Hyderabadi Fish With Sesame Sauce Recipes

HYDERABADI FISH CURRY WITH SESAME SEEDS AND TAMARIND

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the tamarind paste. Then, preheat the broiler. Place the onions and garlic on a cookie sheet and broil on the top rack of the oven or in the broiler, turning once or twice, until completely charred. Let cool, peel off most of the charred skin from the onions (leave a little of the second layer for flavor) and garlic, then process in a food processor or a blender to make a smooth paste. Leave in the work bowl.2. In a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, dry-roast together the coconut, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes until golden, and remove to a bowl. Then dry-roast the coriander, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, and fenugreek seeds until a few shades darker. Let cool, then grind all the dry-roasted ingredients together in a spice or a coffee grinder to make as fine as possible. Add to the roasted onion-garlic paste and process once again to mix.3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 teaspoon cumin seeds they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the curry leaves and asafoetida, then carefully (in case it splatters) mix in the processed onion-spice paste. Cook, stirring as needed, over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes.4. Mix in the tamarind paste and cook about 2 minutes. Add the fish pieces and salt and stir carefully about 2 minutes. Then add the water and cilantro and simmer until the fish is flaky and opaque and the oil separates to the sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

SESAME-CRUSTED FISH WITH BUTTER AND GINGER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Put seeds on plate. Season fillets with salt and pepper and turn in seeds, patting to coat fillets as fully as possible with seeds. Add oil to skillet and when it shimmers add fillets.
• Brown fish on 1 side for a couple of minutes, then brown on other side for a minute or two. Remove skillet from heat, transfer fish to plate (even if not done) and place plate in oven.
• When skillet has cooled slightly, put over medium heat. Add butter, and when it melts add ginger. About 30 seconds later, add soy sauce and 1/4 cup water and stir to blend. Return fillets to skillet, along with accumulated juices.
• Turn heat to medium and cook fillets for about 1 to 3 minutes until desired doneness, turning 3 or 4 times. (If the pan dries out, add 2 or 3 tablespoons water.) Fish should be done when a thin-bladed knife meets little resistance at fillet's thickest point. Serve pan juices over fish.

HYDERABADI FISH WITH SESAME SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the chile powder, turmeric, coconut and coriander in a small dish.
• Place a cast-iron pan over medium high heat, add the sesame seeds, and stir and cook until they start to jump and emit a roasted aroma.
• Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the combined spices from Step 1.
• Roast and stir the spices, off the heat, for another minute.
• Empty the roasted spices in to a bowl, allow to cool, then grind in batches until a fine texture (some of the sesame seeds may remain whole – do not worry about this).
• In a large frying pan, add oil to a depth of 1/8” and heat over medium-high heat.
• When hot, add the onions and stir and saute 10 to 12 minutes until reddish brown, reducing the heat as necessary.
• Remove onion from pan, ensuring as much oil as possible remains in the pan, and drain on kitchen paper.
• Reserve 3 tablespoons of the oil.
• Place the fried onions, along with the peanut butter, ginger, garlic, 2 tablespoons of tamarind paste, the salt.
• and 1 cup of hot water into a blender, and blend until smooth.
• Run a spatula down the sides of the blender, stir, then blend briefly again before tasting and add a little extra salt or tamarind as you think fit.
• Heat the reserved oil in a large, wide, non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
• When hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin, allow the mustard seeds to splutter (just a few seconds) then take the pan off the heat and add the curry leaves and the blended sauce.
• Swish the second cup of hot water around in the blender container, then add to the sauce in the pan.
• Lightly season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper and slip them gently into the sauce in a single layer.
• Simmer gently over low heat until the fish is cooked, about 5 minutes, basting from time to time.
• Thin the sauce with a little water if it seems too thick, and season with a little brown sugar as desired.
• Note: The sauce can be prepared ahead and frozen or refrigerated until needed.