Broiled Tilapia with a Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce

I have never really been a fan of seafood. I want to like fish, because it's healthy, and supposedly delicious, but I feel sort of meh about it. Anyway, on Yom Kippur, I decided to give it another try. I have been told that tilapia is one of the mildest white fish out there, so I figured it was a good place for me to start. In keeping with our love of Indian, Thai, and curry dishes, I decided to make this dish, which was very highly rated on the Cooking Light website. The fish itself is quite plain - brushed with sesame oil and kosher salt. The sauce, though very easy to put together, was super tasty - perfectly sweet, spicy, creamy and chunky. It coated the chicken and brown rice, and gave it a really nice, rich flavor. Unfortunately, I think I overcooked the fish a little, which made it a tad mushy. I liked it, but I sort of felt like the fish itself, was just a vehicle, to get to the sauce. We had a lot left over though, and it will be really nice over rice or chicken. I served this dish with balsamic green beans, and it was a really nice addition. I'm not sure I'll make this tilapia again, but I will keep trying fish. A wise woman (my mom) once said, "Fish is an acquired taste." Hmph.






Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet, 1/2 cup sauce, 3/4 cup rice, and 1 lime wedge)

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
Cooking spray
3 cups hot cooked basmati rice
4 lime wedges

Preheat broiler.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add pepper and onions; cook 1 minute. Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in cilantro.

Brush fish with 1/2 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve fish with sauce, rice, and lime wedges.


CALORIES 506 (30% from fat); FAT 17.1g (sat 5.9g,mono 6g,poly 2.5g); IRON 2.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 82mg; CALCIUM 47mg; CARBOHYDRATE 56.6g; SODIUM 616mg; PROTEIN 29g; FIBER 3.1g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2002