Fish Steaks and Jeera Rice

We tried a new dishes from Nigel Slater's Real Fast Fish.  We didn't particular like either of the dishes. We thought the Broiled Spiced Fish Steaks were dry. The Jeera Rice was excellent. Oh well! 

Jeera Rice

Sanjeev Kapooir

Its versatility is unsung. There is not a dish that doesn’t taste great with a side of jeera rice. Cumin seeds and select whole spices sautéed in ghee add plenty of flavour to plain rice when cooked together. With a final garnish of fresh coriander leaves a plate of jeera rice served piping hot is the ideal form of comfort food. Have it with dal, sabzi, curry or just some yogurt and pickle – a jeera rice will always come through in satisfying your taste buds.

Basmati Rice 1 1/2 cups 

Cumin Seeds 2 teaspoons 

Ghee 1 1/2 tablespoons 

Bay leaf  1 

Black cardamom  1 

Cinnamon  2 two inch to cook 

Salt  to taste 

1.   Wash rice thoroughly and soak in water for half an hour. Drain. 

2.   Heat ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom and cinnamon. When cumin seeds crackle, add the rice. Add salt to taste.

3.   Stir till ghee coats every grain of rice and it looks glossy. Add three cups of water. Bring to a boil. Stir once. Reduce heat to minimum and cover the pan with a lid. Leave a little gap, otherwise water will boil over.

4.   Rice will be done when holes appear on the surface and water has been completely absorbed. Fork the rice out onto a serving dish. This will separate each grain. Serve hot with any curry.

Broiled Spiced Fish Steaks

Nigel Fast Food

Nigel Slater

A dish born while trying to recreate a similar dish I had eaten in India. If “fish steaks” sound a little anonymous, it is quite deliberate. Use whatever fish you have at hand; cod, tuna, swordfish, and halibut are all fine, and frozen will do. Serve with a side dish of sliced sweet tomatoes.

For 4

1       slightly heaped teaspoon garam masala

1       onion, roughly chopped

3       large garlic cloves

1       inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and grated

½      teaspoon hot chili powder

juice of 1 lime or ½ lemon

1-1/4         cups plain yogurt

salt

freshly ground black pepper
4       fish steaks, about 1/2 pound each, and 1 inch thick

2       tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Put the garam masala, onion, garlic, and ginger in the bowl of a food processor. Whizz. Add the chili powder, lime or lemon juice, and yogurt and mix slowly, on a low setting or with a spoon or
spatula. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place the fish steaks in a shallow dish and smother them with the marinade. Set aside for as long as you can, but 20 minutes will do.

Heat the broiler. Transfer the fish steaks to the broiler pan and cook for about 8 minutes, 4 inches away from the heat. Pull a little of the fish away from the bone, which is the test for doneness; if the fish resists it will need a couple of minutes longer. Eat hot, with a sprinkling of cilantro.