Pratra ni Muchchi (Cilantro & Coconut Steamed Fish)

My son LOVES fish. Salmon, tuna, whiting, cod, mahi mahi, you name it, he'll eat it. He loves tuna cakes, grilled fish tacos, salmon cakes, sushi (he calls it shusi), sashimi, tempura battered and more.

The India Issue of Saveur Magazine

When my latest issue of Saveur magazine arrived, we sat down to read it at bedtime. Cooking magazines often get added to the mix alongside the Berenstain Bears and Richard Scary books. I let him pick out 3 recipes that we were going to make together. He picked out basmati rice, a picture of a cow (he's 4, okay) and Pratra ni Muchchi. It's a recipe from the western region of India. You make a flavorful paste of cilantro, spices, chiles and fresh coconut, and then wrap the fish in a banana leaf and steam it. I made a few alternations to achieve this recipe at home without breaking the bank on one-time ingredients and the results were superb. The paste is flavorful, exotic, delicious and a fun, new way to have fish at our house.

Pratra ni Muchchi

serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup grated fresh or frozen coconut
• 1/4 cup chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon grated jaggery or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste*
• 7 small green Thai chiles or 3 serranos, stemmed (I subbed 1/2 a jalapeno)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 fresh or frozen banana leaves, or 4 sheets parchment paper
• 4-6 ounce boneless, skinless fillets of sole, flounder or cod 

Whole cumin adds depth to the cilantro paste.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a food processor or blender, combine cilantro, fresh coconut, mint, brown sugar, cumin seeds, tamarind paste*, jalapeno, garlic, salt and 3/4 cup of water. Blend until a thick paste forms, scraping down the sides, as needed. For the assembly: place one piece of fish onto the parchment paper, sprinkle with salt, then add 1/4 cup of the cilantro paste and spread it evenly. Fold the edges and form an airtight packet (here's a link to a Bon Appetit tutorial for achieving a parchment packet), then place the packet onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of fish. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven. Serve immediately.

* Saveur recommended making your own tamarind paste, which I did and now have enough leftover to make their recipe for tamarind chutney! 

Straining out the tamarind pods to make tamarind paste.

Vanilla Custard Pie

This little birthday pie hit all of the right notes: sweet, silky, cool and just a bit salty and crunchy. The custard filling is made with whole milk, which I can easily substitute my husband's lactose free milk for. It results in a creamy and rich, but not too rich filling. And, the homemade graham cracker crust got a boost from crunchy pecans and rich coconut oil instead of butter. 

Vanilla Custard Pie

makes one 9-inch pie

Ingredients

Crust

• 20 graham crackers
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  
• pinch of salt

Custard

• 4 cups whole milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• pinch of salt

Topping

• 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips

Directions

Crust

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a food processor, combine graham crackers and pecans and process for about a minute, or until finely chopped. Add melted coconut oil, brown sugar and salt to food processor until combined.

Firmly press the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate, using your hand or a flat-bottomed glass. Bake the crust for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and cool thoroughly.

Custard

While the pie crust is cooling, add the milk, egg yolks, vanilla, sugar, cornstarch and salt to a heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Heat over medium-high heat while whisking frequently. Once the mixture comes to a boil, drop the heat and stir continuously for one minute. Take off the heat and cool the mixture in an ice bath. Add the cooled custard to the pie shell and place cling wrap directly on the surface of the pie so that no skin forms. Refrigerate for at least four hours before serving.

Topping

Just before serving, heat the dark chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Try heating for 30 seconds at a time. Stir after each 30 second interval. When chocolate is fully melted, use a spoon to artfully drizzle the chocolate over the custard. 

The pie is ready to cut, serve and enjoy!