Small fish fry

Fried fish

We normally do not buy small fish because it is cumbersome and time consuming to prepare it for cooking. Today most big fishes are laden with mercury. Therefore small fish is a better option. Fish that is 4 to 7 inches long is what mean by small fish. Many varieties of small fish are available – mackerel, sardines, tuna, herring, trout etc. Small fish is cheaper than big fish.
Many people use small fish to make fish balls, curry puffs, cutlets and samoosas.   Today I am going to fry some small fish known as yellow stripe trevally or kunning in South East Asia.simply with minimal ingredients Small fish is tastier and has less mercury contamination than the big fish. The downside is small children may swallow the bones  This fried fish will go very well as a snack with chilled beer.

 Trevally fish

Recipe summary

                                                  For                                       
                                          Small fish fry

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 7 minutes per fish for frying

Serves: 6

1. Cleaning the fish

Cut off the tail

Trim the small fins on both sides near the head. Trim out the bones on both sides with a pair of scissors.
Cut off the side flesh that covers the stomach and intestines of the fish. Remove the internal organs.
Cut off the head
Wash thoroughly with turmeric powder and salt.

Fried fish

Dry the fish with paper towels.

2. Marination
 In a small bowl add the fish, chili powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, roasted cumin powder, salt and marinate for 15 to 30 minutes in room temperature.

3. Frying
. Heat up oilin a pan. Oil must cover the fish. Reduce the heat to medium.  You can fry three fish at a time according to the size of the wok.
Cook for 3 minutes and turn the fish to the other side and fry for 3 minutes. Turn the fish again and fry for 1 minute on each side.

When you fry this fish it splashes oil all over and you may get hurt. So try to use a splash guard.

                           Small fish fry is ready.

                                  

                                        

                     Recipe follows in detail with pictures.



Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 7 minutes per fish for frying
Serves: 6

Ingredients
500 grams small fish
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
1 cup vegetable oil

Preparation
Cut off the tail.

cutting the tail

Tail is cut off

Trim the small fins on both sides near the head

Cutting off the fin

Removing the fin

Cut off fins near the head

Trim out the bones on both sides with a pair of scissors.

Trimming the bones on the sides 

Trim the fins on the sides

Cut off the side flesh that covers the stomach and intestines of the fish. Remove the internal organs.

Cutting off side to remove the internal organ

Slit near the head

Cut off the head head.The head is no use. I just left it in some fish. Mt husband likes to chew the head when we fry.

Cleaned fish

Wash thoroughly. I use turmeric powder and salt to wash.

Dry the fish with paper towels.

Cleaned fish before marinating

In a small bowl add the fish, chili powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, roasted cumin powder  and salt.

Marinated fish

 Let it marinate for 15 to 30 minutes in room temperature.You can marinate and keep in the freezer for later use. 

Marinated fish 

Thaw the fish in the refrigerator before  frying them. You can taste the seasoning and add them to your taste.


Method
In a frying pan add the oil and heat it up. Oil must cover the fish Reduce the heat to medium. Add the fish one by one with a little space in between. You can fry three fish at a time according to the size of the wok.
Cook for 3 minutes and turn the fish to the other side and fry for 3 minutes. Turn the fish again and fry for 1 minute on each side.

Frying the fish

When you fry this fish it splash oil all over and you may get hurt. So try to use a splash guard.

Using a splash guard

Splash guard

If you use high heat, the fish will cook fast and the inside will be uncooked. Therefore use low heat and longer cooking time to get evenly cooked fish.
Serve with rice or as a snack to accompany  a chilled beer or other alcoholic beverage It is a delicious fish fry.When you consume take care of the tiny bones. Always throw away the middle bone. The fry is not suitable for children because of the bones.

Nutrition data for this recipe
Nutrition content is computed by adding nutrition values of individual ingredients according to the USDA nutrition database. Water shown here is what is found in the ingredients and not the water added while cooking. This is only an approximation. For further information please read my post “Nutrition information for my recipes.”
 Click the button below to view the nutrition data. Click again to close it.

Chili Paste With Tomato

Sambol with tomato

This is another form of sambol or sauce which can be used as a dip or bread spread. It can be served with bread, rice, Indian string hoppers, appam, thosai and idly etc.  Even though we make sambol with chili powder or paprika powder it is not hot because the coconut takes away the heat from the chili powder. This is meant to be spicy hot but you can make it by reducing the chilies used.

                                      Recipe summary
                                                 For
                                 Chili Paste With Tomato

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15  minutes
Serves: 4

Chili paste with tomato

1.Soak 12 grams (12) dry red chilies in hot water for ten minutes in a covered bowl.



2. Grind the chili in a liquidizer using some of the soaked water.



3. Now add 250 grams (2 large) onions coarsely chopped, 125 grams (1 large) ripe tomato coarsely chopped slices, 10 grams of tamarind juice without its seeds, 2.5 grams (½) teaspoon salt  and grind to a smooth paste. It will be slightly watery.

Ingredients

4. Pour into a container

5. Heat 27.2 grams (2 tablespoon) Sesame oil. You can use any vegetable oil in a frying pan and add 1 tea spoon mustard seeds and wait it it splutters add the ground paste and fry it  in slow fire for about 5 minutes. This process will evaporate some water and also cook the chili to make it milder.

