Dish of Fish in Tamarind Sauce
(click to enlarge)

Fish in Tamarind Sauce


India - Tamil Nadu   -   Rungaswamy Meen Kolomba
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 2 main
***
50 min
Yes		 A very tasty dish for any kind of fish that holds together well when wet cooked. This dish can be made ahead, and flavors will benefit from being refrigerated overnight and re-heated.

1
ar
1
2
1
1-1/2
6
2
1
2
1
1
1/4
1
-------
#

T
t
T
T
oz
cl
#
T
T
t
c
T
---
Fish (1)
Salt
Coriander seed
Chili Powder (2)  
Water
Tamarind (3)
Onion
Garlic
Tomatoes
Oil
Fenugreek seed
Tomato Paste
Water
Cilantro
-- Garnish
Cilantro Leaves
Prep   -   (15 min)
  1. Cut FISH into pieces about 1-1/2 inch on a side by whatever thickness your fish is. If you use carp make the pieces more than 2 inches on a side (see Note-1). Tumble the pieces with a little Salt and set aside until needed.
  2. Grind Coriander to powder and mix with Chili Powder and Water to make a paste.
  3. Prep TAMARIND if using block form (see Note-3).
  4. Chop CILANTRO for recipe and pull leaves from stems for garnish.
  5. Chop ONION coarse. Crush GARLIC and chop fine. Mix.
  6. Scald TOMATOES 1 minute in boiling water, quench in cold water, peel and cut into about 1/2 inch dice.
Run     -   (35 min)
  1. In a spacious sauté pan heat Oil over moderate flame and fry Onion mix until onions are soft, but no browning.
  2. Stir in the Fenugreek Seeds until aromatic.
  3. Stir in Chili Paste and fry stirring until well distributed and aromatic, then gradually stir in the Tamarind until well distributed.
  4. Stir in Tomatoes, Tomato Paste and 1/4 c Water. Bring back to a boil, cover and simmer, stirring now and then, for about 15 minutes until tomatoes are very soft.
  5. Stir in Fish, bring back to a boil and continue to simmer covered for another 8 minutes, or so.
  6. Check for Salt, then stir in Cilantro and take off the heat.
  7. Serve garnished with Cilantro leaves and along with plenty of steamed Jasmine rice.
NOTES:

  1. Fish:

      Select fish durable with wet cooking. My favorites are Golden Pompano and Japanese Amberjack, but Cobia, Cod, and Emperor are also fine. Also Catfish, American and Vietnamese (Swai, Basa, Tra). My standard for testing recipes is Tilapia, an "all purpose" fish, but treat it gently. For stronger tasting fish, Indian Mackerel or other Mackerel are good. All these fish often appear in Asian markets here in Los Angeles, particularly Philippine markets. For details see our Varieties of Fish page (very large page).

  2. Chili Powder:

      Authenticity suggests Reshampatti chili powder which is fairly hot. The given measure produces a dish that is satisfyingly hot by Southern California standards. If you want less hot, use Kashmir or Korean powder. Do not use US Southwest "chili powders" which have a lot of ingredients other than chilis. For details see our Chili Powders & Flake page.

  3. Tamarind:

      If your Tamarind is concentrate in a jar, use 1-1/2 T, or if it's block use about 1-1/2 T, soak and strain. For details see our Tamarind page. If you don't have tamarind, use 2 t lemon juice - not the same, but it's something.
  4. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
imf_fishtamar1 100821 tom75   -   www.clovegarden.com
©Andrew Grygus - agryg@aaxnet.com - Linking to and non-commercial use of this page is permitted.