Dish of Fish in Tamarind Sauce #2
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Fish in Tamarind Sauce #2


India - Andhra   -   Machli Mahi Khalya
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 6 main
***
2-1/4 hrs
Yes		 A curry with only modest chili heat, but intensely flavored with spices - not a dish for wimps. The recipe is a bit of a project, but the entire prep section (except 5 minutes for cutting the fish) can be done a day ahead.

2
1-7/8
ar
------
2
2
1/2
1
2
1-1/2
------
1
5
3/4
------
1/2
8
1
-------
1/2
4
1/2
1
2/3
2
1-1/2
#
oz

---
T
T
oz
T
T
oz
---
#
cl
in
---
t

t
---
c
T
t
t
t

c
Fish Fillets (1)
Tamarind pulp (2)  
Water
-- Spicing
Cumin seed
Coriander seed
Chironji (3)
Poppy seed (4)
Sesame seed
Coconut, dried (5)
-- Aromatics
Onions
Garlic
Ginger
-- Tempering
Mustard seeds
Curry Leaves (6)
Nigella
------------
Cilantro Leaves
Oil
Turmeric
Chili Powder (7)  
Salt
Bay Leaves
Water
Prep   -   (1-1/4 hr)
  1. Cut FISH into pieces about 1-1/2 inch on a side by whatever thickness your fish is.
  2. Prepare TAMARIND as described in Note-2.
  3. Separately dry pan roast all Spicing items. Cumin and Coriander should be aromatic but darkened just a shade. The remaining items should be roasted a medium blonde. Grind them to to powder, or as fine as you can get them.
  4. Quarter ONIONS lengthwise and slice thin crosswise.
  5. Crush GARLIC and chop fine. Slice GINGER very thin, cut slices into narrow threads, and chop them fine. Mix and pound to paste in a mortar.
  6. Mix Curry Leaves, Mustard Seeds and Nigella.
  7. Chop CILANTRO small.
Run     -   (50 min)
  1. In a spacious coverable sauté pan (3 qt), heat Oil over moderate flame and fry Tempering mix until Mustard seeds are popping well.
  2. Stir in the Onions and Turmeric. Fry stirring over declining heat until Onions are a medium blonde, taking care the fond adhering to the pan doesn't get too dark.
  3. Stir in Garlic mix and fry stirring until well distributed, about one minute.
  4. Stir in ground Spicing mix and Chili Powder until well mixed.
  5. Stir in Tamarind, Salt and Bay Leaves. Add Water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer, stirring now and then for about 15 minutes.
  6. Check consistency. Add boiling water if needed (the onions and roasted spices will thicken it greatly).
  7. Stir in Fish, bring back to a simmer and continue to simmer covered for another 4 to 8 minutes, depending on your fish.
  8. Check for Salt, then gently stir in Cilantro and take off the heat.
  9. Serve with plenty of steamed Jasmine rice (it's closer to the rice used in southern India than Basmati is). This recipe reheats very well if the right fish is used.
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. Tamarind:

      The pattern recipe calls for block form "the size of a golf ball" (1-7/8 ounces) soaked in 3/4 cup hot water and strained. If your Tamarind is concentrate in a jar, use 7 Tablespoons and add enough water to make 3/4 cup. If you don't have tamarind use 4 t lemon juice - not the same, but it's something. For details and exact method see our Tamarind page.

  3. Chironji:

      [Charoli] This ingredient is much used in Andhra, but very difficult to find in North America. I use split raw cashews as a substitute. For details see our Charoli page.
  4. Poppy Seeds:   In India, white poppy seeds are used. They are a bit milder than the blue. For details see our Poppy Seed page.

  5. Coconut:

      The pattern recipe calls for "1/4 dry desiccated coconut", which would be about 1-1/2 ounces. We substitute dried grated coconut (insweetened) which is much easier to deal with.

  6. Curry Leaves

      These fresh leaves are necessary for the true flavor of southern India, and are now reasonably available in Indian markets, at least here in California. Dried ones aren't of much use. If you don't have them you will have to leave them out - there is no acceptable substitute. For details see our Curry Leaves page.

  7. Chili Powder:

      Authenticity suggests Reshampatti chili powder which is fairly hot. The given measure produces a dish of very moderate heat (by Southern California standards). If you want less hot, use Kashmir or Korean powder. For details see our Chili Powder & Flake page.
  8. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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