Banana Boat Fish

I've never been to Kerala, but it's known to be the home to the best seafood in India. So, I figured if I can't go to Kerala myself, the next best thing is to bring Kerala to me. I wanted to make a fish in the authentic Kerala fashion, using banana leaves and coconut.

The banana leaf really dresses up the whole meal and makes it a great centerpiece for dinner parties or date night, but the recipe is also versatile enough to use a fish filet and parchment paper for a quick mid-week dinner.

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What you need:

For the fish:

1. 1 cleaned Red Snapper (I like the whole fish, but you can really use cod, salmon, or any other fish and/or fillet, but I would definitely recommend fresh vs. frozen for this one). 
2. 2 banana leaves, or you can use parchment paper or aluminum foil.
3. Chilli powder - 2 tbsp (or as spicy as you want it)
4. Pepper - 1/2 tsp
5. Sea salt - to taste
6. Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
7. Sesame oil - 2 tbsp (or olive/vegetable oil)
8. 1 lemon - cut into thin circles

For the gravy:

1. Red onions - 1 cup, finely chopped
2. Ginger - 1 tbsp, grated
3. Garlic - 1 tbsp, grated
4. Garam masala - 1 tbsp
5. Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
6. 10 curry leaves
7. 3-4 green chillies, sliced lengthwise (or as spicy as you want it, you can de-seed for less spiciness). 
8. Coconut - 1/4 cup, grated
9. Salt - to taste

What you do:

1. First slice the fish horizontally, so you get a top and bottom half but don't cut all the way through (kind of like a hot-dog bun)
2. Place the fish fillet side up in a glass casserole dish and sprinkle inside with the chilli powder, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Add 2 slices of lemon.
3. Close the fish and refrigerate for 15-20 mins to marinate. If you don't have time you can skip this step.
4. Preheat your oven or grill to 350°F. 
5. While the fish is in the fridge you can make the gravy:
6. Heat up a little bit of oil in a pan and add the ginger/garlic on medium heat.
7. Then add the onions, garam masala, curry leaves, turmeric, and salt. Fry for 1-2 mins.
8. Once the onions start to sweat, add the coconut and green chilies and take off the stove.
9. Take a banana leaf or 1 foot of parchment/foil and lay on counter.
10. Take the gravy and spread it on the leaf.
11. In the same pan that you made the gravy, heat up the mustard oil on medium-high heat.
12. Take the fish and fry both sides until the skin is crispy (2-3 minutes per side).
13. Place the fish on the gravy in the middle of the banana leaf.
14. If your banana leaf is big enough, fold it over to create a little packet. If not you can add another banana leaf on top and then use bamboo skewers to hold in place.
15. Place the fish seam-side down in a glass casserole or pie dish to catch drippings.
16. Bake for 15 minutes or as long as you need to cook the fish. Tip: to check to see if your fish is done you can open up one packet and insert a fork to make sure the flesh is opaque and no longer transparent.

Note: If using fish filets instead of whole fish, you can follow the same steps, but just marinade the whole fillet without slicing. Also you can add the gravy directly on the fillet on the banana leaf. Serve immediately with some lemon on the side!