Persian Tamarind Fish Recipes

PERSIAN COD WITH HERBS AND TAMARIND

Steps:

• In a 12-inch skillet (choose one with a lid), heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Stir in parsley, cilantro, scallions and fresh fenugreek or mint and cook until they start to stick to the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in dry fenugreek or mint, and black pepper, and sauté 1 to 2 more minutes, until starting to brown. Turn off heat and cover pan so that the steam releases any darker pieces that may have stuck to the bottom, about 5 minutes.
• While herbs cook, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and sauté for 2 minutes longer, then stir in turmeric and drizzle with a little more oil (this prevents the turmeric from burning); cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add red-pepper flakes and stir well. Stir in 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a simmer, scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 1 minute. Pour onion mixture into skillet with herb mixture.
• Return the heat under the skillet of herbs to medium and stir in tamarind paste, lemon juice and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding sugar, more tamarind or both if necessary. You are looking for a balance of sweet and tart.
• Drizzle herbs with 6 tablespoons oil, bring to a simmer, cover and continue to simmer very gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the oil separates and floats on top, about 1 hour. Taste again and adjust seasoning using more salt, sugar, tamarind or a combination.
• Wipe out the 10-inch skillet and heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Season fish with salt and pepper to taste, then place skin-side down (if there's skin) and cook until browned and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Do this in batches if necessary.
• Use a spatula to transfer fish to the herb sauce, nestling it in so the crisp, browned side is facing up. Continue to simmer sauce and fish together until fish is flaky and cooked through, another 4 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer the fish and sauce to serving plates, drizzle everything generously with oil, and serve with basmati rice on the side.

PERSIAN TAMARIND FISH

Steps:

• Put the barberries in a bowl and cover with warm water. Let soak for 30 minutes.
• Rinse fish under cold water and pat dry. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides, brush all over with oil, and place fillets on a baking sheet. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 hours uncovered, or up to 24 hours covered with plastic wrap.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they start to darken at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook until dark brown and reduced to half the original volume, about 20 minutes.
• Add garlic, almonds, drained barberries and 2 tablespoons tamarind to pan. (If using cranberries instead of barberries, add an additional tablespoon of tamarind.) Cook over medium heat until fragrant, 5 minutes. Stir in herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Press barberry mixture on top of fillets. Drizzle with more oil and bake until fish is just cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Top with any barberry mixture that fell off the fish, sprinkle with more fresh herbs, and serve with lime wedges.

FISH WITH TAMARIND SAUCE

Steps:

• Place tamarind in a medium bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak for 15 minutes; mash tamarind. Strain through a sieve, pressing on solids and scraping the bottom of the sieve to remove pulp. Discard the seeds and set strained liquid aside.
• Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomato, sugar, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and reserved tamarind liquid. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened. Add more water if sauce becomes too dry. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter and season with salt and pepper; keep sauce warm.
• Season fish with salt and pepper. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sear fish skin-side down, turning once, until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Spoon sauce over fish and serve with parsley salad.

TAMARIND SAUCE FISH CURRY

Steps:

• Place fish in a bowl; add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon chile powder, turmeric, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and allow to marinate for about 10 minutes.
• Place tamarind pulp in a bowl and pour warm water over it. Squeeze tamarind to extract juice.
• Heat 1/4 cup oil in a skillet over medium heat; add cumin seeds and stir. Add onion to cumin; cook and stir until onion is translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic paste and cook for 3 minutes. Add carp, cover the skillet, and cook for 5 minutes.
• Mix tamarind juice into fish mixture; bring to a boil. Turn carp pieces; add 2 tablespoons red chile powder, coriander, and salt. Cook over low heat until sauce thickens and oil separates, about 10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

PERSIAN / IRANIAN MAAHI KABAB - FISH

Steps:

• Wash, drain well then finely chop coriander, parsley and mint. Add lime juice, olive oil, pomegranate powder, saffron & salt and black pepper to taste, mix well & set aside.
• Place fish fillets in a large oven proof dish. Pour the sauce over the fish.
• Cover with a sheet of aluminium foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180C 40 - 50 minutes Baste the fish with the sauce at least once during cooking.(Cooking time will vary depending on the type and size of your fillets so check after 30 minutes.
• When cooked, decorate each fillet with finely sliced lime and a little fresh chopped parsley and serve with Sabzi Polow.
• Note: This is the traditional dish for the Iranian New Years Day.