Weekends are for experimenting, and what better way to experiment than in the kitchen! Today, we’re going to introduce you to a unique, tasty fish curry. What makes this curry so unique? For starters, it uses Basa fish fillets instead of the regular Seer or Mackerel slices. Secondly, it is heavily influenced by South Indian flavours and ingredients. Yes, dear reader, today we are going to be making a deliciously soulful Basa Fish Curry. Never heard of this recipe before? Well, now you will learn to cook it!
Does Basa taste good in a curry?
Basa as a cut of fish, has a mild and sweet flavour. It is rather simple to eat, as it has fewer bones than other favourites such as Mackerel, Sardines and Rohu (making it perfect for a curry). While most curries predominantly taste of the fish that is being cooked, gravies cooked with Basa fish are lighter, more aromatic and taste less fishy. So if you aren’t really fond of the smell of fish, then this is ideal for you.
Another good thing about Basa is that it is easily available in the market, and quite pocket-friendly. So cooking this fish recipe on a daily basis will fill your stomach adequately, without draining your pockets.
Looking forward to trying this recipe? Order freshly cleaned and cut basa fillets on Licious today.
Quick tips for getting your Basa fish curry just right
1) For the best flavour, use fresh fish
Fresh basa fish fillets should smell sweet. Make sure the fillets you buy do not have an ammonia type smell, as that may be a sign that the fillets are old. For assured freshness, order your basa fillets on Licious.
2) Don’t have coconut? No worries!
You can substitute the grated coconut in this recipe with ¼ cup coconut milk or even soak and grind 12 cashew nuts into a paste.
3) Marinate your fillets for longer
As mentioned earlier, Basa is mild and sweet. If you’d like the pieces to have a stronger flavour of spice, you can marinate your fish for about 30 minutes, before frying it. This will provide enough time for the fillets to absorb the masala.
Trying this dish for the very first time? We’d love to see how it turns out! Post a picture of your creation on social media and use #MadewithLicious for a chance to get featured on our page!
| Servings |
|
- 500 g of basa cut into fillets
- 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- ⅛ tsp turmeric
- ¼ to ½ tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp salt or as needed
- 1 tbsp of oil or as needed
- ½ tsp cumin jeera seeds
- 2 medium onions sliced
- ½ tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ⅛ tsp turmeric
- 2 tbsp coconut grated
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1-2 sprigs of curry leaves
- 1 to 2 green chillies
- 1 to 1½ tsp garam masala
- 1¼to 1½ cup water
Ingredients
Marination:
For the paste:
For the curry:
|
|
- Marinate the fish with the ingredients mentioned under marination.
- In a frying pan, heat 1 tsp of oil and lightly fry the fish on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes till the raw smell disappears.
- Keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pot and add cumin. Once it splutters, add the sliced onions and fry till lightly golden.
- Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 1 minute. Next, add the tomatoes and ½ tsp salt.Cook till tomatoes become soft.
- Once soft, add the grated coconut or the substitute, along with the red chilli powder and turmeric.
- Fry this mixture till it turns fragrant, and then take it off the gas to cool.
- Once cool, pour the mixture into a mixer jar and add 2 to 4 tbsps of water. Grind till you get a smooth masala.
- Add 1 tbsp of oil to the same pot that was used for the paste and heat on low.
- Add curry leaves and green chillies, and let it splutter
- Add the ground onion and tomato paste, along with garam masala. Fry until fragrant.
- Pour 1¼ to 1½ cup water to the masala, mix well and bring to a boil.
- Wait till the curry thickens and oil rises to the top.
- Slide the sauteed fillets of basa into the curry and cook on medium flame.
- Carefully flip or turn the pieces over every 3 to 4 minutes
- Once the fillets bulge a bit in the curry, switch off the gas
- Garnish with coriander leaves and add salt if required