Tilapia with fenugreek sauce

Name: Tilapia with fenugreek sauce
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 675 g/1½lb tilapia fillets, skinned; juice of 1 lime; 5 ml/1 tsp salt, or to taste; 60 ml/4 tbsp sunflower oil or light olive oil; 5 ml/1 tsp fenugreek seeds; 2.5 ml/12 tsp chilli powder; 115 g/4 oz canned chopped tomatoes, with their juice; 10 ml/2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), crushed; julienne strips of fresh root ginger and fresh green chilli, to garnish; Plain Boiled Rice, to serve; 2.5 ml/72 tsp black mustard seeds; 2.5 cm/1 in fresh root ginger, grated, or 10ml/2 tsp ginger purée; 1 garlic clove, crushed, or 10ml/2 tsp garlic purée; 2.5 ml/72 tsp ground turmeric; 5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin; 10 ml/2 tsp ground coriander

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Complete Indian Regional Cookbook

By Mridula Baljekar

Published 2017

About

The slightly bitter flavour of fenugreek combines well with other spices and the tan-coloured seeds and soft green leaves are used extensively in Indian cooking. Take care not to overcook the fish in this dish, Methi Machchi, or it will toughen; the pieces should be just opaque.

Ingredients

675 g/1½lb tilapia fillets, skinned
juice of 1 lime

Asia
India
Central India
Fish course
Pescatarian
Gluten-free

Method

Cut the fish into 5cm/2in pieces and sprinkle with the lime juice and half the salt. Set aside for 15–20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat and add the fenugreek seeds. Allow them to darken and flavour the oil, then remove and discard the seeds, retaining the oil. Add the mustard seeds and reduce the heat to low