Serves 4 4 seabass (approx 350g) Basmati boiled rice 12 tablespoons frying oil Marinade Juice of one lemon 1 tsp garlic paste 1 tsp turmeric powder Salt to taste Sauce One chopped onion 2g mustard seeds 5g garlic paste 10 chopped curry leaves 3 green chillies 90g coconut milk ½ tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp chilli powder 2 tsp coriander powder 20g tamarind pulp Cloves, cinnamon & saunf powder 2 tsp oil 1 tbsp salt to taste
De-bone fish, leaving head, tail and skin intact. Clean insides and cut gashes on sides. Add salt, lemon juice, turmeric powder and garlic paste to marinade sea bass and leave to one side. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they start to crackle, add the curry leaves and onion and sauté. Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder and continue stirring. Add coconut milk; slit greet chillies and tamarind pulp. Bring to the boil and simmer. Finish sauce by adding cloves, cinnamon and the saunf powder and a little salt to taste. Heat the oil in a pan and shallow-fry sea bass for 6-8 minutes until crisp and golden on either side. Place it on four warmed plates on a bed of boiled Basmati rice (three tablespoons each serving), spoon over sauce and serve hot, garnished with addition of lemon wedges. Recipe by Jaspal Singh Arora, executive chef, Bombay Brasserie This recipe first appeared in Cost Sector Catering/Eat Out magazine, November 2006.