In the mood for lightly-cooked fish, but can’t decide if the marinade should be Indian, Thai or Italian?
Then try all three!
Mumbai food blogger Satyajit Kotwal has just the right recipes to make up an assorted super-healthy seafood platter.
Indian-Style Basa
Ingredients
- 350 gm basa fish, washed, cleaned, drained and filleted
- 2 tsp grated fresh coconut
- 2-3 garlic pods, crushed
- 2 green chillies
- 2 tsp roughly chopped dhania or fresh coriander leaves or cilantro
- Salt as per taste
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp water
- Banana leaves for wrapping the fish
Method
- In a mixer or food processor grind the grated coconut, lemon juice, garlic, salt, green chillies and dhania, using a little of the water, into a fine paste.
Add a few extra tsp of water if needed.
Up the quantity of lemon juice as per taste - Marinate the basa fillets in this paste for 30 minutes.
- If using a bamboo steamer, heat a pot of water.
When the water boils, place the bamboo steamer on top of the pot.
The steamer should not touch the water.
Wrap the marinated fish in the banana leaves and place in the steamer.
Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the fish is cooked.
Serve hot.
Thai-Style Basa
Ingredients
- 350 gm basa fish, washed, cleaned, drained and filleted
- 3 tsp lemon juice
- 2 garlic pods, chopped
- A pinch of grated lemon zest (lemon peel)
- 1 fresh (not dried) red chilly, chopped
- 1 tsp chopped galangal (Thai ginger, easily available in grocery stores or substitute with regular ginger)
- 1 kaffir lime leaf, cut into thin strips (easily available in grocery stores)
- Salt to taste
- Banana leaves for wrapping the fish
Method
- In a mixing bowl, add the lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, red chilly, galangal and kaffir strips and mix.
Add the fish fillets. Let it marinate for 30 minutes. - Place the fish in the banana leaves and spread the marinade on top (see pic) and place in a steamer for 10-12 minutes. Serve warm.
Italian-Style Basa
Ingredients
- 350 gm basa fish, washed, cleaned, drained and filleted
- 1 ripe tomato
- 2-3 garlic pods, chopped fine
- 2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
- 2 tsp white wine
- 1 tsp vinegar
- A dash of pepper
- Salt to taste
- Oil for the baking sheet
Method
- Drizzle a little oil on a baking tray and roast the tomato for 15-20 minutes or until brown and blistered in a hot oven.
Can also opt to roast it under the grill or over the flame of a gas stove (like you would do for bharta/ roasted eggplant).
Cool. Discard skin and seeds and chop finely. - In a mixing bowl add the tomato, basil and garlic.
- Season with pepper and salt.
- Add the vinegar and white wine.
- Add the basa fillets and mix well. Let the fish soak in this mixture for 30 minutes.
- Steam for 10-12 minutes in a steamer. Serve warm.
Satyajit Kotwal is the author of the food blog Satyajit’s Kitchen.
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