Tilapia With Curried Lentils Mint Raita Recipes

SEARED TILAPIA WITH ASPARAGUS AND SPICY MINT GREMOLATA

Steps:

• 1. Put a steamer basket in a large pot over 1-inch of boiling salted water. Add the asparagus; cover and steam until it is crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
• 2. In a small dish, stir together the mint, garlic, lemon zest and pepper flakes.
• 3. Brush the tilapia with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add 2 tilapia fillets to hot pan; cook, turning once, until opaque throughout, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer to plates. Repeat with remaining tilapia.
• 4. Serve the tilapia with the asparagus; garnish with gremolata mixture. Drizzle the asparagus and fish with olive oil, if desired.

CUCUMBER-MINT RAITA

Steps:

• Wrap grated cucumber in kitchen towel and squeeze dry. Whisk yogurt, mint, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in medium bowl to blend. Add cucumbers and toss to coat. Season raita to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Sprinkle raita with pinch of cayenne pepper and serve.

LENTILS WITH CURRIED TARKA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine lentils and liquid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn heat down to medium-low so that mixture bubbles gently, cover partly and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are just tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Add liquid as necessary to keep them a little soupy.
• Put butter in a skillet over medium heat until it is melted and foamy (or shimmering if using oil). Add scallions and lemon zest and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook and stir for another minute or so. Add a large pinch of salt, some pepper and the cilantro leaves. Cook mixture (the tarka) for just another 30 seconds or so, then turn off heat.
• When lentils are cooked to desired tenderness, stir scallion mixture into the lentils. Dal should be moist but not soupy; if it is not, add more water and heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.

MUJADARRA (LENTILS WITH RICE)

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water; add lentils and bring to a rolling boil. Cook until slightly tender, about 10 minutes. Add grated carrots; cook until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Drain lentils and carrots.
• Heat olive oil in the same pot over medium heat; add onions and garlic. Cook and stir until onions wilt and become transparent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in lentils and carrots and reduce heat to medium-low. Add enough water to the pot to keep the lentil mixture from drying out.
• Sprinkle cumin, cayenne, curry powder, salt, and pepper over lentils; stir until heated through and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

CORIANDER & MINT RAITA

Steps:

• Toast the spices in a dry pan until fragrant, then tip into a mortar and grind to a powder with a pestle. Tip into a food processor with all the remaining ingredients except the lime juice. Blitz, adding a splash of water to loosen, then season and add the lime juice to taste. Leave in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the dishes. Scatter with the remaining chilli, to serve.

RED ONION & CHILLI BHAJIS WITH MINT & GARLIC RAITA

Steps:

• Finely chop one onion and thinly slice the other. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the curry paste or powder, chopped chilli and a good sprinkling of salt. Add about 150ml of cold water to make a thick batter. Stir in the chopped and sliced onions until they are well coated.
• Mix together the raita ingredients with a little salt and pepper, then spoon into a small bowl. Heat about 5cm of oil in a wok or deep pan. Add a tiny speck of batter, if it rises to the surface surrounded by bubbles and starts to brown, then the oil is hot enough.
• Add heaped tbsps of onion mix to the pan, a few at a time, and cook for a few mins, turning once, until they are evenly browned and crisp, about 3-4 mins. Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with a little salt and keep warm while you cook the remaining bhajis. Serve with the raita.

CURRIED LAMB BURGERS WITH GRILLED VEGETABLES AND MINT RAITA

Steps:

• For raita:
• Mix yogurt, mint, cilantro, and lime peel in small bowl. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. Cover; chill until cold, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• For burgers and vegetables:.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt. Sauté until onion is tender, about 8 minutes. Mix in curry powder and stir 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Cool onion mixture to room temperature, at least 15 minutes.
• Place lamb in large bowl. Add onion mixture, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, cilantro, and 1 teaspoon cracked pepper. Blend mixture gently; shape into six 1/2-inch-thick patties.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Combine zucchini, green onions, and chile in another large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper; toss to coat. Place vegetables and burgers on grill. Cook until grill marks appear, about 4 minutes. Turn vegetables and burgers over. Cook vegetables until tender, about 3 minutes. Cook burgers to desired doneness, about 4 minutes for medium-rare. Cut zucchini and green onions crosswise into 2-inch-long pieces. Cut chile into thin strips.
• Place breads on plates; top with burgers and tomato slices. Mound vegetables on burgers; spoon dollop of raita over. Fold bread up around burgers and serve with remaining raita.
• * Often called a pasilla; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Latin markets.

TILAPIA WITH CURRIED LENTILS & MINT RAITA

Steps:

• RAITA: Whisk yogurt and olive oil in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Stir before serving.) FISH: Melt 3 tbsp butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until deep brown, stirring often, about 13 minutes. Melt 2 tbsp butter in another heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish. Cook until fish is just opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Divide Curried Lentils among 4 plates. Top lentils with fish. Spoon raita over fish. Garnish with shallots and cilantro leaves.