Sometimes everything just comes together in a beautiful way. I found some turmeric leaves. Asked a close friend how to use them. This is his recipe with just a little touch of my own.
You Need:
- Fish with neutral flavor, which cooks fast. I chose Pink Perch.
- 2 Turmeric leaves per fish.
- Some toothpicks.
- Coconut oil.
Masala Paste:
- Coriander Seeds.
- Cumin Seeds.
- Grated Coconut.
- Finely chopped garlic.
- Finely chopped ginger.
- Coriander leaves and stems.
- Finely chopped Green chilies.
- A little tamarind.
- Salt.
Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, grated coconut, garlic, ginger and green chilies. Grind these along with the fresh coriander, tamarind, salt and water. It must be like a thick chutney. Taste and adjust it accordingly. Its flavor will not change much. So its important you balance it right.
Wash and wipe dry the turmeric leaf. Apply a little coconut oil on its non-shiny side. Put a little masala. Place fish on top. Some masala into the stomach cavity and on top of the fish. Take another leaf and oil its non-shiny side. Keep it on top of the fish and tuck the edges under the fish.
Life the edges of the bottom leaf and wrap up the fish. Use toothpicks to hold it in place.
Get a heavy girdle pan to good heat. Place the leaf packet on the pan. Cook on low temperature and do not move the fish. Because of the low heat it may take upto 30 mins. This is to avoid burning the leaf while leaving the fish uncooked.
When the top leaf starts wilting the fish is almost cooked. Give it another 5-10 minutes on the heat. Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before opening the top leaf.
In the picture the packet on top is wilting, while the other two packs were added later.
The turmeric leaf is edible. But the top one will be fibrous. The one below will have some charring and become crispy. They smell awesome.
Enjoy.
Uncomplicated Cooking 