Alma Bax Tintorera is a two-month-old website that focuses on publishing personal essays about food. We’re still a small team and so far, we’ve published over 150 essays, mostly on Indian cuisines. We’re also working on a food blog that allows us to publish more food-related personal essays.
When I was a kid, I used to be a huge fan of Greek food. The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, fruit, and nuts, it’s full of natural spices, and it doesn’t use a lot of animal products. After a while, I started adding more and more Indian food to my diet, as I found that Indian food and Mediterranean food go very well together.
The world’s first sea bass made in an Indian style , and it was on the menu at the Intamin Sea Bass Festival 2013, where the world’s first sea bass made in an Indian style was on the menu at the Intamin Sea Bass Festival 2013, held in Germany.
I got the inspiration for this dish while seeing an English cooking program in which fish was cooked in aluminum foil with breadcrumbs. So I decided to bake the fish in aluminum foil with Indian spices. You’ll love the fish once it’s been baked since it’s so moist and delicious. You may make this with any ingredients you choose. You may also use regular onion in this, and you can add dried chilies, curry leaves, and other spices to the mustard seeds.
This dish calls for sea bass. Pomfret or any other fish may be used. I topped the fish with sliced tomatoes, but you could instead use lemon slices for a tart flavor. You can also do this for party food by wrapping each piece of fish in tiny aluminum foil packages. If the number of attendees is higher, there will be more work to do – so prepare appropriately. The fish was marinated, cooked, then wrapped in aluminum foil with onion masala. The fish was tender and flavorful. If you want, you may use boneless fish.
You can see two fish portions (whole) in the photos – one is tiny and the other is large. For my family, I utilized two fish. To prepare meen pollichathu, slice the fish or use boneless fish. For each piece/slice of fish, make a little package out of banana leaves or aluminum foil. This dish is perfect for a get-together.
Ingredients
-
- For cooking the fish, you’ll need oil.
- 1 (medium size) or 1/2 kilogram whole fish
- Foil made of aluminum
- 1 tomato (to serve as a garnish)
To make the marinade
-
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 3 tsp lemon juice
- if necessary, salt
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper powder
- 1 tsp. oil
Masala (or sauce)
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 100 g onions (shallots)
- 12 to 15 curry leaves
- 2 finely chopped green chilies
- 1 1/2 tsp ginger and garlic paste or 1 tsp ginger chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tomatillo
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- a pinch of salt (to taste)
Method
-
- First, thoroughly clean the whole fish, separating the head if necessary, and slitting the fish to allow for adequate marinating. If you want, you may cook the fish head and eat it separately.
- Remove the onion, green chilies, and tomatoes from the pan and set them aside.
-
There are three phases to this process.
a. Cooking the fish in a pan
b. Masala/sauce preparation
b. Putting the fish in a wrap
a. Cooking the fish in a pan
- To begin, marinade the fish for at least 1 hour or overnight. In a dish, combine all masala (ingredients) and a few drops of water to create a thick paste. Then apply it on the fish.
- Take a pan, add 2 tsp oil, and heat it up. Place the fish in the pan or on the tava, and spray a few droplets of oil around it and on top to keep it from sticking to the pan. Cook the fish for a few minutes on one side and a few minutes on the other. Make sure the fish is thoroughly fried on all sides but not overcooked. It will be soft, but since it is cooked, it will taste like fried fish. It will just take 10 to 12 minutes. Cook it on a medium heat setting.
- Keep the fish aside once it has been cooked.
b. Masala/sauce preparation
-
- In a kadai, heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, when they sputter, add the curry leaves and shallots, swirl well, and cook until the shallots are light brown and tender.
- Now add ginger &garlic paste or ginger pieces, stir for a second then add all dry powders add green chillies also, stir well.
- Now stir in the diced tomato and heat until it is mushy and thoroughly mixed with the spices. I didn’t cut the tomatoes carefully since they’ll soften during frying anyhow.
- 30 mL water may be added to ensure that the spices are thoroughly cooked and not burned. Cook on a medium heat setting.
- When the masala is cooked, it begins to leave oil on top and takes on the texture of a thick sauce, but it should be dry. season with salt to taste. Turn it off and wait for it to cool.
d. Using aluminum foil to wrap the fish
- Take a banana leaf or aluminum foil and grease the area where the masala and fish will be placed with a little oil (optional).
- First, apply masala on aluminum foil, then lay fish on top, then repeat with masala.
- Place the tomato slices on the fish, as I have done on each of them. If you’re only going to use one fish, keep it simple.
- Close the aluminum foil on both sides, then the other two sides, before piercing it with a toothpick or thread (cut it long and roll it on both sides). It’s just to prevent the wrap from being opened. Finish by tying up any loose ends.
- Place the fish on the oven pan and bake for ten to twelve minutes (200c).
- Put 1/2 tsp oil on the same tava where the fish was cooked, and when it’s hot, add the banana leaf and fry it on both sides until it’s brown.
- Turn carefully since the gravy may leak out and the color of the banana leaf changes as it cooks.
- You may shut the cover and cook the fish on a lower heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or you can cook the fish without the lid.
- My experience has been that while the lid is closed, it is more juicy and tender; when the cover is opened and cooked, it is a bit dry but tastes excellent.
- When the fish is done, put it on a dish and open the aluminum foil to check how well the masala has adhered to the fish and been coated.
- The fish is well-attached to the cut tomatoes.
- It has a good flavor and is spicy, using just a few basic ingredients.
- It goes well with simple rice or any other meal you want.
Or
Notes
- If using a banana leaf, use a baby banana leaf instead of a large one, since it will not rip as easily.
- It will be easier to apply the masala on fish and wraps if it is thick and somewhat dry.
- If you want you can use chopped ginger and garlic instead if ginger & garlic paste.
- If you want, you may decrease the amount of chilli. Depending on the amount of salt needed, add it.
- If you don’t want to use tomato pieces, add 30ml coconut milk and simmer the masala until it dries, or use both chopped tomatoes and coconut milk for a distinct flavor.
- Spices may be added to suit your preferences.
- Chilli powder, ginger and garlic paste, turmeric powder, pepper powder, and lemon juice may all be added to the fish marinade according to personal preference. You may also add ginger and garlic paste, chilli powder, coriander powder, tomato, pepper powder, tamrind paste or kokum water (kokum steeped in boiling water for a few minutes), coconut milk, and other ingredients to the masala according to your preferences.
So, I was recently invited to a friend’s place for dinner and I was super excited because it was a dinner I had been dying to try. It was a day where we would have some fun, laugh a lot and maybe discuss some serious issues. At any rate, a friend of mine who was in town stopped by and we went to a place called tintorera for a meal. I have to say that it was one of the best things I have ever tasted; in fact I would go as far as to say it was the best thing I have ever tasted. I am quite sure you have heard the saying “you have to do something really bad to be appreciated for doing something good,” but I have to say that tint. Read more about indian spiced sea bass and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is seabass called in India?
Seabass is called in India as seer fish.
Is Stone bass the same as sea bass?
Stone bass is a type of sea bass.
How does Jamie Oliver cook sea bass?
Jamie Oliver cooks sea bass by searing it in a pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
About Author
