Masala-Poached Mahi Mahi with Coconut Rice

I'm sure I have mentioned before how much I love Indian food and flavors and so tonight I turned to a wonderfully spiced fish dish served with a Gingered Mango-Cucumber Raita. A raita is traditionally made with cucumber but it can be made with other vegetables and fruits and is combined with spices and yogurt and usually freshened with lime juice. The rice which was the base for tonight's dinner was cooked in light coconut milk slightly diluted with water and seasoned with both sugar and salt. This recipe is one of my all-time favorite fish recipes. I love fish and I really love Indian spices and flavors and this dish combines all my favorite things.

I started dinner tonight by making the Ginger-Mango-Cucumber Raita so that it could chill while the rest of dinner was cooked.



Adapted from Cuisine at Home for Two
Gingered Mango-Cucumber Raita
1/2 cup cucumber, diced
1/2 cup mango, peeled and diced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1/2 lime, juiced

Stir together cucumber, mango, ginger, cumin, salt and pepper. Add just enough yogurt and lime juice to dress the mixture lightly; chill until ready to serve.



Adapted from Cuisine at Home for Two
Masala-Poached Mahi Mahi with Coconut Rice

For the rice:
1 cup light coconut milk (I actually found organic light coconut milk today)
3/4 cup dry basmati rice
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Fish:
1/2 cinnamon stick, about 2 inches
6 whole cloves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 teaspoon curry powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 serrano chile pepper, minced
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 6 oz. mahi mahi or swordfish fillets, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 lime, juiced
salt to taste
chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Combine coconut milk, rice, water, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and cook over low heat until rice is tender 15-18 minutes. Fluff rice; cover to keep warm.

Fry cinnamon and cloves in oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add onion and saute until onion is brown, about 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon and cloves.

Stir in curry, garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, and bay leaf; cook 1 minute.

Add tomatoes and brown sugar. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.

Poach mahi mahi in sauce, covered until cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Transfer fish to dinner plate over the coconut rice.

Swirl butter, garam masala, lime juice, salt and cilantro into sauce. Spoon sauce over fish and serve with rice and Gingered Mango-Cucumber Raita.

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