Tilapia in Spicy Tomato Sauce

I know I shared Indian recipes ALL last week and that might seem like overkill but I am going to overkill the overkill and share two more Indian recipes this week. Today, it's tilapia in a spicy tomato sauce. This is a great recipe for anyone watching their cholesterol (hello fish!) and even people who are watching their sodium intake, as the sauce is SO flavorful that you won't miss the salt.

Ingredients [serves 4]:
2 tilapia filets (or cod or any other firm white fish)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon oil
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2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
1 bay leaf
4 black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
chopped cilantro

Start by cutting up the fish into small pieces. And this would be a good time to turn on the oven and preheat it to the hottest setting (at least 450 degrees).

Then mix together the cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, chili powder, ground ginger, and ground coriander on a plate.

Dredge each piece of fish in the spiced corn starch.

Place the fish on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, spoon a bit of oil over each piece and flip over. Leave in the oven for another 5 minutes and then remove.

To assemble the sauce, combine tomato paste, garam masala, chili powder, garlic, ginger, salt, and fennel seeds and then stir in the water.

In a pan, heat up some oil with the cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Once the pan starts to sizzle add in the sauce mixture and the tomato sauce. Stir to combine and let it come to a simmer.

Allow the sauce to cook for 10 minutes or until it's thickened. Add in the fish pieces and cook for another few minutes to allow the tilapia to absorb some of the flavors of the sauce.

Plate the fish.

And then finish off with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.

Serve with rice (like that cashew & raisin pilau I shared last week).

So tender and delicious!

Here's the recipe page: