Cooking Up A Storm: Madurai Kitchen in Glenview
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Indian food is popular in Chicago, but the suburbs have some fantastic options too.
Over in Glenview, Madurai Kitchen was started by a husband-wife team.
It's named after their hometown of Madurai in southern India.
They talked about their Meen Pollichathu dish, which is a South Indian Banana Leaf-Wrapped Pompano.
To learn more about locations and to see their full menu, visit maduraikitchen.net.
Recipe for Meen Pollichathu (South Indian Banana Leaf-Wrapped Pompano)
Yield: 2 whole fish, approximately 2-4 servings
Ingredients
For the Fish
-2 whole pompano, cleaned
-1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
-1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper
-1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
-Juice of half a lemon
-Salt, to taste
-3 tablespoons coconut oil, for shallow frying
For the Masala
-1 tablespoon coconut oil
*10 shallots or 1 red onion, chopped
-3 garlic cloves, chopped
-1-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped
-1 large green chili, slit lengthwise
-1 sprig curry leaves
-2 small tomatoes, chopped
-1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
-1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
-1 teaspoon red chili powder
- Salt, to taste
- Water, as needed
For Assembly
-2 banana leaves
-1/4 cup coconut milk
-2 tablespoons coconut oil
-Kitchen twine or banana-leaf string, optional
Preparation
1. Make several diagonal slits on both sides of each cleaned fish.
2. Combine turmeric, black pepper, Kashmiri chili powder, lemon juice and salt. Coat the fish thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour.
3. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Shallow fry the fish until lightly browned on both sides. Remove and set aside.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a skillet. Add shallots or onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until softened.
5. Add ginger, garlic, green chili and curry leaves. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
6. Add tomatoes and cook until softened. Stir in turmeric, coriander, red chili powder and salt. Add a small amount of water as needed and simmer until the mixture becomes a thick, spoonable masala.
7. If using fresh banana leaves, briefly pass them over a low flame until softened and pliable. If using frozen leaves, thaw completely.
8. Place a spoonful of masala in the center of each banana leaf. Place one fish over the masala, then spoon additional masala and coconut milk over the fish.
9. Fold the banana leaf securely around the fish to create a parcel. Tie with kitchen twine if desired.
10. Heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the wrapped fish parcels, cover and cook for approximately 5-6 minutes, turning once, until the fish is cooked through.
11. Carefully open the banana leaf parcels and serve immediately.
