Fish In A Green Sauce & Tomato and Onion Relish

I'm sharing today, Madhur Jaffrey's Fish In A Green Sauce and Tomato and Onion Relish which I served with Lemon Rice, from my previous post.

For the fish dish, according to the MJ, firm-fleshed fish like king fish or salmon are ideal. I have however used stingray instead, since I have some pieces in my freezer which I bought just a couple of days earlier. Stingray is pretty common over here in Malaysia, the most popular method of cooking it, is to marinate it with spices and grill it over a hot fire, and enjoy it with a delicious chilli and lime condiment. We love eating stingray, which I often use for a Nyonya dish. The flesh is firm enough and yet tender and extremely tasty, so I thought I used it for this dish.

The fish is marinated with some spices and then fry on both sides. Remove and keep aside. The sauce is made up of chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh coriander, onion, green chillies, ginger, chilli powder and garam masala, and is seasoned with lemon juice, salt and pepper. For the spices, I have used slightly more than the amount mentioned in the recipe. Madhur Jaffrey has an interesting measurement for the chopped fresh coriander, amount is 1 teacup! I've used a full measurement cup, perhaps a little bit more, as I love fresh coriander. When the sauce is halfway thru cooking, the fish pieces is placed in the sauce, with the sauce spooned over,  cover, and simmer for a few minutes. This is a fairly dry dish, as there is not a drop of water being used. The chopped tomatoes would release its juices and by the time the dish is done, it will be almost dry. A very tasty dish, and an interesting way to cook stingray. There were a few pieces leftover and the next day, instead of reheating it over the stove, since it is already quite dry, I heated it by steaming for a few minutes. The flavours actually improve overnight.

This Tomato and Onion Relish is just so easy, it was done in minutes. A wonderful relish that is just great with any Indian curries.

My weeknight dinner, Lemon Rice, Fish In A Green Sauce, Tomato and Onion Relish.

Fish In A Green Sauce
(adapted from "100 Essential Curries", Madhur Jaffrey)
Serves 2
for the fish
2 good-sized salmon or king fish steaks (about 675gm/1-1/2lb)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground turmeric
1/8 tsp chilli powder (1/4 tsp)

for the green sauce
vegetable oil
85gm (3oz) onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 teacup finely chopped coriander
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
2-3 fresh hot green chillies
1 tsp peeled, finely grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp chilli powder (1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp garam masala (1 tsp)

Step One

Rub the fish on both sides with a generous sprinkling of salt, lots of freshly ground pepper and the turmeric and chilli powder. Rub well and set aside.

Step Two

Put 3 tablespoons oil in a non-stick frying pan and set over high heat. When hot, put in the fish and brown quickly on both sides without letting it cook through. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onion and garlic to the pan. Stir and fry until the onion browns a bit. Add the green coriander, tomato, green chillies, ginger, lemon juice and salt. Stir and cook over medium-high heat until the coriander and tomato have completely wilted. Spread the green sauce around in the frying pan and check the salt.

Step Three

Lay the fish over the top. Now spoon some green sauce over the fish. Sprinkle the chilli powder and garam masala over the top. Biring to a simmer. Cover, lower the heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes.

Tomato and Onion Relish
(Timatar Aur Pyaz Ka Cachumbar India)
(adapted from "100 Essential Curries", Madhur Jaffrey)
Serves 4
2-3 medium tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 teaspoon roasted, ground cumin seeds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Step One
Cut the tomatoes into 5mm (1/4in) cubes. Peel and finely chop the onion. Combine the tomato and onion in a serving bowl.

Step Two
Add the roasted cumin, lemon juice and salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Toss to mix. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

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I am linking this post to  :

I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC),  for February Potluck

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Little Thumbs Up, ingredient for this month is Lemons, an event organized by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite D.I.Y. and hosted by Grace of Life Can Be Simple.

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Cook-Your-Books #9 hosted by Kitchen Flavours