A host of friends are coming over and you are in the mood to whip up some fancy dishes but you don’t
have much time at your disposal. Fret not, Richa Gupta from My Food Story helps you with some quick
and delicious recipes. From a spicy fish curry to tiger prawns flavoured in honey and chilli, these recipes
use minimum ingredients to make an enjoyable meal.
Bhetki Fish in Citrus Basil Butter Sauce
Use any white fish like cod, tilapia, bhetki, trout or even mahi mahi to make this delicious gourmet meal.
Ingredients
550 – 700 gm Bhetki fillet
3 tbsp olive oil
3 oranges
2 tbsp butter
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp honey
½ cup basil leaves
A pinch of salt and pepper
Method
In a wide bowl, add one and a half tbsp olive oil, zest of one orange, juice of one orange and salt.
Whisk together and add the fish fillets. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes while you prep your
salad or any side dishes.
Heat remaining olive oil in a non stick pan and gently add the fish. Cook the fish for 3-4 minutes
on each side. Remove from the pan on a plate and set aside.
In the same pan, add butter and garlic. Let the garlic cook on low heat for a minute or two to
infuse the butter with its flavors.
Add the juice of remaining oranges, honey and season with salt and pepper as required. Keep
whisking the sauce as it heats up, till it starts thickening up slightly.
Add basil leaves to the pan and mix well.
Slide the cooked fish into the pan, switch off the flame and cover. Let the fish rest in the pan for
3-4 minutes.
You will notice that the fish will soak up most of the sauce in the pan. Serve hot.
Caramelized Onion Rosemary Chicken Thighs
A treat of succulent chicken thighs with flavours from caramelized onions, lemon, honey and rosemary.
Ingredients
500 gm chicken bone-in skin-on thighs
1 tsp chili powder (or paprika powder)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter
4 onions, sliced
1 tbsp honey
1 – 2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
A pinch of Salt
Method
Mix together chili powder (or paprika), ginger garlic paste and lemon juice in a bowl. Rub this
mixture all over the chicken thighs and set aside for 10 minutes while you get the rest of your
ingredients ready.
Heat oil and butter in a cast iron pan and add the chicken thighs to it. Let the chicken turn
brown on either side.
Reduce the flame and add onions, rosemary and salt. Mix well and cover and cook for 25
minutes till the thighs are cooked through.
Mix together 2 tablespoons water with honey and add it to the pan. The honey mixture will start
sizzling.
Mix well so that it coats the chicken and switch off the flame after a minute or two.
Serve caramelized onion rosemary chicken thighs with a side of steamed rice or bread.
Honey Chilli Garlic Tiger Prawns
Try this scrumptious Asian inspired prawn recipe that will take only 15 minutes of your time.
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
500 gm Tiger prawns, cleaned and deveined
¾ tsp chili flakes
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tbsp honey
1 cup snow peas
A pinch of salt
Method
Add tiger prawns to a bowl and add chili flakes and garlic paste to them. Mix and let them sit for
5 minutes while you prepare your snow peas or any other vegetable that you are using.
Heat oil in a skillet or pan and add the tiger prawns. Stir fry them for 4-5 minutes and add honey,
3 tablespoons water, snow peas and salt. Because of the honey, it should start becoming a little
saucy.
Switch off the flame after a minute or two, just as soon as the snow peas look slightly steamed
and become bright green in colour.
Serve these 5 Ingredient Honey Chilli Garlic Tiger Prawns with some rice noodles or just plain
steamed rice.
Chatpate Masala Aloo
This appetizer with an explosion of spices doubles up as a spicy main course as well.
Ingredients
500 gm baby potatoes, boiled and peeled
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp raw mango powder (amchoor)
½ tsp garam masala
A pinch of Salt
A few coriander leaves, chopped
Method
Heat oil in a pan, and add cumin seeds. Once they start spluttering, reduce the heat and add all
the spice powders.
Sauté for a few seconds and add 2 tablespoons of water along with potatoes and salt. Mix well
so that the spices coat the potatoes. Cover and cook on low flame for 5 minutes.
By this time the water should have evaporated. Sauté the potatoes till they are nicely coated
with the spices.
Turn off the heat and top potatoes with chopped coriander.
Serve hot.
Spicy King Fish Curry with Coconut and Tamarind
Spicy and tangy, this one is for the fish curry lovers. Serve with a bowl of rice and some papad.
Ingredients
For paste
2 onions
1 tomato
¾ cup coconut, grated
6 cloves of garlic
8 red chilies
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp peppercorns
¾ inch tamarind
For the Curry
600 gm Seer Fish (or Kingfish)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
A handful of curry leaves
A few sprigs of coriander
Method
Clean and wash the fish slices and rub turmeric all over them. Cover and keep aside.
Grind all the ingredients under paste till smooth with a tablespoon or two of water.
Heat coconut oil in a large pan or kadhai and add mustard seeds. Once the seeds start
spluttering, add the ground paste and cook while stirring once in awhile for 10 minutes.
Slide the fish into the pan, and add salt and 3/4 cup of water. Mix gently without breaking the
fish.
Bring the curry to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Add curry leaves and simmer for 15
minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
