Vini, Vidi, Ceviche!

We had a party for my man's birthday this weekend and he requested ceviche for dinner, and this good wife did abide. Ceviche is super easy to make and doesn't have to be expensive. It does need at least 2 hours to 'cook' in the citrus juice so time accordingly. If you want to know what good ceviche should taste like before making it, check out El Pueblito's- it's rife with big chunks of avocado and tangy sweet mango. (On Richmond just east of Mandell)

1 pound fresh saltwater fish, I used tilapia

1 pound fresh bay scallops

1 pound fresh peeled/deveined shrimp

1 big bunch of cilantro leaves chopped

1 medium red onion, diced small

3-5 sliced jalapenos with seeds for heat, sliced thin

2 avocados, diced

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup tequila (optional)

1/2 cup vegetable juice (optional)

1 diced mango (optional)

Salt to taste

Shallow pan for the marinating/cooking process

Preparation:

Cut fish into bite sized pieces (not too small) and combine in the pan with the other seafood. Pour the juice over the top, along with all of the other ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-6 hours depending on how well done you like your ceviche.

Serve with tortilla chips, warm corn tortillas (just throw on a gas burner for a few seconds on each side), plantain chips, or even Saltines.

Hara Masala Pomfret (Fish in Green Curry) Recipe

I first had the chicken hara masala, a cilantro based masala at Himalaya Restaurant (see post here) and subsequently when we went back and my husband ordered it with shrimp. Both were 'like whoa' delicious and I decided to try to pull off a fish version from my own kitchen.


Here are most of the ingredients you'll need, slightly modified to what I had available. (Imagine a few peeled, diced potatoes and a few green chilies.) The plate holds garlic, turmeric powder and coriander seeds. The fish is tilapia- I bought about 20 individually vacuum sealed fillets for $15. This is a great dish for this versatile white fish. The full recipe is at the bottom of the post. You will also need a side of rice. Either basmati or jasmine works well. See "How to Make Perfect Rice Every Time" here.


I didn't have any fresh green chilies but I did have this habanero.


First, blend the coriander seeds and the turmeric in a blender (a food processor works even better). Blend until the seeds are reasonably pulverized.


You need about 2" of ginger. It's easy to peel by scraping with a spoon. Throw it in the blender along with the chilies and a TBSP of salt.


I used about 8 cloves of garlic. You can peel garlic quickly by holding the clove at each end and twisting in opposite directions. The papery jacket slides right off, if you're lucky. Next, coarsely chop a whole onion and throw it and the now nude garlic into the blender and blend away.


Now you are going to cram two bunches of fresh coriander/cilantro, stems and leaves, into the blender. Do a handful at a time. You might/will need to add a bit of water. Try a TBSP or so at a time until things get going. Once everything looks fairly smooth, turn off the blender.


In a pot, add a bit of cooking oil (2 TBSPs tops) turn heat up to medium. Pour your masala paste into the pot and bring to a low boil for about a minute. If you want to add any veggies, I suggest par-cooking them first. I used potatoes. Throw them in the pot until they are almost done.


Begin to add your fish. I used tilapia cut into 2" pieces. Just drop them in and make sure they are covered well with the sauce. Put the lid on and let cook for about 5 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. Serve over a bowl of rice and watch in amazement the amazement of others that you actually made this and not only is it edible, it's really quite delicious.


Ingredients:

30 oz. tilapia (or other white fish) boneless/skinless fillets, thawed
2 bunches of fresh coriander/cilantro
5-10 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 medium onion
2-5 green chilies
2" fresh peeled ginger
2 TBSP coriander seeds
1.5 TBSP turmeric powder
Salt 1 TBSP to taste

Gear:
Blender/Food processor
Big pot and lid
Cooked rice (no fail rice recipe here)