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Amritsar-spiced halibut with mustard mushy peas, caper kachumber and tandoori potato wedges
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This inventive spiced halibut recipe from Vivek Singh can be seen as an Indian take on fish and chips - with breaded halibut given a sumptuous core of mustard mushy peas. Served with elaborate stuffed potato wedges and kachumber (essentially an Indian version of salsa), this dish is sure to impress and surprise.
First published in 2015
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Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
For the marinade
- 1 halibut fillet, 500g in weight, cut into 4 equal portions
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp salt
Mustard mushy peas
- 300g of peas, shelled
- 1 knob of fresh ginger, 1 inch in length, scraped and roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 green chillies
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp of mustard oil
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1/2 tsp salt
Tandoori potato wedges
- 4 Désirée potatoes, medium, peeled
- 235ml of water
- 3 tbsp of white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp salt
- oil, for frying
For the kachumber
- 3 tbsp of cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch dice
- 3 tbsp of red onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
- 3 tbsp of tomatoes, deseeded with flesh cut into 1/4 inch dice
- 3 tbsp of capers
- 2 tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped
- 2 tsp chives, finely chopped
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp chaat masala
For the filling
- 4 dried figs, cut into 1/2cm dice
- 1 tbsp of raisins
- 1/2 tbsp of cashew nuts, fried and lightly crushed
- 1 knob of fresh ginger, 1 inch in length, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 tbsp of mint, fresh, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 lime, juiced
For the batter
- 2 tbsp of gram flour
- 1 tbsp of rice flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 tsp carom seeds
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1 knob of fresh ginger, 1/2 inch, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped
- 50ml of water
SAVE RECIPE
Equipment
- Parisian scoop / melon baller
- Deep fat fryer
- Blender
Method
1
To begin, mix together the ginger and garlic pastes, salt, red chilli powder and lemon juice in a bowl. Pat dry the halibut fillets and cover in the mix, refrigerate until required
- 1 halibut fillet, 500g in weight, cut into 4 equal portions
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2
Meanwhile, prepare the mushy peas. Place the peas in a blender with the ginger, garlic, green chillies, salt, sugar and 1 tablespoon of mustard oil, blitz until finely puréed. Check the seasoning, finish with lime juice and fold in the rest of the mustard oil
- 300g of peas, shelled
- 1 knob of fresh ginger, 1 inch in length, scraped and roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 green chillies
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp of mustard oil
- 1/2 lime, juiced
3
Spread out a sheet of cling film and place a tablespoon of mushy peas down the centre. Roll the film around the peas and twist from both ends to make a thin sausage, approximately 1cm in diameter. Make 3 more cylinders and freeze until set
4
To prepare the wedges, use a paring knife to roughly shape the potatoes until they are cylindrical. Hollow out the middles using a paring knife or small Parisian scoop to leave a 1/2cm thick shell, leaving the base intact. Repeat with the other potatoes and dice the trimmings into 1/2cm pieces
- 4 Désirée potatoes, medium, peeled
5
Boil the water with the salt and vinegar in a saucepan, then lower in the potato cylinders and bring back to the boil. Drain, allow to steam-dry, then dry further with kitchen paper
- 235ml of water
- 3 tbsp of white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp salt
6
Heat a deep fat fryer to 160°C and fry the cylinders for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove and leave to drain on kitchen paper. Fry the diced potato scraps until golden brown, then drain and dry on kitchen paper
- oil, for frying
7
To prepare the potato filling, mix all of the ingredients with the diced fried potato, then use to stuff the potato shells. Set aside until ready to cook
- 4 dried figs, cut into 1/2cm dice
- 1 tbsp of raisins
- 1 knob of fresh ginger, 1 inch in length, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 tbsp of mint, fresh, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1/2 tbsp of cashew nuts, fried and lightly crushed
8
Using a sharp skewer or filleting knife, pierce each fillet of fish horizontally through the centre to make a small pocket. Remove 1 of the mushy pea cylinders from the freezer, take off the cling film and push it firmly all the way through the incision. Repeat with the rest of the fillets
9
Place all of the kachumbar ingredients in a bowl and mix well to form a chunky sauce
- 3 tbsp of cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch dice
- 3 tbsp of red onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
- 3 tbsp of tomatoes, deseeded with flesh cut into 1/4 inch dice
- 3 tbsp of capers
- 2 tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped
- 2 tsp chives, finely chopped
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp chaat masala
10
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
11
Skewer the potato shells and cook them in a tandoor, alternatively, transfer to a roasting tray and place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes
12
Whisk the ingredients for the batter together until smooth and thick. Set the fryer to 170°C. Pat the fish dry, dip in the batter and fry until the fish is cooked and the batter is crisp, approximately 4-5 minutes
- 2 tbsp of gram flour
- 1 tbsp of rice flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 tsp carom seeds
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1 knob of fresh ginger, 1/2 inch, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp of fresh coriander, chopped
- 50ml of water
13
Cut each potato shell into 4 wedges and serve with the hot fish and caper kachumbar
First published in 2015
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