NORTH INDIAN MASALA FRIED FISH WITH PANEER

Kingklip is the ultimate fish to use for this recipe, but if the budget is tight, we can use firm hake fillets.
Paneer is a cheese made in India.
Don’t allow it to intimidate you. It is really very simple to make, but if you don’t have the energy, you can use a firm Tofu.
Be warned though, there is really no substitute for the real thing.

THE FISH
Ingredients:
6-7 fish fillets
For the marinade:
2 tbsps oil
1/3 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin pwd
3/4 tsp saunf pwd (fennel,aniseed)
1/4 tsp garam masala
salt
Make a paste of all the above ingredients.

Method
Clean fish. Apply the marinade to all the fish fillets and keep aside for 20 minutes. If you are going to make your own paneer, marinade the fish first, because the longer it sits, the better the flavor.
Fry in shallow oil, in a heavy based pan on medium heat, for about 6min a side.

THE PANEER
Ingredients:
Paneer/Tofu +- 300 grams
Gram flour 1 cup
Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp.
Roasted cumin powder 1/2 tsp.
Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp.
Chopped coriander leaves 2 tbsp.
Salt to taste

Method:
Mix gram flour and all the spices together.
Add a little water and beat the mixture to form a thick and smooth batter.
Cut paneer into medium-sized thick rectangles, dip in batter and deep-fry on medium heat until golden brown.

MAKING YOUR OWN PANEER

Ingredients
2lts full cream milk.
6tbls plain yogurt
4tbls lemon juice

Method
Whisk the yogurt and lemon juice together.
Put your 8 cups of milk in a big pot and heat just until the foam starts to rise. Turn off the heat and gently stir in the yogurt/lemon mixture.
Clumps of cheese will form as the milk curdles and separates from the whey.
You wont have to do much stirring and it should start to separate in seconds.
Line your strainer with a fairly large piece of wet cheesecloth and strain the mixture. Use a nylon stocking if you dont have cheese cloth.
Wait until it cools just enough so that you are able to handle it. It should still be quite warm, even hot. Then, start twisting the top of the cheesecloth, squeezing all the water out.
When you think you've got all the water out. Squeeze it again. Squeeze the hell out of it.

When you've done that, put the cheese that you have made (leave it inside the cheesecloth), between the flat surface of two plates, then place a heavy weight on top of it. A large pot filled with water works fine.
Set aside for about four hours.

Check it every so often to see if any more water has come out. If so, just drain it from the plate and keep pressing the cheese.

When it’s done, take off the cheesecloth, and refrigerate it in cling wrap until you are ready to use it (at least half an hour)

Indians soak the paneer in iced water for three hours. It is claimed that this improves the texture, but the fridge works just fine.
Paneer will last for about four days in the fridge. If you intend keeping it longer, freeze it.

Traditionally this dish is served as a starter, but Indians also serve it with dhal (red or yellow lentils in a curry sauce) and rice, as a main course.
I find that it works exceptionally well as a main course when served with a fresh green salad and/or chips.