There are many foods that one grows up with as a kid and

over the years learn to love them and enjoy them in different ways. For me

methi is one of them. It is a bitter green found more extensively in the north

part of India and is in abundant bloom in the winters. As a child I knew only

two ways of eating methi – it was methi aloo and methi paratha or poori. And I

could never wait for it to be methi season and for me to relish these! Fresh

raw methi does taste bitter so it needs to be cooked very well and paired with

appropriate ingredients for its flavors to be released. Starch in the form of

potatoes and flour are excellent companions.

Several years ago, I stumbled upon Kasoori methi and it was

love at first taste! Kasoori methi is a special kind of methi that is available

as dried leaves. You can find it along with the other Indian spice mixes

(masalas) in the stores. It is the hidden background flavor behind so many

restaurant favorites – the kind that you go back for again and again. It adds

an amazing aroma and taste when added to several Indian preparations. Kasoori

methi can be added as is or the leaves can be crushed and then added as a

flavor at the end. Kasoori methi is also

great for making parathas or pooris and I often add them before the kneading of

the dough is done.

In sunny Singapore, thanks to the beauty of being able to

import, we get fresh methi all year round. Over the years I have been able to

experiment with methi in several ways and now it is a staple in my kitchen. No

trip to the Indian grocery store is ever complete without buying a bunch of

fresh methi leaves. And they are used to make the usual methi dishes or added

to chicken or paneer. Methi leaves can be blanched and used in combination with

blanched spinach leaves to make saag chicken or gosht. I also like to add fresh

chopped methi leaves to the usual dough for chapattis to give them extra flavor

and of course make them more nutritious :)

In several Indian restaurants I have tried methi fish and it

is one preparation of fish that I have come to love immensely. Fish pieces are

pan fried/deep fried with a thin coating of flour/eggs/cornstarch, whatever is

your choice and then added to this methi flavored gravy. Pair it with some

steamed basmati rice or piping hot naan and you have heaven on your plate! If

there is one fish dish that I love more than anything else, it is methi fish.

It has everything going in it – the tender chunks of fish, the flavorful gravy,

tons of spices and the underlying aroma of methi. I will encourage all fish

eaters to try this one. And for the vegetarian folks, you can always replace

the fish with paneer or steamed vegetables to still enjoy the flavors. And yes,

this tastes just as good with chicken!

A common question that comes up is on the choice of fish to

make different dishes. And I am in no way an expert on the kinds of fish that

can be used for various dishes but I am now developing a sense for what kind of

fish would taste better than the others with a certain set of ingredients and

with a desired end taste in mind. For this recipe, any white fleshed fish will

be good. Avoid using fish which have a strong flavor as that may overpower the

rest of the ingredients. Chunks of boneless white fish will be wonderful like

cod or haddock. I tried this dish using pomphret and it worked very well. My

family does not like bones in their fish so I ended up cooking the fish first

and debone it after it is cooked as that is much easier for me vs. the deboning

of the raw fish. When I debone, I make sure that the fish still stays in chunks

and retains its outer crust that came about with the coating and the frying.

That also helps to stop the fish from disintegrating into the gravy and stay

together as big chunks.

Ingredients:

Fish – 600 gms cut

into pieces

1 egg

1 cup maida (all purpose flour)

¼ cup vegetable/canola oil for frying the fish

2 teaspoon kasoori methi

1 teaspoon coriander powder

Salt, pepper, red chilli powder to taste

1 large onion (chopped)

2 medium tomatoes (chopped)

1 inch fresh ginger root (grated)

½ - 1 cup milk

¼ cup heavy cream

1/3 cup chopped fresh methi leaves / ¼ cup dried methi

leaves

2 green cardamoms

2-3 cloves

½ inch piece of cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method:

1. Cut the fish into pieces of desired size and pat

dry. Sprinkle the fish with salt, pepper, red chilli powder and 1 tablespoon

dried methi leaves. Set aside for a few minutes.

In a flat dish/plate, put the flour and season

with some salt and pepper. Mix well.

Crack the egg into a bowl and add 2 tablespoons

milk/water to it. Add a pinch of salt and fish curry masala to the egg and beat

lightly with a fork/beater till all the ingredients are combined.

Dip the fish pieces one by one into the flour,

egg followed by flour till the pieces are well coated. Keep aside on a wire

rack to ensure that the coating sticks to the fish.

In a shallow pan, add the ¼ cup of oil and heat

over medium heat. Fry the fish pieces one by one till they the fish is cooked

and pieces are well browned on both sides. It will take 2-3 minutes for the

first side and 1-2 for the second time. This cooking time will vary depending

on the size of the fish pieces and accordingly you may need to cook more or

less.

When the fish is done, remove to a paper towel

and let the oil drain out. Once the fish is warm enough to handle, debone it

and keep aside.

In another pan, add 2 teaspoons of oil over

medium high heat. Add the onions and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes till the

onions become soft. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and cook

for another 2-3 minutes till the tomatoes are soft and cooked. Add ½ cup milk

to this along with a heaping tablespoon of coriander powder and cook for

another 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the masala come to room