Chilly Fish

I really didn't know whether I should call this Chilly Fish or Fish Manchurian. Finally I settled with Chilly Fish; whatever the name is, this is a lip smacking dish! You could follow this preparation with Chicken or even with some fleshy veggies. You could make this dry and serve as an appetizer or make this with gravy and use as a side for rotis or a rice preparation. I also love the dry version with Roti and rice. This dish is a feast for the eyes as well as for your stomach!

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Serves 6-7 people

For the Fry

Fish	- 1 lb
Corn Starch/Corn Flour	- 3 tbsp
Ginger Garlic Paste	- 1 tbsp
Chilly Powder	- 1 tbsp
Salt	- to taste
Water	- 1/4 cup
Oil	- as needed to shallow fry the fish

1. Make a batter with the corn flour, chilly powder, ginger garlic paste, water and salt.
2. Cut the fish into small cube sized pieces. Use any boneless fish. I used Tilapia fillets.
3. Dip the fish pieces into the batter.
4. Heat the oil and add the fish pieces to the hot oil and fry.
5. It is ideal to fry the fish well/dark brown, which will help it keep its shape when adding to the gravy. Also it enhances the taste.
6. Transfer the fried fish pieces to a plate lined with a paper kitchen tissue, to absorb any excess oil.

For the Gravy

Oil	- 3 tbsp (left from frying)
Ginger	- 2 big piece (0.10 lbs)
Garlic	- 15 big cloves (0.10 lbs)
Green Chilly	- 3 big (0.10 lbs)
Onion	- 1 (0.75 lbs)
Tomato Sauce	- 3 tbsp
Soya Sauce	- 3 tbsp
Water	- 1/2 cup
Coriander Leaves	- handful for garnish (chopped)
Salt	- to taste

1. Heat a pan and add 3 tbsp of oil (used for frying the fish) to it. 
2. When the oil starts to heat up, add the finely chopped ginger and garlic to it.  
3. Saute the ginger and garlic until the raw smell is gone (for about a minute). 
4. Add the finely chopped onions and a little salt and saute it well.  
5. When the onions are almost translucent, add the chopped green chillies and saute for a minute. 
6. Add the tomato sauce and soya sauce and mix well. 
7. Add 1/2 cup water and mix well.  
8. When the water just starts to boil, add the fried fish pieces and mix well to coat the sauces to the fish pieces.
9. Adjust the salt, if needed and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 
10. Turn off the stove and leave the pan closed for at least 10-15 minutes for the fish to absorb the sauces and the taste to set in.

Note: - If you want a gravy version, you could add more water (around 1/2 cup) mixed with a little corn starch/corn flour (about 1 tsp). Make sure the corn starch is mixed well without any lumps.

This is an easy version of Chilly fish with just the basic ingredients. You could also add red bell peppers and spring onions to make it more colorful, if needed.