Pan-Fried Sea Bass with Saag Aloo Chickpea Rice
Crispy-skinned sea bass fillets rubbed with turmeric and chilli, served with fragrant saag aloo and chickpea rice studded with ginger, garlic, and fresh mint. Cucumber raita with Greek yogurt and ground cumin provides cooling contrast. Sugarsnap peas add texture and freshness to this elegant one-pan meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pouch Tilda Saag aloo rice, 250g
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 sea bass fillets
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp chilli powder, medium or hot
- ¼ cucumber, peeled if desired
- ⅓ cups Greek yogurt
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ½ green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped(optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 oz root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cups sugarsnap peas
- ½ 25g pack fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped
Instructions
- 1
Rub sea bass fillets with oil, turmeric, and chilli powder. Set aside to marinate.
- 2
Halve cucumber lengthways and deseed with a teaspoon. Finely dice and combine with yogurt, cumin, and green chilli if using. Season with salt to taste.
- 3
Heat remaining oil in a large sauté pan over low-medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant, being careful not to burn.
- 4
Stir through rice and chickpeas. Add a splash of water, cover with a lid, and cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally with a fork.
- 5
Add sugarsnaps, cover with a lid, and steam for 1-2 minutes until tender. Fork through mint and season.
- 6
Heat another non-stick frying pan to high heat. When hot, add sea bass fillets skin-side down and fry for 2-3 minutes until skin is crispy. Season with salt and flip for 30 seconds to 1 minute to finish cooking.
- 7
Serve saag aloo chickpea rice with pan-fried sea bass and raita.
Tips
Don't allow garlic and ginger to burn when stir-frying; keep heat at low-medium.
Ensure sea bass skin is completely crispy by starting skin-side down on high heat without moving the fillets.
Good to Know
Raita keeps refrigerated for up to 2 days. Cooked rice component should be consumed same day. Store sea bass separately; use fresh.
Raita can be made 2 hours ahead. Spice rub can be applied to sea bass up to 2 hours before cooking. Prepare all mise en place ingredients the day before.
Serve immediately while sea bass skin is crispy and components are hot. Raita should be chilled.
Common Mistakes
Allow garlic or ginger to burn to avoid bitter, acrid flavour.
Flip sea bass too early or too often to avoid loss of crispy skin.
Overcrowd the pan when frying sea bass to avoid steaming instead of frying.