herbed pan-grilled fish

Salmon or sometimes sea bass are the only fish liked and appreciated wholeheartedly in my home. However, you get such a lot of different fish here, so I wanted to try them out. Tengirri is one of the popular fish that you get here. I was confused as if it is similar or is the Indian fish "surmai" .... after a long discussion with facebook foodie community members and friends and research on the web/google searching for images, I am still not sure :)  ... However, the fish was tasty. So here is how I made it. 

Ingredients:

• 7-8 tengirri fish steaks (or any other fish that  you like)
• 1 small bunch of coriander leaves
• 1 red or green chili(I removed the seeds)
• 7/8 garlic cloves
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• salt
• oil to grease the pan

Recipe:

• Wash and clean the fish. Keep it on kitchen paper towel to drain out excess moisture.

• Sprinkle salt on the fish on both sides.

• Roughly chop the coriander leaves, garlic cloves and chili with a mortar and pestle... or blitz it for 20/30 secs in a food processor or a blender. Add lemon juice to it. Add some salt if needed.(remember you have already salted the fish) .... I forgot to take picture at this step....!!!

• Pour about 2-3 tsps of the above marinade over the fish steaks.

• Rub the marinade on both sides on the fish.

• Cover the dish with the fish with a plastic wrap and leave it for about an hour or more -- up to 24 hours (I used some of the steaks, the next day)

• When ready to cook, grease the pan with some oil... about 1-2 tsp and heat the pan on medium heat.
• Lay the marinated fish steaks on the hot pan with some distance between each piece, and let them cook for 2-3 minutes.

• Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. The marinade will dry and cling to the foil. It is approximate time, but the fish gets cooked very fast, so do not keep it on the heat for long.  

• Serve straight from the pan, sizzling hot with lettuce leaves or mixed salad.
• It makes a yummy appetizer.

Quantity:

• I made two fish pieces per person, along with rest of the regular meal.

Notes:

• You can also bake the fish in a foil at 180 degrees for 10 minutes. The texture is different. 
• I have also used the same marinade on my favorite fish salmon, and tastes awesome.

Grilled chicken patties with sauteed vegetables

Usually, I cook and eat vegetarian meals at home, but I have been working out a lot for the past 2-3 months, and I was advised to have protein rich and natural meals with lots of fruits and vegetables..... and this meal fits the bill. The recipe is quite simple.You can eat it, as an appetizer, with rice, with spaghetti or just with grilled vegetables... 

Ingredients:

• 600 gms chicken (I used breast pieces)
• 10/12 shallots (you can use regular onions - 2 nos)
• 7 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 fresh chilies (I used the red ones)
• Juice of half a lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg
• 1 large bunch of coriander leaves

For the sauteed vegetables:

• 2 carrots
• 1 head of broccoli (You can use any other vegetable like cauliflower, mushrooms, baby corn..... or any combination you like)
• 1 tsp of butter/olive oil
• more olive oil to grease the pan -- You can omit this, if you have a nice non-stick or cast iron pan

Recipe:

• Mince the shallots, chicken, chilies, coriander in a food processor.
• Grate the parmesan cheese and the garlic.

• Mix everything well together with a spoon.

• Add salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.

• Add lemon juice and mix it well.

• Make small balls of the mixture and lay them in a platter.

• Cover with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes or more.
• When ready to make the patties, grease a skillet with some oil.
• Flatten the balls and lay them on the skillet 1 inch apart. 

• Cook them on low to medium flame for about 3-4 minutes till the outside is browned.
• Flip them and brown the other side.

Sauteed Vegetables:

• Chop the vegetables in bite size pieces. 

• Heat a tsp of butter or olive oil in a pan.

• Add the vegetables. Stir fry them on high heat for a minute, then lower the heat and cover the pan. Let the vegetables cook for another 3-5 minutes.

• Take them out in a different pan and keep aside.

• Serve the chicken patties piping hot, with a side of vegetables garnished with more lemon juice and coriander leaves.

Quantity:

• Makes about 20-23 patties. 
• Serves 3-4 people.

Notes:

• You can grill the patties in the grill mode of the oven about 10-15 minutes.
• You can add grated vegetables, (like carrots and broccoli) to the patties.