Lahori Fish Fry

In keeping with the fish theme here, this Lahori Fish Fry is a perfect snack food that can be made into a meal with some standard accompaniments.

Over summer our fresh-caught Alaskan Halibut was frozen for later use so as to savor the flavor and make the catch last longer.

Halibut and Salmon seem to be the only two fish that kids and the other adult seem to relish the most, cooked up in any which way that suits my mood.

Typically, Lahori fried fish is not served with any sauce, it is enjoyed as a fried snack food along with chutney. The seasoning and batter mix makes all the difference, bringing this dish alive, requiring no further enhancements.

However, I decided to make a simple sauce and serve with rice for dinner one evening.

Rather than make a batter, I decided to keep the seasoning and flour mixture dry and coat the fish with it and fry the pieces in batches, much like Indian pakoras.

Ingredients:
2 cups cubed halibut pieces
vegetable oil for frying

Lahori Fish Seasoning Mix:
1 cup chickepea flour
¼ cup rice flour
½ tsp crushed carom seeds (ajwain)
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
1 tsp crushed caraway seeds
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp powdered clove
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

For the sauce:
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp chaat masala
4 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
2 Tbsp sambal oelek
2 Tbsp Bragg liquid aminos
1 cup water
cornstarch as needed to thicken

Preparation

1. Make the chaat masala and keep it handy; can prepare ahead and store it in an airtight container
2. Combine the Lahori fish fry seasoning ingredients to form a smooth dry mixture
3. Coat the halibut pieces with some cooking spray and add the Lahori fish fry mix a little at a time, stirring well, until all the fish pieces are coated well
4. Fry in batches and drain in a paper towel
5. Make the sauce and toss in some of the fried fish in the sauce, serve with rice; reserve the rest of the fried fish minus the sauce to enjoy as-is

Halibut Stir-fry

Over summer, some fresh-caught Alaskan Halibut got frozen and put away to relish later in the colder months of the year.

This seemed like a good time to thaw some small pieces and cook them up with an interesting sauce and some stir-fry veggies.

I went with colorful peppers and onions for the stir-fry as I had a good batch of them handy from the farmers market. The stir-fry sauce is an impromptu made-up one, which is how most of my stir-fry sauces are, where I don't bother to measure accurately, just adding a bit of this and a dash of that and calling it good when the proportions seemed right.

Ingredients
Tender quick-cooking fish pieces
sesame oil
colorful pepper and onions sliced

Stir-fry sauce (approx.):
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
4 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp sambal oelek
2 Tbsp Bragg liquid aminos
4 Tbsp seaweed dashi stock or vegetable broth
cornstarch and water as needed for thickening

Preaparation

1. Marinate the thawed fish pieces in some of the stir-fry sauce, saving the rest for stir-fry
2. Heat some sesame oil in a wok, add the peppers and onions and stir-fry a bit, then add the marinated fish and the remaining stir-fry sauce and cook till fish is done
3. Serve warm 

Chunky Halibut and Potatoes in Spicy Gravy

The rich aroma and flavors that come about when sautéing onions to the point of caramelization is irresistible. Throw in organic home garden sweet cherry tomatoes and some finely grated ginger and minced garlic, the combination is giddying.

That's how this Halibut and Potatoes dish started -- with a rich base for the gravy brought in by prolonged gentle sautéing of onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic, with a sprinkling of salt and turmeric powder.

Meanwhile, halibut was rubbed with Ethiopian Mekelesha spice powder and some salt, and allowed to marinate for a while. Chunks of potatoes were steamed just enough so they can finish cooking with the gravy.

When the onions are almost caramelizing, add in the halibut and potatoes, splash some water, cover and allow to sweat and simmer till fish is cooked and potatoes are fork-tender.

Drizzle some fresh lemon juice, garnish with spring onions and cilantro, serve with warm cooked pearl millet and Sprouted Moong Bean Salad.

Over the last few years, portioned plated meals for dinners has become the norm. I rarely do family-style meals anymore. However, I do make the portions quite small to start with so we can go for seconds to simulate family-style dining.

Teriyaki Halibut with Sauteed Garlic Gai Lan

Asian grocery store nearby had fresh Gai Lan (aka Gailon aka Chinese Broccoli) which is immensely tasty when sautéed with ginger and garlic and Asian flavors, particularly the stalk which gets tender in texture like steamed asparagus.

A small chunk of halibut caught by the other adult over last summer was handy as well. This time, the other adult requested for teriyaki-flavored fish. The home-made teriyaki sauce is customized with what was handy and what the mood called for.

