Dish of Fish in Recheio Sauce
(click to enlarge)

Fish in Recheio Sauce


India, Goa   -   Ambot-tik
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 2 #
***
1-1/2 hrs
Yes		 An excellent fish dish from Goa, and not as chili hot as Goa's reputation suggests. See also Comments, and Sour Fish Curry for another version.

1
ar
7
3
1/2
2
1/3
1-1/4
1/2
1
-------
ar
#

oz
cl
in
T
c
c
t
T
---

Fish Fillets (1)
Salt
Onions
Garlic
Ginger Root
Oil (2)
Recheio Masala (3)
Water
Salt
Vinegar (4)
-- Server With
Goa Rice (5)
Do-Ahead   -   (1-1/2 hr - 45 min work)
  1. First, make your Recheio Masala - you can't do this dish without delicious Recheio Masala. Our recipe Recheio Masala makes one cup, so you'll have plenty left over for other uses.
Prep   -   (20 min)
  1. Cut FISH into pieces about 3/4 inch thick and 1-1/2 inches on a side, or however works with your fish (see Fish. Sprinkle with Salt and set aside.
  2. Chop ONIONS fairly fine.
  3. Crush GARLIC and chop fine. Slice GINGER very thin crosswise, cut slices into threads and chop threads fine. Mix.
Run     -   (20 min)
  1. In a spacious coverable sauté pan (3 qt), heat Oil and fry Onions stirring until translucent.
  2. Stir in the Garlic mix for about 30 seconds, then stir in Recheio Masala and fry stirring about 2 minutes. Add a touch of water if needed to get it evenly distributed.
  3. Stir in Water, bring to a boil, then simmer covered for about 10 minutes.
  4. Stir in Salt and Vinegar to taste.
  5. Stir in Fish. Bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer 4 to 8 minutes depending on your fish.
  6. Serve with plenty of steamed Goa Rice. This dish reheats very well if you chose the right fish.
NOTES:

  1. Fish:

      Select fish durable with wet cooking. The pattern recipe called for Shark or Catfish, and those are traditional, but Shark should be avoided due to over-fishing. Others that would work well are Golden Pompano, Japanese Amberjack, Cobia, Cod, or Vietnamese Catfish (Swai, Basa, Tra). I had no Catfish, so the photo example is with Tilapia, my standard for testing recipes. It needs to be treated a little more gently than the others mentioned, but works. All these fish (except shark) often appear in Asian markets here in Los Angeles, particularly Philippine markets. For details see our Varieties of Fish page (very large page).

  2. Oil:

      The preferred oil for this dish is Coconut Oil, but Pure Olive (not virgin) will work.

  3. Recheio Masala:

      This delicious masala is not too chili hot, despite the reputation for Goa cuisine. It is a very important masala, most often use with fish and shellfish, but also with meats and some vegetables. You can make it by our recipe Recheio Masala.

  4. Vinegar:

      The best vinegar for this dish is Coconut Vinegar, available in markets serving a Philippine community. Other of the fine Philippine vinegars would work well too, or a good Malt Vinegar. For details see our Vinegars & Souring Agents page.

  5. Goa Red Rice:

      This is a parboiled light colored rice. It's not much available in North America, so some say to use Basmati Sela, (not regular Basmati), which may be your only option. The most reliable photos I've seen show a par boiled medium grain rice, smaller than California rice and with a scattering of red streaks. While Goa Red Rice is very hard to find, Kerala Rose Matta can be had on-line. It looks and is described very much the same, but is grown a ways farther south. Note: a cup of this rice takes 4 cups of water and 1-1/4 hours steaming to cook.

  6. Comments

      The colony of Goa was where Portuguese sailors introduced hot chilis, vinegar, and pickled pork to India. Chilis spread like wildfire, transforming Indian cuisines throughout the continent, but vinegar didn't go far from Goa, and pickled pork definitely didn't. The Recheio Masala is related to Portuguese cuisine by name. In Portugal, Recheio is a name for stuffings.
  7. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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