Lemon rice with Kerala-style fish
The fried fish is a delicious accompaniment making it a complete meal, which is low in phosphate and potassium.
Chef
Ingredients
Kerala-style fish
2 fillets of cod, haddock or king fish (250g)
Marinade
2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons coriander powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon black pepper powder
2 teaspoons thick tamarind paste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5-6 curry leaves (optional)
Lemon rice
160g rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white urad dal (split & skinned black gram)
2 teaspoons Bengal gram (chana dal), soaked in water for 1 hour, then drained
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
30g peanuts
2 green chillies – slit along the length
5-6 curry leaves
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing) - optional
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Side salad
1 small onion, sliced
50g white or red cabbage, shredded
80g carrots, grated
1 tablespoon salad dressing of your choice
Method
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Step 1
Pat fish fillets dry with paper towel and make small incisions to absorb the marinade. In a bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together to make a paste. Apply the paste to both sides of the fish. Cover and leave in the fridge for 1 hour.
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Step 2
Wash the rice, put into a pan with double the amount of water, bring to the boil, put a lid on and turn heat down. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until cooked, checking if more water is needed. Fluff up rice with a fork, cool completely
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Step 3
Meanwhile heat the oil in a pan. Add the black gram, Bengal gram, mustard seeds and peanuts and fry on a low heat until the peanuts are crunchy. Add the green chillies, curry leaves, turmeric and asafoetida (if using). Turn off the heat. Mix the cooked rice into the pan, then stir through the lemon juice.
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Step 4
To cook the fish, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the curry leaves and gently place the fish fillets in the pan, frying until cooked (you could brush oil onto the fish and bake in the oven at 200°C / 180°C Fan / Gas mark 6 for 10 minutes, if preferred). Serve with the lemon rice and side salad, drizzled with salad dressing.
Food facts
Rice is the main source of carbohydrate in this recipe. The value has been provided if you have been trained in insulin adjustment.
This recipe is low in potassium, when following quantities and serving sizes given, so is suitable if you have been advised to reduce the amount of potassium in your diet. It is also low in phosphate; however, does contain some phosphate, mainly provided by the fish, so if you have been prescribed a phosphate binder, take as directed.
This recipe is high in protein and suitable for people advised to eat more protein, such as those receiving dialysis. If you have been advised to eat less protein, consider a smaller portion of fish.
For a healthier option, consider baking the fish using very little, or no oil instead of shallow frying.
This dish is best eaten freshly made.
If you can’t source thick tamarind paste, use 2 teaspoons of lime juice instead.