded shrimp in a little oil until cooked. Pour over the sauce and sprinkle in the corriander leaves. Sprinkle with lime juice before serving.

Very spicy and fresh. Good if made with a little tamarind juice rather than vinegar as well

Hope it works for you

[rich]

Always thought Orange Roughy would handle Indian spices/cookery because of its highly absorbant flesh.

Actually had that as a possibility last weekend, but couldn't find any that appeared fresh enough. Opted for Grouper with a Thai sauce (including but not limited to fish sauce).

[Suvir Saran]

Rich what other fish have you used successfuly with Indian food? What sauces do you make?

Are you using a cook book when you make Indian food.. or are these recipes you know from elsewhere?

Simon, thanks for the recipe. Seems like you are pretty much starting with the famous wonderful Bengali Panch Phoron. I use it a lot in my cooking as well.

[rich]

Suvir - I've used shrimp, soft shell crabs, tilapia and cod.

For the most part, I use recipes I've found in an array of publications. My recipe collection is in the several thousands. I do have one of Ms. Jaffrey's books and I use it as a reference point.

Normally, I play with a recipe and my most successful Indian-style sauces have come from a tamarind, cumin or curry base - finished with yogurt. But what I really enjoy is making different types of chutneys for fish. My two favorite are cranberry and rhubarb.

[vivin]

I think Suvir's idea has a lot of merit.

I had some very good monkfish (albeit a long time ago) at Lakruwana, a kick ass Sri Lankan place on 44th and 10th (or 9th). Steven, you might want to check if they are still around. Their version of veggie biryani (forget the exact name) I can still taste and smell after 5 years.

vivin

[Suvir Saran]

Malabar Shrimp Curry

Spice Powder:

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 whole dry red chili

1 teaspoon turmeric

12 oz. Raw shrimp, cleaned and shelled

2 medium red onions, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1.5 inches ginger root, finely minced

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup dessicated coconut, ground into paste with 1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons canola

1. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Saute the onions in the oil for 15 minutes, until light golden in color.

2. Add the spice powder, garlic, ginger, and the shrimp. Saute for a couple of minutes.

3. Add a little water and cook until the shrimp are pink.

4. Add the salt to taste, lemon juice, coconut milk and enough water to make a thick sauce. Simmer for 3 minutes. Do not let the sauce come to a boil. Serve hot with rice.

[Monica Bhide]

I am still learning in this area. I cook shrimp, tilapia, cat fish and crabs. I make Crab Tikkis ( Indian version of Crab cakes) all the time. WHen I used to cater, a favorite was a a rainbow trout marinated in a cashew ginger sauce. The trout is the covered in foil and baked. It is a very delicate fish and the cashew and ginger really complement the flavors

[rks]

There are a handful of different types of salmon chefs use: pink, king, coho and atlantic. Each type has pros and cons in terms of cooking. The most common on the east coast is Atlantic. On the west coast there is more King and Coho.

What type of salmon is best for Indian cooking?

What are some interesting salmon preparations?

[indiachef]

One of my personal favorites is the Chutney Macchli. Made with a thick paste of coriander based chutney, flavored with hot green chillies, A whole Tilapia goes well for this sort of a preparation. Ideally it should be broiled in an oven or a slalamander.

Another favorite is the patra ni Macchi, made the usual way. The chutney in this case could be sweetened with sweet Mango Pickle. Rolled in Banana leaves and steamed. A great variation is to use large spinach leaves, to wrap the fish in and can be eaten without discarding the leaf. Chilean Sea Bass is one great fish that goes well for this preparation.

Grouper filets is great for Fish Tikkas. A Tandoori Fish Tikka does not necessarily mean it should be marinated in a generic red colored Marinade. My favorite Fish Tikka marination is; salt, lemon juice, chopped garlic, chopped green chillies, chopped cilantro stems, pinch of turmeric (more for coloring purposes), mustard oil and a pinch of ajwain.

The same Fish Tikka marination could be used for large shrimps to make Rubian/ Tandoori Shrimps.

A home based favorite is the Karwari Fried Fish. Preferably a fish slice cut on the bone, marinated with salt, garlic paste, chilli paste, dash of lemon juice and turmeric, rolled in rawa and shallow fried in a pan.

Fish Caldine is another of my favorites. Gently cooked in squuezed out coconut milk, mildly spiced. This one great seafood delicacy is rare to find in its originating region of Goa.

Recheade made traditionally with the freshest of Mackerel is a great treat.

And the mussel Balchao, which is another favorite appetizer or a side dish is so very irresistible

[Suvir Saran]

indiachef, you have me (vegetarian) homesick and hungry for these dishes. Thanks for the great post.

[gus_tatory]

i've never made this--just had this idea, thanks to this thread!--but it might be good:

--pan-sear 3-4 large scallops per person

--deglaze pan with ghee, honey, curry, orange juice

--drizzle over plated scallops

[tryska]

thank you so much for that crab recipe - i actually had curried crab for the first time this past weekend - it was thai-style altho very similar.

my mom used to (and still does when i go home) make prawns curry with a tomato base.

she uses a lot fo king-fish too, now that she's found it - i'm nto sure how she cooks it tho.

one of my favorite growing up foods was halibut steaks coated in a little turmeric, chili powder and salt, pan fried.