January 2006 Archives

A tasty Indian recipe with a creamy, slightly spicy coconut sauce.

Serves two.

For the fish:

• 2 pike-perch fillets (or other mild white fish), about 250g each
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• salt
• pepper
• 2 teaspoons wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the okra sauce:

• 200g fresh green okra (ladyfingers)*
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 small(!) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (should be less than half the amount of garlic)
• ½ teaspoon hot red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 200ml coconut milk
• 220ml water
• salt

*) The 200g are actually a guess. I have no idea how many okras I actually used. Pick what seems to be a generous amount for one person or a good side portion for two persons.

Season the fish fillets with lemon juice, salt and pepper and apply a thin(!) layer of the flour.

Rinse the okra well and remove the hard stems, but not the caps.

In a large wok or pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. As soon as they begin to pop, add the onion slices. Fry until the onions are soft and transparent. Then add the garlic slices and ginger pieces. Fry for 2-3 minutes. The onions should become yellowy, but not brown.

Add the turmeric, coriander powder, chili powder and cumin powder and fry briefly, stirring well. Then add coconut milk, water, salt and the okra. Put the lid on and bring to boil; then let simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes until the okra are soft, stirring occasionally.

While the okra are simmering, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pan and fry the fish fillets over low to medium heat on both sides until golden brown.

To serve, put each fish fillet on a plate and cover with the okra and the sauce. Serve with rice.

A very simple Greek recipe. Contains quite a lot of oil, but then it's all olive oil, which is full of polyunsaturates, so this is actually healthy (IMPORTANT: This only works with olive oil, do not use any other kind of oil, as it will taste utterly awful if you do!). Serves two to three, as usual.

• 1 large eggplant (about 300 grams), cut into small cubes
• 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup (~125ml) olive oil
• 250 grams pureed tomatoes or passata
• 1 cup rice
• 3 cups water
• salt
• ground black pepper

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and fry the onions until they have become transparent. Add the eggplant cubes and fry some more. Then add the pureed tomatoes, cover the pot and let cook for about 15 minutes over low heat, stirring from time to time.

Add the water, salt and pepper, stir well and bring to boil. Then, add the rice. Let simmer until the rice is ready and has soaked up almost all of the water, stirring from time to time. Serve with white or brown bread.