Pomfret Fish Curry- Ikan Bawal curry and Lemon Rice

We have been wanting to make Pomfret fish curry with South Indian influence for long time. So, made this pomfret fish curry and lemon rice.This was really a nice variation for our Bengali palette. Simple ‘mach-bhaat’ turned out something lip-smacking and delicious supper for us. Here is how we made both….

Pomfret Fish curry / Ikan Bawal curry

Recipe requirements (serves 2-3)

2-3 pomfret fish  

1 large tomato

3 cloves of garlic

8-10 shallots 

Spices and seasonings

1 tsp of turmeric powder (½ tsp of stir/fry and ½ tsp for rubbing fish)

 2 tsp of red pepper powder

 ½ tsp of coriander powder

 1 tsp of salt or as per taste

3-4 Thai red chillies

5-6 tbs of mustard oil

 1 cup of coconut milk

 Curry patta 12-15 leaves

Method

Clean, and cut pomfret fish. Clean the fish stomach as well. Cut into half.

Rub in fish with turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside.

Heat up a fry pan, add 2 tbs of mustard oil, add in pomfret fish and stir/fry them for about 3-4 mints flipping sides as well. Take out in a separate plate/bowl.

In that fry pan itself, add more mustard oil, add in chopped garlic and Thai red chillies. Add in curry patta/leaves.

Now add in chopped tomato and shallots as well. Keep on stir/fry for about 7-8 mints at medium high flame.

Now add in turmeric powder, red pepper powder, coriander powder and salt. Sprinkle little bit of water and keep on stir/fry.

Add in fried fishes.

Add in 1 cup of coconut milk and water depending upon the consistency of curry. Don’t add much water if you want a thick gravy. As we were going to have with lemon rice, I thought little bit of gravy is required. So I added coconut milk and water in equal proportions.

Cover and cook for 8-10 mints or till fishes are cooked through well.

Take out in a serving bowl. This goes well with warm cooked rice or with lemon rice.

Lemon rice

Recipe requirements (serves 2-3 people)

4 cups of cooked rice or 2 cups of uncooked rice

¾ tsp of turmeric powder

1 tsp of salt

3-4 tbs of cooking oil

For tempering

2 tsp of chana dal

 2 tsp of white urid dal

2 twigs of curry leaves or 10-12 leaves

1 tsp of mustard seeds

2-3 dry red pepper

½ cup of raw peanuts

 2-3 tsp of lemon juice

Method

Soak rice grains in water for about 10-12 mints.

Cook rice in a big pot with water. Sprinkle turmeric powder into it and mix well. Leave it to cook and drain the starch once rice is cooked. Keep the pot open, do not cover .Let the vapour/steam escape. Add in lemon juice and mix gently.

Now in a big enough fry pan/kadai, which can hold entire rice content, add in cooking oil.

Add in peanuts and fry them for couple of mints.

Now temper the oil with mustard seeds, dry red pepper, Urid dal and Chana dal.

Add in curry leaves.

Now add in cooked rice grains and slowly mix in the rice with the above tempering mixture.

Cover and leave aside for half an hour.

Serve with fish curry. This is absolutely aromatic and delicious.

Happy Cooking friends........

Shrimp and Pea Sprouts stir-fry recipe

A simple stir fry recipe with shrimps and pea sprouts on a busy weekday night comes handy. All you need is to cut some colourful vegetables of your choice. Pea sprouts are the star ingredients of this stir-fry recipe. If you don’t get pea sprouts, then you can use baby bok-choy wholes or some chopped Ung Choi as well. Anaheim chili gives a milder flavour.

Shrimp and Pea sprouts stir/fry

Recipe requirements ( serves 2-3 ) 

• 10-12 large shrimps
•  1 and half cups of pea sprouts
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 large carrot
• 1 large tomato
• 2-3 Anaheim red chilly
• 1 tsp of freshly crushed black pepper
•  2 tsp of fish sauce
• Salt as per taste
• 4 tbs of cooking oil/soybean oil
• Soya sauce (optional)

Method

• Clean, de-shell and devein Shrimps. Sprinkle crushed black pepper and salt over shrimps. Keep aside for about half an hour.
• Cut chop all the vegetables- red bell pepper, tomato, carrots and Anaheim red chilly into long and bit of thick juliennes.
• Heat up a fry pan, add cooking oil, add in shrimps and stir/fry them for about 5-7 mints or till they are lightly browned. Take out in a bowl. Keep aside.
• Now add in left-over oil.
• Add in cut vegetables. Next add fish sauce and salt.Be careful with salt as fish sauce itself is salty. Sprinkle red pepper powder if you need more hotness. Keep on stir/fry for about 4-5 mints, retain the crunchiness of the vegetables. At this stage you may add soya sauce for some sweetness otherwise you can skip it as well.
• Now add in fried shrimps, mix well. Take out on a serving plate. Enjoy with some cooked noodles or warm cooked rice. This is absolutely delicious.

Happy Cooking Friends