I love fish and generally try to eat it a few times a week. My standard, not original or exciting fish dinner, usually involves salmon seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon and thyme. Sometimes, I’ll change my standard toppings, adding turmeric, cumin, garlic, or cayenne. It’s a low effort meal, since I season the fish on the paper in which it comes wrapped, and bake it in the oven wrapped in foil.
Craving something different and with some extra time on my hands, I decided to concoct a new fish recipe – Whitefish with Curried Onion Topping. I wanted to make something that was hearty and flavorful, but not heavy. It needed to be a dish that I would want to eat after trudging through cold, windy city blocks. The topping, or khulta, for this fish is comprised of some classic elements in Chaldean cooking: parsley, tomatoes, and onions. Curry is a spice that I love and can be found in many of the foods I grew up eating.
This fish recipe is loosely inspired from Masgouf, a dish especially popular in Baghdad. Masgouf is made from carp, which is butterflied and grilled over an open flame. There are many variations, but it can be served with onions, lemon, tomatoes, or pickled vegetables.
For this Whitefish with Curried Onion Topping, I recommend cooking with fish that is mild in flavor, since the curried onion topping is packed with spices. You can serve this fish alongside white rice or bulgur.
Tilapia with Curried Onions
Ingredients
Curry Onion Topping (Khulta)
- 2 lbs yellow onions
- 1 lb tomatoes
- 1/2 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp vinegar
- salt to taste
Fish
- 4 pieces tilapia or any white fish
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon
- black pepper
- salt
Instructions
Tilapia
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Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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Drizzle the tilapia pieces with olive oil and lemon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Bake the tilapia for about 12 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.
Curried Onion Topping (Khulta)
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Pick the parsley leaves from their stems. Wash the parsley. Finely chop the parsley, and set aside.
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Thinly slice the onions and tomatoes. Set aside.
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In a medium sized pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil. Add the sliced onions. Sprinkle with salt. Cook on low to medium heat, until the onions are nearly caramelized. Add more oil as needed, if the onions start to stick to the pan.
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When the onions are nearly caramelized, add the curry and cayenne powders. Stir for a few minutes. Add the vinegar, and stir. The onions should now be tender, with a rich yellow color.
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Add the tomatoes to the onions. Sprinkle some salt. Cook on medium heat until the tomato slices have dissolved.
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Add the chopped parsley. Stir into the onion and tomato mixture. Turn off the heat.
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Spoon the tomato onion topping, or khulta, onto the fish. Serve by itself, or alongside rice or bulgur.
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