Jhalke Fry (Fried Fish seasoned with garlic)

I had been to US to visit my husband's cousin. That is where I first had this fish preparation. It was nice and spicy. I have been wanting to try preparing this at home for a long time. Finally, I prepared this fish last night and the whole house smelled of fish and garlic. The combination of curry leaves, asafoetida, fish and garlic brings out a great flavour.

What you will need:
Fish (Mackrel) - 6 to 8 pieces
Red chilli powder - 3 tsp

Rice flour - 3 tsp

Gram flour (besan) - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - dissolved in water

Garlic - 8 to 10 pods, finely chopped

Curry leaves - 2 strands

Oil - 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

How to prepare

Mix the red chilli powder with rice flour, salt and gram flour. Add the asafoetida dissolved in water to make a paste. Apply this paste to the fish and leave it to marinate for 2 to 3 hours. I usually leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

Heat oil in a wide pan. Add curry leaves. Place the fish pieces in the oil one by one. Cover and cook until the first side is cooked. Now carefully flip the fish pieces.

Sprinkle the chopped garlic on the fish. Cover and cook the other side.

Turn the heat off and keep the pan covered for an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Baked Fish (Salmon) in green masala

What you will need:
Salmon fillet - 1
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Garlic pods - 6 to 8
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

How to prepare
Crush or grind coarsely the garlic and coriander leaves.
Mix olive oil with chilli powder, coriander powder, lemon juice, salt and the green paste. Apply this mixture to the fish and keep aside for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400F. Bake the fish for 20 minutes. Sprinkle lemon juice on the fish and serve.

Alle Piyavu Fish ( Fish in coconut and onion-ginger gravy)

Alle piao is one of the most popular fish recipes in a 'Konkani' household. Alle in konkani means ginger and piyavu / piao means onion. Eventhough the masolu(gravy) is similar to many other konkani curries, the ginger adds a unique flavour to this preparation. This recipe was requested by Mr. Kishor Rao from Maharashtra. I used tilapia fish for this recipe.
What you will need:
1 fish (cut into 2" pieces)
1 cup shredded fresh/frozen coconut
6 dry fried red chillies
3 - 4 green chillies, slit
tamarind - about half the size of a lime
1" piece ginger - finely chopped
1 small onion - finely chopped
2 tsp oil
salt to taste

How to prepare:
Grind coconut, red chillies and tamarind into a fine paste.
Transfer the paste into a pan. Add water to get the desired consistency.
Add salt, chopped ginger, green chillies and onion and bring it to a boil.
Add the fish and cook until the fish is done.
Pour the oil on top and turn the heat off.
I like to add coconut oil as it brings a unique taste to this preparation.

Quick and Spicy fish curry

This is one of the easiest fish curries I have ever made. It just takes 10 minutes of preparation. I used tilapia fish for this preparation. I like to make it very spicy. After a long day at work, I like to eat this spicy fish with paij (rice soup, usually made with boiled rice).
What you will need:
1 small fish (cleaned and cut into 2" pieces)
1 tsp chilli powder (or more)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste

How to prepare:
Mix all the powders and ginger garlic paste with 1/4 cup of water to make a paste.
Heat the oil. Add the paste and fry until the raw smell of the paste goes away.
Add the fish pieces and 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook until the fish is done.
Turn the heat off and add the lemon juice.