Tilapia & Spinach in Ginger Sauce

Bengali Fish Florentine

This should be called Bengali Fish Florentine and is adapted from a recipe on Facebook. Mustard oil has become a staple in my kitchen only recently and now I cannot cook meat or fish without it. It is the preferred cooking medium in the state of Bengal in India. The flavour of mustard is further enhanced with the use of Coleman’s mustard powder, added at the end of the cooking process.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Tilapia fillets, cut in pieces

¼ tsp. turmeric (haldi) powder

Salt to taste

1 lb. chopped spinach, rinsed & drained

1 chayote squash or lauki, sliced in wedges

1 Tbsp. Coleman’s dry mustard powder

1 Tbsp. mustard oil

2 + 2 Tbsp. mustard oil

¼ tsp. mustard seeds

¼ tsp. fenugreek seeds

2 jalapeno peppers, diced

2 Tbsp. ginger paste

2 Tbsp. cream or milk

Directions:

1. Marinate fish pieces in salt & turmeric for 20 minutes.

2. Mix mustard powder with a 1 Tbsp. mustard oil and set aside.

3. Chop spinach and drain away all moisture.

4. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil, lightly fry fish on both sides and set aside

5. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in same skillet and sputter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and diced chilies.

6. Add ginger paste along with squash and simmer until oil resurfaces and squash is cooked.

7. Add spinach and fish pieces, season to taste with salt, stir and simmer for 3 minutes.

8. Stir in mustard powder mixed with mustard oil and stir gently.

9. Add milk and stir, remove from heat and serve with steamed Basmati rice.