Fish Fry in Racheado Paste (Tilapia in Racheado Paste)

Goan Portuguese dishes are something I relish. I specially love the vast varieties of curry sauce, paste and traditional cuisine which have been passed on from generations to generations. Few of my favorite Goan-Portuguese Non-Vegeterian food items are Cafreal (very similar to Chicken Tandoori), Xacuti (Chicken or meat of choice cooked in green gravy which is spice and coconut based) and Racheado (red paste dominant with pepper, garlic and vinegar, applied to the meat as a stuffing and pan-fried). The curry pastes are spicy and hot. They have garlic, vinegar and spices as the main ingredient. Infact, these 3 ingredients form the base for most of the Goan-Portuguese dishes. Recently, I watched a TV show hosted by Madhur Jaffrey which showcased Goan-Portuguese delicacy, she aptly mentioned the origin of the word - Vindaloo in Portuguese which is a combination of vin + aloosh = vinegar (wine) + garlic (aloosh).

Traditionally, Fish Rachaedo is made as a red curry paste, applied first to the slits made on the fish, below the bone. Pomfret or Baangdaa is a local delicacy for Rachaedo in Goa. One of our close friends makes this amazingly well, when she cooks her kitchen wafts with aroma of Rachaedo masala everywhere. Pomfret/ Baangdaa Rachaedo is pan-fried wherein the Pomfret (whole fish) is cleaned, slits made below the bone, Racaedo masala stuffed, the fish is then dredged in a batter/ rava and shallow fried.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Fish fillet pieces - 15-20 pieces

Rice Rava - 5 tablespoons

Oil - For frying

For Rachaedo paste -

Onion - 1/2 Onion

Garlic - 5-6 pods

Ginger - 1 " piece

Red Chillies - 6-10

Pepper corns (whole) - 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt - as per taste

Vinegar - 1 tablespoon (optional)

Grind all of the above to a fine paste.

** This is very spicy paste, tone down as per choice **

Method:

Thaw the fish and get them to room temperature. Once thawed completely, wash the fillet well. Make bite sized pieces and apply the Rachaedo paste. Keep aside for 20 minutes.

Dredge each piece in rice flour and pan-fry with oil on the sides. Turn them over after 5 minutes and fry well till they crispy and the meat is well cooked. Serve hot with lime wedges.