I was on a flight a few weeks ago and they served tandoori sea bass over a creamy tomato sauce with cumin pilaf, broccolini, and mint chutney. The whole flight I kept thinking: I can make this at home.
The Tandoori Marinade does the charred, spiced crust. The Makhani pulls everything together. Forty-five minutes, looks like you tried much harder than you did. Full recipe on the blog.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
The fish:
- 4 sea bass fillets (6–7 oz each), skin on
- ½ jar Rupen's Tandoori Marinade
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon oil for searing
The sauce:
- 1 jar Rupen's Makhani Sauce, gently warmed
Cumin pilaf:
- 1½ cups basmati rice, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon butter or ghee
- Salt to taste
Garlicky broccolini:
- 1 bunch broccolini, trimmed
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced and fried golden in oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and chilli flakes
To serve:
- Mint chutney and lemon wedges
Instructions
Stir together the Tandoori Marinade, yogurt, salt, and lemon juice. Coat the fillets well and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 4 hours.
For the cumin pilaf, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds — you'll hear them pop. Add the rice and stir to coat, then pour in 3 cups water with salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 15 minutes. Rest 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high. Place the fillets skin-side down and press gently. Sear for 4 minutes until the skin is crispy and charred at the edges. Flip and cook 2–3 minutes more. If you're grilling, 3–4 minutes per side over high heat.
For the broccolini, blanch for 2 minutes in boiling salted water. Heat olive oil in a wide pan, add the fried garlic slices and the broccolini, and toss over high heat with salt and chilli flakes until the edges char lightly.
To plate: spoon a generous pool of warm Makhani onto each plate. Nestle the seared sea bass on top. Arrange the cumin pilaf and broccolini alongside. Finish with a spoonful of mint chutney and a squeeze of lemon.
Tip: any leftover Makhani is perfect as a naan dipping sauce — serve it warm at the table.
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