Baked Sesame Tilapia

Of all the river fish that I’ve learnt to eat, I think Tilapia quite stands out both in its flavour and texture.

The first time I was introduced to this fish was when my sister cooked a kind of risotto with Tilapia and pineapple- and  was it delicious!

The risotto has been on my to-do or rather to-cook list for a long time and I hope to share the recipes with you someday.

However, since then, I have made a number of dishes with Tilapia.

I often make fish for my dinner-baked fish and salad are a regular on my dinner table and hence, I am constantly experimenting with new marinades.

Today, I share with you another very quick and scrumptious fish recipe that satisfies the  tastebuds.

It doesn’t take too long- time is always a constraint – isnt it?

Ingredients

• Tilapia fillets- 3 large
• FOR THE MARINADE:
• Ginger garlic paste- 2 tbsp
• Cumin seed powder- Jeera powder- 1 tsp
• Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
• Sesame seeds - 2 tsp
• Olive oil- 1 tsp
• Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Oil- for frying (1 tsp)

Method

Wash and dry the tilapia fillets. If using frozen, let thaw.

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the marinade.

Apply it in a thick paste on top of the fish. The sesame seeds were an impulsive addition, but it did make the Tilapia ever so crunchy.

Feel free to add more chilli to your taste, I tend to keep it mild.

Because this fish is baked, the addition of a little bit of oil in the marinade helps keep the fish moist. Let the fish marinate in this mixture for minimum  15 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan. I generally fry for a short while and then bake in the oven for a much more flaky finish.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Either fry the fish on each side for 5 minutes.

Or like I do, fry on each side for 2 minutes each and then pop into the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

The baking gives the fish a flawless, crusty exterior and is very flaky, unlike the chewy fish that you could get by over-frying.

Try it- it’s worth it!