Game for an exotic seafood dish? What better way to celebrate Kerala’s rich and highly nutritious wealth of seafood and spices than mashing up an exquisite dish with dried shrimps! Indulge and lose yourself in this mouthwatering dish made with the spices of Kerala. The dish was prepared by Chef Ashok Eapen K. at the Spice Route Culinary Festival held in September at Bolgatty Palace Hotel in Kochi.

Ingredients
Fish fillet - 2 nos
Lemon Juice -20 ml
Salt -to taste
Black Pepper -to taste
Mustard paste -1 teaspoon
Green pepper- 20 gm
Star anise- 5 gm
Cardamom pods -5 gm
Cinnamon powder -2 gm
Spice powder (chili/turmeric, coriander, fennel)- 5gm
Sago pearls- 50 gm
Dried shrimp-25 gm
Dried curry leaves - 5gm
Chilli paste-10gm
Coconut milk powder -25gm
Shallots-25gm
Bird chillies- 5 nos
Coconut oil- 30 ml
Vinegar -20 ml
Powdered rice- 20gm
Chilli flakes-10gm
Onions-100gm
Ginger- 25gm
Garlic -25gm
Garnish flowers/cress -25gm
Berries -25gm
Tomato- 25gm

Method of Preparation
Do a pre-marination of the fillets with lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Now make a dry marinade for the crust by boiling dried shrimps, chilies, black pepper, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, and oil. Season it. Apply this on the fish fillets and leave aside.

Boil sago and drain. Make a masala out of the onion, tomato, garlic, ginger, spices, spice powders, and cook till soft. Add the sago and finish with coconut milk. Now make a salsa out of shallots, chili, ginger, oil and tamarind.

Grill the fish with the crust up. Make curry sauce with green pepper, cardamom, and coconut milk. Plate the fish with curried sago as base and garnish and serve with salsa and sauce.