Discovering Indian Cuisine

Spicy Fish Filets

My first taste of Indian food occurred in New York, when my Indian neighbor took me to a nearby restaurant.  I was totally ignorant about Indian cuisine, so he ordered what he normally ordered.  All I remember is that it was spicy--extremely spicy--so spicy that I needed to drink half a glass of water after each bite.

I never again went to dinner with that neighbor.  But I did come to like Indian food, and for that I can thank Sunset Magazine.
  No, they weren’t publishing Indian recipes—at least not then.  I was writing stories for one of the editors, and when I told him I was moving to London, he assigned me to find out as much as I could about Indian cuisine.  England has a large Indian population.

I thought the eating part would be torture, but I quickly discovered that not all Indian food is super-spicy.  By the time the editor arrived in town, I was very knowledgeable about like Chicken Tikka, Onion Pakora, Masala Dosa and Fish Curry, to name but a few wonderful dishes.  I’ve been experimenting ever since.

Spicy Fish Filets – serves 2 

¾ pound fish filets (I like tilapia)

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

5-6 scallions, white and green parts cut into ½-inch pieces

1 bunch cilantro, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon dried fenugreek or oregano

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

Cut each fish filet in half and set aside. 

Put the oil in a large frying pan and begin heating over high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until they start to sizzle.  Turn down the heat to medium-low.  

Add the scallions, cilantro, garlic, fenugreek or oregano, salt and cayenne pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the scallions and cilantro have softened. 

Add the water and lemon juice and stir.  Then add the pieces of fish, turning them over several times so they are coated with spicy mixture.  Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily.  Transfer the fish to serving plates and spoon any extra sauce on top.  Serve immediately.

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