Introducing an amazing treat is a treat in itself. Do not be taken aback by the list of ingredients used, these are all readily available in any urban kitchen and certain tough ones can be supplemented too. Tamarind is a hit flavor and compliments the fish amazingly. Red snapper also cooks up a great flavor of mixed sweetness with cinnamon and sugar. All the time is worth it. Great evening snack. Go ahead, cook on !!
Ingredients of Snapper in Tamarind Sauce
Fresh marinated whole red snapper
Frying the whole red snapper
Tamarind and spice coated whole red snapper
Fried Snapper in Tamarind Sauce
….need to know (food details)
- Number of people served : 2 to 3.
- Preparation time : 20 minutes of cooking + 3 hours of marinate .
- Serving size : 1 fish each.
….and we need (ingredients)
- Red snapper (small) 250 gms : Red snapper is high on omega 3 fatty acids and helps heart and blood pressure. It has a sweet and firm texture hence holds well during cooking.
- Salt 1/3 rd tablespoon : Do not use more than required. It’ll make the dish edible. Little salt gives sufficient sodium, magnesium and hydration to the body.
- Olive oil 8 teaspoons : Keep the oil light so as not to interfere with the flavor of your dish either in odour or in taste.
- Garlic chopped clove 4 : Besides the medicinal benefits of being anti inflammatory, antipyretic etc., garlic brings in the required pungency in the dish.
- Leek 1 handful chopped : Leek is a sweet onion family vegetable. I use it because it does not interfere with the garlic flavor in the dish and has high level of folic acid, calcium, potassium and Vitamin C, hence great nutritional value for kids. Also, it grows very easily in my kitchen garden.
- Sugar 1 tablespoon : This balances the pungency and the chilli strength.
- Oyster sauce 1/2 tablespoon : This has high sodium content and is sweet, salty and has a deep savory flavor.
- Water 1/3rd cup : Used just to make the paste out of spices.
- Tamarind 1 tablespoon : This is the real tangy flavor in the dish. It also has beneficial effects like easing stomach ache, helping in digestion, fever etc.
- Turmeric 1/4th teaspoon : The healer in a pungent dish. Host of medicinal benefits here normalizes the other mixed flavor in this dish.
- Paprika 1/2 teaspoon : Light and bitter with good amount of vitamin e and a strong antioxidant.
- Lemon juice 1 teaspoon : Sour component in this dish also makes this dish easily digestible and fragrant.
- Vinegar 1 tablespoon : Takes the sour deep inside the fish and makes it better digestible. Gives an amazing fragrance too. Regulates blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure etc.
- Cinnamon 1/2 inch : This brings in the sweet sour blend in the dish also adding benefits like skin health, blood sugar and pressure control etc.
- Cloves 2 in number : This is also a pungent, sweet, bitter spice with an astringent flavor with cures of toothache, inflammation and respiratory infections too.
….time to cook ‘n roll (cooking instructions)
- Slit clean the snappers.
- Rub salt, turmeric and lemon juice and keep aside for 2 hours. A good way to set aside it would be to cover and refrigerate.
- Meanwhile grind the cloves and cinnamon coarsely.
- Now normalize the fish and shallow fry the same for 5 minutes and keep aside.
- Heat a pan. Saute the chopped leek in some oil (1 teaspoon would be good enough) till they turn golden brown.
- Add chopped garlic and stir further for 2 minutes.
- Add to this, oyster sauce, sugar, tamarind, paprika, vinegar, ground spices (cinnamon and cloves) and add 2 tablespoon water to it all. Cook this all for 3 to 4 minutes and then take it off the flame and cool off.
- Take the fish and coat it inside out with this cooked blended spice paste and keep aside for further 1 hour.
- Deep fry the fish now and serve immediately with saute’d vegetables like pak choi and broccoli florets.
Storage : Are you kidding 🙂
Missing Something ? : Can supplement cloves and cinnamon with all spice of the same quantity. Also paprika can be replaced with red pepper powder for similar results. Anything else, i don’t suggest that you change. How about making this a better served dish by sauteing some pak choi and some broccoli florets harvested right from your kitchen garden.