Stuffed Pomfrets

Whenever I make this recipe, it is relished by everyone. Living in Mumbai has this advantage of laying your hands on every size of pomfrets. One has to prepare a green chutney that stuffs inside the pomfrets and the traditional red chutney that is smeared on the outer skin of the fish. Both these can be stored for 15 days in a refrigerator. The fish is then coated with a layer of semolina or rava and then shallow fried on a pan. The detailed recipe is mentioned below:

                                  The pomfrets coated with the masala and ready for frying.

                                            The pomfrets coated with rava and being fried

Ingredients

Pomfrets-medium size washed, cleaned and pockets cut to fill in the stuffing

Rava-1/2 cup

Oil for shallow frying

For the green chutney:

Coriander leaves– 1 bunch-100 gms

Mint leaves- a handful

Onion -1 medium sliced

Ginger -1 inch piece

Garlic -10-12 cloves

Green chillies - 2 or to your taste

Grated fresh coconut- ½ cup

Salt to taste.

oil -2 tblspoons

tamarind- a small lump

Lemon juice-1tsp

turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

For the red chutney:

Tamarind- ½ cup soaked in water for about 2 hours and strained into a pulp

Garlic- peeled  about a handful

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder-1 tsp

Chilli powder- Made from Bedgi chillies- 4-5 teaspoons

Fish masala-( Optional) 1tsp

Method:

For the green Chutney:

In a blender jar combine all the ingredients except the oil and blend into a smooth paste keeping the consistency thick .Do not add too much water. In a pan heat some oil and sauté the paste for about 10 minutes till the mixture starts leaving out the oil and has turned flavourful.

Cool the mixture and add the lemon juice. Store it in an air tight container.

For the red chutney:

Blend all the ingredients in a mixie and keep the consistency thick. This paste can be kept in the freezer for a long time.

How to proceed:

The pomfrets have to cut suitably to enable a pocket on one side while on the other deep gashes have to made . marinate fish with salt, turmeric powder.

Stuff the pocket with green masala and smear the red masala on the outside. Keep for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a flat pan. Coat the fish well with rava(semolina) on both sides  and shallow fry on the pan till both sides are golden brown.  Relish accompanied with a raw onion salad, rice and curry.