It’s easy to fall back on the classic Hawaii-style mahimahi preparation: Saute fish in olive oil and butter and serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce. Delicious but commonplace.
Why not try a simple variation with a few spices and turn ho-hum into wow?
Sohrab Dorabji, 71, a retired semiconductor executive now settled in Keauhou on the Big Island, cooks the Indian recipes of his youth in Mumbai (formerly Bombay). His go-to fish recipe delivers an elegant dish, one that you could serve at the fanciest of parties or add to the weekly dinner lineup because of its simplicity.
The dish is part of Dorabji’s Parsi heritage. Parsis are descendants of Zoroastrians who fled what’s now Iran, when the Arabs took over in the 10th century.
They are a distinct group known for their values of sustainability. The Parsi community comprises just 61,000 people in India and 40,000 in other parts of the world.
Parsi food is a fusion of Persian cuisine with the prevailing Gujarati cuisine of India’s west coast.
It takes Dorabji just 20 minutes to whip up the entree. He starts with fresh mahimahi or another white fish, sauteed in oil and serrano chili for a spicy kick, then adds in ground cumin and coriander, plus turmeric. The dish, served with lime wedges and chopped cilantro, offers bright flavors that are perfectly balanced.
Dorabji uses fresh turmeric (called olena in Hawaiian). His one note of caution: Do not overcook it — it will turn bitter if burned. In a pinch, substitute with powdered turmeric.
With the fish, he often serves a Parsi-style salad, distinct for its spices. He starts with ripe tomatoes and cucumbers seasoned simply with salt and pepper, and some lime juice and cayenne sprinkled over the cucumbers. The quick, refreshing salad is finished with cilantro.
To complete the meal, Dorabji serves daal (stewed lentils) and either crusty sourdough bread, a good substitute for a crusty Indian bread, naan or basmati rice.
When such a meal is served on special occasions, such as weddings, “navjotes” (religious initiation ceremonies) or parties, he says, the food is served on banana leaves.
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Salad is bright addition to a mahimahi meal
Turmeric root, key to Sohrab Dorabji’s Parsi-style cooking, is sold at farmers markets, natural foods stores and many Asian groceries.
Fish Parsi Style
>> 1/4 cup olive oil
>> 1 serrano chili, quartered lengthwise
>> 1 teaspoon ground coriander
>> 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
>> 3 tablespoons grated fresh turmeric root (about 2 to 3 pieces); substitute with 1 teaspoon powdered turmeric
>> 1 pound fresh white fish fillets such as mahimahi, cut into 4 pieces
>> 1/4 teaspoon salt
>> 2 limes, cut into wedges
>> 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
On high, heat oil in large saucepan. Add chili and saute until almost cooked. Lower heat and add coriander and cumin; do not burn. Simmer 2 minutes, then add turmeric and simmer 2 more minutes. Be careful not to burn turmeric.
Add fish and salt each fillet. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, flip fish and cook until done, another 3 to 4 minutes.
Serve immediately on banana leaf or plate. Spoon sauce over fish and garnish with lime wedges and cilantro. Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 230 calories, 15 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 21 g protein
Fresh Salad Parsi Style
>> 1 to 2 cucumbers
>> 4 to 5 ripe tomatoes
>> Pinch salt
>> Pinch pepper
>> 1 lime
>> Pinch cayenne pepper
>> 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
Peel cucumbers and slice each into 8 long spears. Place on platter. Quarter tomatoes and place on platter.
Sprinkle both with salt and pepper. Squeeze juice from lime over cucumbers and sprinkle with cayenne. Garnish with cilantro. Serves 4 as a side.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on a pinch of salt): 50 calories, 0.5 g fat, no saturated fat or cholesterol, at least 100 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 2 g protein
Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
Lynette Lo Tom is interested in passionate cooks who keep traditions alive. Contact her at 275-3004.
