Crispy Fish Fry

This is exactly what I want from a fish fry - crisp, light and flavourful batter. I like this pan-fried version for a lighter dinner.

The not-so-secret ingredient in the coating is -you guessed it - panko bread crumbs. They really do wonders. For spice in the marinade, I use a masala that I came up with and use often, a warm/spicy spice mix, not unlike garam masala, but without the sweeter notes. (More about this below.)

Needless to say, the most crucial thing is the quality of the fish. I ask to smell the fish and bring it right up to my nose before I buy it. I didnt believe all the smell-of-the-ocean stuff, until I tried it myself. Fresh fish really has no unpleasant smell and you shouldnt buy any fish that does.



Things needed:


2 fish fillets ( I used red snapper, any mild fish should work)
2 tablespoons of CCCP masala*
1 tablespoon flour (besan or chickpea flour is traditional, ordinary flour works well too)

a pinch of turmeric
juice of one lime

salt
panko bread crumbs
oil

Make a paste out of the masala, flour, turmeric, lemon juice and salt. Slather both sides of the fillets with this paste and leave covered in the fridge to marinate for about half an hour. Beware that fish begins to cook in acidic mediums, so dont leave it in there too long.

Spread out about a cup of bread crumbs on a plate. Warm a couple of tablespoons of oil in a (non-stick) pan that will fit your fillets comfortably. Test the oil with a bit of panko for a good and instant sizzle. Dredge the fillets well in the panko and lay in the pan. Ignore for several minutes to allow the bottom to get golden and delicious. Flip carefully and repeat on the other side.
Serve with lemon slices.




CCCP Masala

I have often heard of Indian cooking dismissed as disguising flavours or muddying the flavour of the ingredients. Much more so with all the focus that there is today on quality ingredients. The multitude of ingredients and spices brought to bear on a simple piece of fish or cauliflower is understandably puzzling to palettes accustomed to cuisines that are based on making single ingredients shine.

Indian palettes and dishes swing both ways. To me, there is as much pleasure in sushi as there is in the above fish fry. Cauliflower stir fried with cumin and salt is as beautiful, albeit in a completely different way, as tandoori cauliflower. After all, the magic of cooking in general and Indian cooking in particular is the alchemy that happens when you put several ingredients together and come up with a whole that is far greater than the sum of its parts. This lies at the heart of the Indian palette and the Indian cooking aesthetic.

Hence our long and complicated love affair with masalas.

Coriander and cumin roasted and powdered by themsleves have completely different characters. Ground coriander is mild and lemony, while ground cumin is sharp and assertive. Put them together, they temper each other and form a warm earthy blend that provides the bass note in a lot of Indian dishes.

Garam masala, easily the most commonly used masala, adds to coriander and cumin a variety of 'sweeter' spices, like clove, Cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, mace and nutmeg. These introduce a sweeter taste and smell component, resulting in an altogether more assertive flavour.

I use the CCCP masala when I want a deep (not sharp) heat and a warm, but not sweet, flavour. I grind it fresh every time, there is really nothing that can take the place of absolutely fresh and popping-with-flavour masala.


Things needed


2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole black pepper
2 dried red chillies or 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes


Add all of the above to a small pan and roast on a low flame till your kitchen smells heavenly. Watch that nothing burns or turns black. You are trying to impart a smokeyness to the chillies by roasting them, but this may result in fumes that, if inhaled, can cause lots of coughing etc., so watch out. Slow and steady is the key.
When done, powder fine in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.