Protect your heart by giving it a steady dose of nutrients from seafood. Researchers have found that people with high cholesterol who had elevated levels of taurine, a nutrient found in clams, other shellfish and poultry, were 60 per cent less likely to develop or die from heart disease. Also seafood is low in saturated fat and high in omega-3 fatty acids, which makes it extra heart healthy. It is also loaded with minerals such as iron, zinc and calcium.
Fish curry
Ingredients
500gm rohu fish, cleaned and cut into pieces
1 cup fresh beaten curd
5 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 inch piece ginger minced
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp garam masala
3 onions minced
5 red chillies minced
2 cardamoms crushed
4 tbsp mustard oil
Pinch of sugar
Salt to taste
Method
Rub a teaspoon of salt on the fish pieces and store in a refrigerator for an hour-and-a-half. Rinse and dry the pieces. Heat oil in a pan and fry fish but remove before it turns brown. Keep aside. Mix onion, ginger, garlic, chillies and salt into curd and beat to make a uniform, thick liquid. Heat oil, add the curd mixture, bring to a boil, add fish, bay leaves and cardamom. Cook on a low flame till fish is tender and the gravy thick. Add sugar and sprinkle masala. Serve hot with rice.
Prawn and brinjal
Ingredients
500gm prawns, shelled and deveined
1 large brinjal sliced
1tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1tsp turmeric powder
2tbsp finely sliced coconut
2 big tomatoes, blanched and sliced
2 cups thick coconut milk
1 big onion minced
4 flakes of garlic minced
Handful of sliced coriander leaves
Oil for cooking
Salt to taste
Lemon juice for garnishing
Method
Fry sliced coconut to a red colour. Powder all the spices. Apply salt and turmeric on prawns and keep aside for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pan and put in onion and garlic then add all spices and fry briefly. Now put in tomatoes and cook till soft. Add prawns and cook till the mixture turns dry. Mix in brinjal, cook for few minutes and then pour in the coconut milk. Cover and cook on a low flame till the prawns and brinjal are cooked. Serve garnished with fried coconut and coriander leaves and sprinkle lime juice on the whole dish.
Fish cutlets
Ingredients
250gm fish
1 egg beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
2 onions minced
1 small piece ginger minced
5 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin seeds roasted and grounded
Oil for cooking
Salt to taste
Method
Steam the fish, remove the bones and make a paste. Mix into the fish paste, bread crumbs, beaten eggs, onion, ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin seeds powder and salt. Grind in a mixer to obtain uniform thick paste. Make small balls of equal size from the paste and flatten. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and fry at medium flame till cutlets are golden brown in colour. Serve hot with slices of tomatoes and onions.
Fish fry
Ingredients
500gm boneless fish cut into medium-sized pieces
1tsp lemon juice
1tbsp garlic paste
2 beaten eggs
1tbsp ginger juice
1 cup plain flour sieved
1tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1tsp fried cumin seed powder
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
Method
Cover fish pieces in lemon juice and salt, and keep aside for an hour in the refrigerator. Rinse the fish and wipe it dry. Cover the fish pieces with well-beaten egg. Mix together garlic paste, ginger juice, flour, turmeric, chilli and cumin seed powders. Add a little water to make a uniform paste. Now heat oil in a pan and fry fish pieces till light brown. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with salad, chutney or sauce.
