Debs made this fish as a pre main course at one dinner with friends. It was such a change from regular that I fell hook line and sinker forthis fish appetizer. Debs is so much fun to be with. She shops till she drops, laughs whole heartedly, is always gung ho to make impromptu plans, is a good navigator, holiday planner and financial investor. She has some rather interesting recipes in her repertoire; some of them will come up as you read along.
My food word for this recipe would be golden.
When you go out shopping look for:
Fish fillets of Red snapper or Beckty or Cod
Lime
Pepper
Mangoes
Onion
Ginger
Tamarind
Red chillies
Cumin powder
Egg
Corn flour
Sesame oil
Red chilli flakes
Sugar
Salt
The recipe would be:
Take about ten fish fillets almost an inch and a half thick cut in rectangles. I recommend you use Beckty or Snapper or Cod. Wash well and marinate with salt, pepper and lime juice. Set aside for at least an hour.
Scoop the sweet and tangy flesh out of two large mangoes and blitz it. When not in season this step can be replaced with mango pulp out of a tin though nothing can replace fresh mango pulp.
Make regular tamarind chutney with salt, sugar, red dry chillies and cumin powder. Typically this chutney is used to make Indian Chaats. For this recipe you will need very little of it.
Chop one large red onion really finely. Also chop one and a half inches of ginger into really thin slits.
Now get back to the fish. Beat an egg in a bowl and take some dry corn flour on the side. Warm a non stick wok, pour one tbsp of oil. Eggs wash each fillet, pat on corn flour on both sides and fry to a light crisp state. The fillets will acquire a translucent sheen. Place them on a flat dish.
Next in a tbsp of warm sesame oil lightly fry the onion until pink. Then spoon in the mango pulp. In the next one and a half minute add the ginger. Once it simmers gently pour in two tsp of the tamarind chutney. Season with salt and spice the gravy with red chilly flakes. Keep the sauce handy.
Just about ten minutes before serving warm the two separately and pour the sauce on the fish. Let it sit and soak for ten minutes and serve.
Everybody will want to lick their fingers. I kid you not.