6. Cool and store in a refrigerator. it will keep for two weeks.
                            
Chili Paste With Tomato is ready.
                                  

               Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15  minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients for Chili Paste With Tomato

Ingredients
Main
12 grams (12) dry red chilies

250 grams (2 large) onions coarsely chopped

125 grams (1 large) ripe tomato coarsely chopped
Others

2.5 grams (½) teaspoon salt

10 grams of tamarind juice

1 tea spoon mustard seeds

27.2 grams (2 tablespoon) Sesame oil. You can use any vegetable oil.

Curry leaf, tomato and onion

Preparation

Soak the dry red chilies in hot water for ten minutes in a covered bowl.

Dry chili soaking in hot water

Method

Add the chilies to a liquidizer or a food processor and grind it with some of the soaked water till it becomes smooth.

Grinding chili

Now add onions, tomato slices tamarind juice without its seeds, salt  and grind to a smooth paste. It will be slightly watery.

Grinding other ingredients

Pour into a container

Ground ingredients from grinder, before cooking

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds and wait it it splutters add the ground paste and fry it  in slow fire for about 5 minutes. This process will evaporate some water and also cook the chili to make it milder.

Evaporating

 It will look like a paste.If you cannot resist smell cover your nose and mouth  using a handkerchief. Now take off the heat.

Final cooking

Cool and store the cooked paste in an air tight glass bottle and refrigerate. It will keep up to 2 weeks.

Sambol with tomato

You can use this sauce as a hot dip or bread spread. You will need to apply only a very light coating. You can also apply a generous coating of butter, sliced cheese or cream cheese. You will get a very tasty sandwich.

You can make a coconut sambol by mixing a tablespoon of this paste to 1/2 a cup of shredded coconut to make a delicious coconut sambol.

This chili paste can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week and more in the freezer. You cannot store the paste in a glass container if you want to keep it in the freezer. You will have to choose an appropriate container. I prefer to store in a glass container because it is very much easier take it out and use frequently.

Nutrition data for this recipe
Nutrition content is computed by adding nutrition values of individual ingredients according to the USDA nutrition database. Water shown here is what is found in the ingredients and not the water added while cooking. This is only an approximation. For further information please read my post “Nutrition information for my recipes.”

This recipe was originally published under 'Coconut sambol'. This post contained 3 recipes. Now I am adding nutrition data to all my recipes in this blog. It became messy to have three nutrition table in one post. So, I am posting this as a separate recipe.

 Click the button below to view the nutrition data. Click again to close it.

Fried chili paste mixed with grated coconut (Sambol)

Fried chili paste mixed with grated coconut (Sambol)

 I have posted two sambol recipes above in which we use coconut as a base. I am introducing this dish as it is really an accompaniment to any main meal made out of flour or rice.  There are many ways of preparing this. Main ingredients will  always be shredded coconut and chilly. You may experiment this with the addition of your favorite spices.But the taste will always be different for each of the recipe. This third sambol is also easy to prepare.

Recipe summary

                                            For
               Fried chili paste mixed with grated coconut (Sambol)   

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

 Cooking Time : 0

Serves: 4

1.Heat a pan or wok add 4.5 grams 1 tea spoon  oil. And when the oil heats up add 12 grams (12) dry chili dry chili pieces 

Dry red chili is frying
 in a non stick wok

including  the seeds or without seeds.  Fry the chilli stirring quickly for two seconds or till it changes to a little darker colour.

Ingredients

2.Next  You can use a mortar and pestle or a food processor to grind the chili. 

3. Add 150 grams (I) big onion followed by 2 grams (10) curry leaves grind to a paste.

4. Add two table spoon grated coconut and two table spoon of water.

Grind the ingredients into a smooth paste.

Fried chili paste mixed with grated
 coconut (Sambol)

5. Transfer the paste into a medium sized bowl. Now add the rest of the raw coconut (total 200 gr coconut) mix well using your hand covered with gloves.

6.Add 
2.5 gram (½ tsp) salt and 29 grams (½) lime juice. If not you can add tamarind juice earlier. 

Fried chili paste mixed with grated coconut (Sambol) is ready.

                                  

                      Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

 Cooking Time : 0

Serves: 4

Ingredients
Main         

!2 grams (12) dry chili

150 grams (I) big onion
200 gr coconut
Others

2 grams (10) curry leaves

29 grams (½) lime

4.5 grams (1 tsp) oil

2.5 gram (½ tsp) salt

Ingredients for Fried chili paste mixed with grated coconut (Sambol)

    

Preparation

Using a pair of scissors cut the dry chili into one inch pieces. 

Cut dry red chili

Chop onion and cut curry leaves.

Method 
Heat a pan or wok add oil.And when the oil it heats up add the dry chili pieces including  the seeds. If you don’t like to take too hot spicy dish, leave the seeds out. Fry the chilli stirring quickly for two seconds or till it changes to a little darker colour. 

