Sea Bream Wrapped in Banana Leaf

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Sea Bream Wrapped in Banana Leaf PostAn Indian speciality try this Sea Bream Wrapped in Banana Leaf dish for an exotic dining experience this evening. Incredibly flavourful and quite spicy make sure to have a jug of water nearby. 

Serves 4

Cooking time: 15 mins

What You’ll Need: 

For the marinade: 

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kadhai Masala

For the spice crust:

  • 10 fresh curry leaves, finely shredded
  • 6 black peppercorns, crushed coarsely
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

What To Do:

  • Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade, then rub them over the sea bream fillets and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
  • For the spice crust, mix together all the ingredients in a nonmetallic bowl to get a sweet, sharp, crunchy mixture.
  • Heat the banana-leaf squares on a hot heavy-based frying pan, or in the microwave for 30 seconds, until they are soft and pliable. Cover the fish fillets with the spice crust, then wrap them, one by one, with the pieces of banana leaf, taking care that they are well secured so that the marinade and spice crust don’t ooze out during cooking.
  • Rub the wrapped fillets with the oil and cook, firstly with the join side down on a low barbecue for 3-5 minutes on each side. You can open up the parcels to check whether the fish is cooked.
  • Alternatively, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the wrapped fillets, cover and cook on a low heat for 3–5 minutes on each side. Serve the fish still wrapped in the banana leaf for your guests to unwrap themselves and appreciate the wonderful aromas. Jerusalem couscous is an ideal accompaniment, but Yoghurt Rice (see page 80), green mango and coconut kachumber or a spiced tomato, cucumber and onion salad are also good for a barbecue lunch.

 

Recipe from Vivek Singh, executive chef at Cinnamon Kitchen & author of Cinnamon Kitchen The Cookbook. Buy the book here http://www.cinnamon-kitchen.com/Indian-Cooking-Shop

Make sure to head to Thali this Fall for truly authentic North Indian cuisine.

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