Ingredients
Halibut 4 to 6 small portioned pieces
some sesame oil

For the teriyaki sauce:
2 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp white wine (I had some Sauvignon Blanc handy)
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp low sodium vegetarian oyster sauce (aka mushroom sauce)
½ tsp brown sugar
4 Tbsp water

For the stir-fried gai lan:
1 lb of Gai Lan, washed and patted dry
a bunch of baby bok choy, washed
5 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce (aka mushroom sauce)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
¼ tsp brown sugar or agave nectar

Preparation

1. Gai lan stir fry: Heat the sesame oil in a wok; add the garlic and allow to brown a bit then add the ginger; stir well then add gai lan, the rest of the flavoring ingredients, cover and allow to wilt and cook till the stalks are tender
2. Teriyaki sauce: combine the sauce ingredients and simmer over low heat and keep handy
3. Halibut: Brush the halibut with some oil and cook in a cast iron skillet, flipping it over till the fish is mostly cooked; then brush generously with teriyaki sauce and broil till fish is fully cooked and the teriyaki sauce forms a rich coating
4. Serve with a drizzling of the remainder of the teriyaki sauce

Breaded Halibut with Poblano Peppers and Colorful Sweet Peppers

Another hunk of halibut fillet was thawed and ready in the fridge, part of a 10-pounder that the other half caught in Alaska last summer.

Breading and pan-frying is the easiest, but it can get boring if just using plain old bread crumbs or Panko all the time. So, in an effort to use up the soon-to-go-stale Triscuit™ crackers, I went with a fun breading made out of roasted almonds, parsley, and the said Triscuit. Simply crumble them in a blender.

Poblano peppers when sauteed give out this delicious flavor and aroma, which when combined with red onions and sweet peppers can be heavenly. This formed the veggie accompaniment to the breaded halibut, which was pan-cooked. Rather than dip in egg whites before the crumb coating, I dipped in buttermilk and pressed into the breading mix, on both sides.

Heat some oil in a cast-iron skillet that is moderately hot, place the breaded halibut fillet and press down, leave it undisturbed in medium heat till browned and firmed on one side. Carefully flip and cook the other side as well. If the flipping is not done with caution, the breading will peel off. Cook till fish is done, about 150° F in the thickest part.

Halibut with Kolhapuri Thecha Fish Curry

Kolhapur is a region in Maharashtra, India, known for many wonderful temples and palaces, botanical gardens and wildlife sanctuary, and not the least of all the inimitable Kolhapuri Chappal - sandals that were my weakness as a youngster, I couldn't have enough of them.

Kolhapuri Thecha is this fiery chili concoction that can double as a sauce/paste as well as chutney/dip.

Here, in Halibut with Kolhapuri Thecha, I use it as a rub and cooking sauce which is not for the weak-stomached or the weak-kneed eater.

There's habañero and ghost pepper, which just rip the insides out for me so I stay away from them; but I enjoy jalapeño and Serrano just fine, in small doses. I went a little easy on the red chilies with this Thecha but adjust the heat to your taste. The other adult in the house relishes way more heat than I can handle, so, I enjoy making this once in a while, not often.

Simply rub the halibut chunks with this, and, add it to the sauteing veggies as well to layer the flavor in this simple fish curry. There is still some pristine Alaskan fish that the other adult caught over summer that I wanted to cook up in an interesting way.

This Red Chili thecha can be made with fresh red chilies, or even green chilies. Simply roast the chilies first to enhance the flavor. I went with using dry red chilies as they were handy.


Ingredients
For Kolhapuri Thecha:
8 dry red chilies
8 large garlic cloves
½ medium onion, diced (optional)
2 Tbsp dry roasted peanuts
2 Tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste


Halibut or other favorite fish cut into chunks
Vegetables - red bell peppers, red onions, red tomatoes - chopped
a few Tbsp vegetable oil as needed
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds


Preparation

1. Soak the dry red chilies in the lemon juice and a little bit of warm water to reconstitute it for grinding
2. Combine the Kolhapuri thecha ingredients and grind to a fine paste, including the soaking lemon water
3. Rub the fish chunks with some of the thecha paste, reserving some for cooking
4. Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, when they pop, add the cumin seeds, then add the remaining thecha paste, saute for a few minutes till oil separates
5. Add the chopped veggies, stir well, and saute till veggies soften a bit
6. Then add in the fish chunks rubbed with the chili thecha, splash some water as needed, cover and cook till fish is done -- internal temperature is about 145 °F and is flaky and opaque
7. Serve warm with a side of rice

Herb and Almond Encrusted Pan Seared Halibut Fingers

I said, "Holy Bagumba!" emulating Flora, from Flora & Ulysses by Kate Dicamillo, when I came to know about the humongous halibut that the nicer half caught in Alaska. Yes, even accounting for the fact that fishermen tend to exaggerate, the proof was in front of my eyes, I couldn't discount it.

Not being a big fish and seafood fan, the catch-o'-the-day stories don't excite me much personally. But, knowing the health benefits of pristine fish, and knowing how much the rest of the family loves to eat the recent Alaskan catch, and, especially knowing how expensive halibut can be, I am grateful that I get to cook it up for them in as many interesting ways as possible.

These pan-cooked halibut fingers are encrusted with my favorite herb+almond coating. Served in a bed of crisp Romaine hearts, they are perfect as snack; or can be served as a major part of a balanced dinner along with veggies and buckwheat bhaturas.

Some home-garden mint, fennel, oregano plus raw almonds and one Serrano chili got pulsed coarsely, with a dash of salt, to make the crusty coating.

This time, I dredged the halibut in seasoned Pride of the West™ batter mix, then, dipped in lightly beaten eggs, then, pressed onto the herb-almond crumbs to make a firm coating. Then, pan fried in a cast-iron skillet till done.

A simple dish that comes together quickly and is immensely satisfying for the folks at home.