Fiery Tilapia Pan Fry - A note from Dhivya!

I guess I have made it pretty clear in one of the previous posts that I don't fancy anything that looks, tastes, smells and feels like a fish. Be it the Vanjiram fry made at home, the nethili kuzhambu that inevitably results in people clucking loudly as they lick their fingers in glee, or the held-in-high-esteem Karuvadu Curry. No Sir! Not for me.

But then, with all the recent furor about clean proteins, Omega-3-Fatty Acids and the obsession with fish-diets and what not, I decided that it was high-time that I too jump on the seafood-bandwagon. So, next time when I went to the store, I bought a packet of the least fishiest of all the fishes available - the ubiquitous Tilapia. There were four fillets and I decided to try something different with each one. The first day, I seasoned it with some spices and put it into the oven. Result - detestable. The Chinese style fry and the Indian semi-gravy that followed could do nothing much for redemption either. So, I resolutely threw the last fillet into the farthest corner of the freezer and went on a vacation with my friends. Five days later, I attacked the final fillet with new-found-enthusiasm. The reason - Dhivya's Recipe that I had tested and tasted over the Vacation.

Ever since, it has been my go-to recipe for fish and has never failed yet. And since Dhivya doesn't maintain cooking blogs as a rule, I thought that I would go ahead and do the world a favour by publishing her recipe here!

FIERY TILAPIA PAN FRY (Serves 1)
Set-up Time :  10 minutes

Experiment Run-Time : 10 minutes

The Shopping List

          Set 1: The Marinade
          Coriander Seeds : 1 Tbsp
          Red Chilies : 2 (3 if you want to breathe fire)
          Curry Leaves : 4-5
          Ginger-Garlic Paste : 2 tsp
          Thick Curd : 1 Tbsp
           Lemon Juice : A few drops
           Salt : As Required

          Set 2: The Fish and Other Stuff

          Tilapia : 1 fillet (I used a frozen one)

          All Purpose Flour : 1 Tbsp

          Oil : 2 Tbsp, to Pan-Fry

Methodology

1. In a dry pan, roast the Coriander Seeds, the Red Chilies and the Curry Leaves until the seeds release a toasted aroma.

2. Once cool, transfer the roasted ingredients into a blender along with the Ginger-Garlic Paste. Give it a quick blend until they all mush up into a coarse paste.

3. Remove the marinade onto a plate and mix a fresh scoop of thick curd. Mix it well.

4. Finally, squeeze some drops of lemon juice into the marinade and let it rest for 10 minutes.

5. In the mean time, cut the fish fillet into bite-size pieces and dunk them into the marinade. Turn them over a couple of times until they are well coated.

6. Heat a tava or a frying pan, along with the oil spread over it. Just before you are ready to fry the fish, coat the fish pieces with All Purpose Flour in such a manner so as it traps the marinade inside.

7. Gently place the flour-coated fish pieces into the pan and let them turn brown and crispy on all sides. A good two minutes on each side should do the work.

8. Place the pan-fried pieces on a kitchen towel to remove excess oil and serve immediately with steamed vegetables.

     I assure you that you will be blown off. The marinade successfully masks the fishy flavor and lends the dish it's own unique taste. Add to it the gently crisped outer-coating of flour and the side of warm veggies, you have a winner every time. All thanks to Dhivya who literally did not accept a no when I refused to try her dish the first time!