Dry red chili is frying in a non stick wok

When the vapors come out from the pan you may start coughing, sneezing or shedding tears. First put only one piece of chilli and if you cannot take the smell of it. Leave out the frying part and just use the soaked dried red chili . You may also try covering your nose and mouth with a napkin or handkerchief or a face mask..Frying the chili gives a different taste.

Next you have to pound all the ingredients. You can use a mortar and pestle or a food processor to grind the chili. I used a Braun hand held blender. I start with grinding the dry chilly. First do a few pulse and grind a little using speed one. Seeds will not be cut easily. I used three table spoon water.  It helped to grind better.

Dry red chili is ground

Then add the onion It eases the work as onion has water.

Onion added

 Then add curry leaves and grind to a thick paste.

Curry leaves added

 Grind the ingredients into a smooth paste.

Final grinding before adding coconut

Add two table spoon grated coconut and run the processor. 

Grind the ingredients into a smooth paste.

Coconut mixed with the chili paste

.

Transfer the paste into a medium sized bowl. Now add the rest of the raw coconut mix well using your hand covered with gloves as the chilly will irritate your hands if it comes into contact with your bare hands.

Coconut mixed by hand in a bowl

 Add salt and lime juice to your taste.

Here you are with a lovely raw coconut sambol which you cannot resist especially with bread.  Enjoy!

This is the best sambol out of all the dips and sambols as the chili is roasted in little oil.  So I hope you will try this sambol. You can't resist. It goes well with steamed couscous with kale and grated coconut

Steamed couscous with kale omelet and coconut sambol

Nutrition data for this recipe
Nutrition content is computed by adding nutrition values of individual ingredients according to the USDA nutrition database. Water shown here is what is found in the ingredients and not the water added while cooking. This is only an approximation. For further information please read my post “Nutrition information for my recipes.”
This recipe was originally published under 'Coconut sambol'. This post contained 3 recipes. Now I am adding nutrition data to all my recipes in this blog. It became messy to have three nutrition table in one post. So, I am posting this as a separate recipe.

Asian style spicy salmon steak

Salmon is an important source of Omega-3 which the main essential fatty acid (EFA). Salmon has small amount of bio active peptides (protein molecules) that may help joint cartilages, insulin effectiveness and inflammation in the digestive tract. Mercury and pesticide contamination has become widespread in salmon habitats. Today, most of the salmon that comes to the market are farmed. It is possible to control the contamination in farms. One should check the source of salmon before buying to ensure that it is with the least contaminants. Wild salmon caught in the Alaskan region is still considered to have least contaminants.

Asian style spicy salmon steak 

Omega-3 fatty acid is easily destroyed by heat. So when cooking we have to ensure that the fish is not subjected to heat for a long time. We also should try to preserve as much fat as possible in the fish. When subjected to heat the fat will melt and run out of the fish. We normally fry salmon with pepper and salt. Here I have introduced some spices to make a difference.
                         

Recipe summary

                                            For
                         Asian style spicy salmon steak 

Preparation time:10 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1. Mix 1.35 grams chili powder (1/2 teaspoon) in 1 table spoon of water. Add 2 grams Pepper powder (1/2 teaspoon),1.5 grams turmeric (1/2 teaspoon), 2.1 grams cumin seeds powder (1 teaspoon),1/2 teaspoon garam masala and 2.5 grams salt (1/2 teaspoon) into the chili paste.

Asian style spicy salmon steak

2. Apply the paste on 250 grams salmon pieces.
 Let it marinate for about 30 minutes.



3.Remove the excess moisture with a paper towel

4.Heat 12.6 grams of vegetable oil (1 table spoon) in a medium sized frying pan. When the oil is hot add the salmon filet and fry for 2 minutes on each side on very low fire.

                        Asian style spicy salmon steak is ready.
                                  

                                

                Recipe follows in detail with pictures


Preparation time:10 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients

Ingredients for Asian style spicy salmon steak

Main
250 grams salmon
Others
2 grams Pepper powder (1/2 teaspoon)
1.5 grams turmeric (1/2 teaspoon)
1.35 grams chili powder (1/2 teaspoon)
2.1 grams cumin seeds ( 1 teaspoon)
2.5 grams salt (1/2 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
12.6 grams of vegetable oil (1 table spoon)

Preparation
Mix chili powder in 1 table spoon of water. Add pepper, turmeric, cumin seed powder, garam masala powder and salt into the chili paste. Apply the paste on the salmon pieces. Let it marinate for about 30 minutes. Remove any excess moisture with a paper towel.

Marinated fish

Method
Heat the oil in a medium sized frying pan. When the oil is hot add the salmon filet and fry for 2 minutes on each side.


Make sure you have very low heat.

Low Setting of fire 

When one side is done turn over and fry for 2 minutes or till it is done.

Turning the side

That is it. Both sides are done.

Both sides are done

Asian style spicy salmon steak

Nutrition data for this recipe
Nutrition content is computed by adding nutrition values of individual ingredients according to the USDA nutrition database. Water shown here is what is found in the ingredients and not the water added while cooking. This is only an approximation. For further information please read my post “Nutrition information for my recipes.”
 Click the button below to view the nutrition data. Click again to close it.