Tandoori (Wild Atlantic) Salmon

Back home I never even heard of the name of Salmon fish. And the first time I ever tasted this fish was in an Air Canada flight from London to Toronto. When I had to choose from Chicken or Salmon, unlike other times I dared to try a totally new dish. That was a baked Salmon with creamy sauce and boiled greens..I was happy I liked it or else I would have starved that meal.

So there starts my story with this fish "Salmon"...and now for the past few years I enjoy the home cooked Salmon with boiled greens or vegies.

Though there are a variety of ways to cook this fish. This is one the most easiest, tastiest and healthiest ways I enjoy cooking it. And this contributes to a quick dinner meal...on the week days when you return home after a tired day of work.

More over kids and my Husband like it too. Though it can be made spicy..we can reduce the spice so kids can have too. As it is adviceable to have fish atleast 2-3 servings a week, I try to include fish in our meals. And if you are into that Omega3 slogan/jargon...then Salmon is one fish which contains "Omega3 fatty acids" which increases the good cholestrol.

More on Salmon:
Salmon nutrition facts show us that the benefits of salmon are many. The Omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and other fatty fish may help prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering the body's rate of blood clotting.

Omega-3 fatty acids also decrease the level of triglycerides, which damages your arteries, and can lower your blood pressure. All heart healthy advantages.

An added benefit is that research has shown that if you do have a heart attack, fish eaters are less likely to die from the irregular heart rhythm that often follows a heart attack.

Research is showing other benefits from eating salmon. Omega-3 fatty acids help lower LDL or "bad" cholesterol, another gain for a healthy heart. It is also thought to help prevent cancer, including prostate and breast cancer, as well as arthritis and other inflammatory diseases like psoriasis. You can see why salmon is thought to be one of the best foods with protein we can eat.

Omega-3 fatty acids have also been shown to reduce menstrual cramps, prevent depression and help protect against Alzheimer's disease.

A bonus for diabetics - Omega-3 fatty acids can help stabilize blood sugar. It is also thought to prevent hunger pangs, a real boon for those of us watching our calorie intake.

So if you are seafood eaters go ahead and take the benefit of eatign this fish.Here is one of the ways you can enjoy it.

The recipe below is the fusion of the western fish "Wild Atlantic Salmon" with the Eastern Spices. One of the best ways to eat this fish, cause Salmon has a mild flavour, to compliment it the addition of the Indian Spices really help.


Ingredients:
Wild Atlantic Salmon fish Steaks/Thick Fillets, w/or w/o skin.
Olive Oil for frying - 2 Tbsp; If baking top 1 tbsp oil on the fillets/steak

Marination:
Plain Yogurt : 1 Tbsp
ginger/garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1tsp (Optional)
Fish Masala - 2 tsp (I use Shan Fish masala)
Tandoori Masala - 1 Tbsp ( I use Kissan or Zaika)
Lemon pepper - 1/2 tsp
Sambar powder - 1 tsp (optional)
Finely chopped Fresh coriander and curry leaves
Salt to taste.

Method:
In a bowl mix all the marination items with enough water to make a paste.

Rub the Marinate on the fish fillets with the above marination for 1 - 3 hrs

Now either pan fry the fish peices with the heated oil.

If baking preheat oven to 375c and bake each side for 10 minutes.

Garnish with onion rings, cilantro and a dash of lime.

Serve this with Stir fried or baked Vegies.

Fish Gravy - Kerala Style

Fish is all time favourite for seafood lovers. It is healthy choice of non-vegan food too. Cause the RCI - Kerala cuisine is going on this month, decided to make my fish gravy in Kerala style. Again no Kerala cooking is complete without Coconut.. so this is the first time I added coconut to my fish gravy.

Ingredients:
2 lb Raw, cleaned fish of your choice, scales removed.

For Curry:
2 Tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Fenu greek
4 Garlic pods
1 big size Onions,
4-5 Green Chillies
1 reem of Curry Leaves
1 tsp Ginger/garlic paste
2 Tbsp Tomatoe puree/Tomatoe Paste or 1 big Tomatoes Chopped
Salt to taste

Masala Powders:
1/2 Turmeric powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp Chilly powder

For gravy:
1 lemon size tamarind ball soaked in 2 cups of warm water and juice squeesed.
The traditionsl Kerala recipe calls for Kudum pulli.., since I did'nt have this I used the regular pulli
1/2 cup Coconut Milk
1 cup Grated Coconut ground into a smooth paste

To Garnish:
1/4 cup coriander leaves.

Procedure:
1. Heat a skillet, add oil and then allow Mustard to splutter and add fenugreek seeds, stir for 10 sec and now add the chopped garlic. Stir till color changes lightly.
2. Add Onions, green chillies, curry leaves and cook until the onions turn translucent and fully cooked.
3. Add ginger garlic paste fry a little.
4. Add tomatoes or tomatoe puree, cook well
5. Add all the masala powders.
6.Now add the Pulli(Tamarind) juice and salt.
7.Check to see if enough salt and sour. Add some water if it is too soury.
8.Bring this boil and add the clean fish peices.
10.Once the fish is almost cooked add coconut milk and the ground coconut paste. Allow to boil for a minute or two.
11. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves
12. Remove from heat.

This can be served hot with the Chapati/Roti/Parota/ or simple plain rice.

