Cooking Made Sexy: Meen Polichattu

So now that our Chef has been totally jobless for 4 months, he has decided to cook for you all. These are recipes that one thinks they can only have in restaurants or Hotels but our Chef has made them Simple and Sexy for you to make at home. Today we make Surmai Polichattu, a fish prep that’s coated in Masala and then steamed to perfection. So without wasting any time lets get to it.

Ingredients:

Ingredients

1 pc. Whole Surmai Sliced.
3 nos. Big Onions Finely Chopped
2 nos. Big Tomatoes Finely Chopped
6-8 nos Garlic Pods
1″ Ginger Piece
3 Green Chilies
A bunch of Curry Leaves
A bunch of fresh Coriander Chopped
1 pkt.Coconut Milk (Dabur)
3 whole Banana Leaves
Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to Taste
Indian Masala (Turmeric,Red Chili Powder,Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder)
12-15 nos. Mustard Seeds

For Masala:

1. Marinate Fish slices with salt and a tsp each of the Indian masalas. Keep in the fridge for 30 mins.
2. In a pan heat Coconut oil and add the Mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
3. Add in the finely chopped Onion and saute till golden brown.
4. Pound the Chilies, Ginger and Garlic in a mortar with little salt and add to above onions and cook till brown.
5. Add in the chopped Tomatoes and cook till ‘Bhuno-ed.’ (approx 15 mins)
6. Add a tsp of Turmeric, Red Chili, Cumin and Coriander powder each and continue stirring.
7. Add the Coconut Milk and Curry leaves and shut the gas. Cool under the fan.

 

Completed Masala

 

For Steaming:

1. Pan fry the fish for 30 seconds on each side.

   

   Lightly Sauteed Fish

2. Cut the Banana leaves in a such a way that it will cover the fish.
3. Put the leaves on a hot pan for 5 seconds each so that they are more manageable.
4. Apply some of the above made Masala on the leaf and then place the fish slice.
5. Wrap the fish nicely and put in the steamer for 7-9 minutes.
6. Take out from the steamer and give a quick fry (with the banana leaf) on a pan.
7. Serve hot with some Mint and Coconut Chutney.

   

   Quick Fry on the pan before Serving.

    

   Hope you enjoyed this quick Sexy recipe for the Polichattu. You can replace the Surmai with any fish or Shell fish meat. Of course each will have a different cooking time. Do send in your photos and how your Polichattu turned out in the comments below! Stay Sexy and Keep cooking!