So I'm sending this as another entry for
RCI - Kerala hosted by Curry Bazaaroriginally created by LakshimiK
Also I used Onion in this receipe, so I'm sending this to
JFI - Onion created by Indira and this month hosted by Radhi's Kitchen
and since no fish gravy is complete with garlic, I'm sending this to
Thick Spice - Garlic created and hosted by Sunitha's World

Spicy Sardine Fish Gravy.

For those of you who come from bay area back home and who eat fish, Sardines(English), Mathi(Tamil) and Kavadalu(Telugu) should be most familar. This is another nutritious fish.

I enjoyed this fish gravy in my childhood several times. I simply used to love this gravy whenever my Grand mothers made it. In my home town " Vizag" we use to get these baby sardines too. Though lot of work goes in cleaning them, this is one fish gravy that I used to crave alot. With the tangy taste of tamarind and spiced up with green chillies and red chilly powder, one has to drooool for this dish.
My grand mothers used to add spring onions(Ulli kada) to this gravy sometimes. A simple variation which really gave a lift to the gravy in flavour. Also sometimes they use to replace the ripe tamarind with the raw one. My, my, what a taste that use to be, still lingers in my mouth. When I visit home, one thing I would want my GM to cook is fish gravy. Specially with the small baby Sardines and the real big King fish.

In Chennai or Toronto, I was able to get only the big sardines. My mom always use to fry this type of sardines. She never made gravy with these. Here we get only the frozen version of these sardines in Asian stores. If the frozen packet is not too old we are lucky to make the gravy straight away. But now a days I started to pan fried the Sardines just with minimal masala, - Red Chilly powder and salt, and then drop them in the boiling tamarind gravy.

Ingredients:
1 Pkt - Descaled & Cleaned, cut into halves if long.(about 10 fish)

To Pan fry the Sardine:
Marinated it with 1 tsp of Red chilly powder and add Salt to taste.

Seasoning and Masala:
1 Tbsp - oil
1/2 Tsp - Mustard seeds
5 Pods - Garlic finely chopped
1 Big - Onion cut into length wise
3-4 Green Chillies
10-12 Curry leaves
1 big - Tomatoe made into pulp with fingers or 2 Tbsp -Tomatoe Puree

Spice Powders:
1 tsp - Red Chilly powder
1 tsp - Cumin powder
1 tsp - Coirander powder

For the Gravy:
Soak Lemon size Tamarind/Puli/Chintapandu ball in 2 cups hot water

Herbs to Granish:
Finely chopped corainder leaves - a small bunch

Procedure:Fry the marinated Sardines both sides for 2-3 minutes in a little oil on a heated pan and keep aside (This is take away the fishy smell in the gravy)

Heat a pot, add oil, when heated add mustard.
After mustard splutters add chopped garlic, fry a little and then add the green chillies, fry, add onions, curry leaves and keep stirring till onions are cooked.
Now add the Tomatoes crushed or the tomatoe puree and cook for about 1 - 2 minutes.
Add all the masalas, mix and cook another 2 minutes or till the mixture leaves the container.
Now sqeeze the Tamarind/Puli juice from the soaked tamarind & water into the cooking mixture.
Now mix this well and bring it boil,
Add the fish and cook another 5 minutes.
Once the gravy seems to attain a good consistency add the coriander leaves and remove from heat.

Sardines and King fish have this amazing property to drink all the sourness from the puli, so leave the gravy aside for about 1/2 hour to marinate the fish with the tamarind.

Serve hot with hot Rice, or Dosas/Idli, or Chapathi/Parota/Roti

This is my entry for Grindless Gravies Event hosted by Sra, cause this gravy, is the simplest with minimum time required to cook and no mixer grinder used. Hope this qualifies!!! What do you say Sra?

Lemon Talapia

I've never seen or tasted this fish back home. But in North America almost every grocery store carries it. In the beginning my hubby encouraged me to get it so that we can try it out. Not knowing in which form I'm going to cook it I just bought it, and dared to explore the this fish in my ways, slice it and fry, make gravy etc. Then I recollected that I have eaten this fish in one of our dear Chinese friend's home on time and in our dear dear Trinadad friend's home the other time. Both of them Baked this fish as whole.

So I deceided to Bake it marinating it with my Indian Masalas and Lemon slices. Uuuuhh!!! that was a real treat.

Most of the time baked fish becomes very dry. But in this recipe the juices from the lemon keep the fish moist. And the lemon tarty flavour really compliments this mild fish.

Ingredients:

Talapia Fish - 1 whole ( Cleaned and open in the tummy, with some lateral slits on both sides to apply the marination)
Lemon - 1 whole (Cut into thin Slices)

Marination:
Lemon Pepper - 1 tsp
Fish Masala - 2 tsp ( I use Shan Brand Fish Masala)
Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp (for Extra Hot- optional)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 3/4 tsp
Salt - to Taste
Oil - 1/2 tbp

Baking :

Line the foil on a tray and apply magarine;
oil to brush the fish while baking.



Procedure :
Preheat the oven to 350 C .
1. Mix all the marination items with enough water to make a thick paste
2. Apply the marination on all sides and inside the tummy of the fish.
3. See that the marination penetrates into the slits cut.
4. Place the fish on the foil tray.
5. Insert some lemon slices into the tummy slit and in the mouth of the fish.
6. Place a slice at the bottom and the top of the fish.
7. Bake the fish for almost 20 - 25 minutes, brush the fish 2 - 3 times with oil in between to keep it moist.



This fish is right portion for a couple. Since it is spicy I don't think kids can handle it. So it will make the right dish for that candle light dinner for a couple, accompanied by Ceasar Salad.