The Hirshon Nepalese Fish Sukuti – सुकुटी

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Fish Sukuti Image Used Under Creative Commons License From Pinterest.com

Citizens, Sukuti is actually the Nepali word for any form of dry meat (whether made as jerky or deep-fried). Sukuti is typically served with tomato achaar, which is a condiment made from spiced tomatoes and other ingredients – the recipe for achaar has been previously posted on TFD here.

In this unusual sukuti recipe, trout from crystal-clear Nepali rivers high in the Himalayas are treated to a delicious marination in a combination of Nepalese, Indian and Chinese spices and then deep-fried to succulent goodness.

The delectable sauce that douses the fish combines sweet and heat with the complexity I have come to love in Nepalese dishes – try this fantastic recipe and see for yourselves, Citizens! 🙂

I don’t normally care for fish, but this recipe made even me a piscine acolyte. 😉

Battle on – The Generalissimo

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2 lbs. trout fillets (traditional choice), or your preferred type of fish fillets, cut into 1-inch slices
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
1 tablespoon chili paste with black beans (preferred) or standard Chinese chili paste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons wildflower honey
5 dried red chilies
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup scallions, cut into 1-in length
4 tablespoons cooking oil
Oil for deep frying
Salt and Pepper

Marinade:

1 tablespoon freshly ground cumin powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon freshly ground timur (Sichuan pepper)
2 tablespoons wildflower honey
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon Chinese chili paste with black beans (preferred) or regular chili paste
1 ½ tablespoons garlic paste
1 ½ tablespoons ginger paste
¼ teaspoon asafetida
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Salt and Pepper

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In a blender, process all marinade ingredients into a smooth paste. In a large bowl, pour the marinade over the fish slices. Mix well, cover, and let marinate for at least four hours. After marinating, drain the marinade and pat-dry the fish pieces.

Heat frying oil to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Dip fish pieces into oil and fry until crispy. Reserve fried fish slices in a large plate.

In a blender, process chopped onion, garlic, ginger, chili paste, soy sauce, turmeric, and honey into a smooth paste.

In a non-stick sauté pan, heat four tablespoons of oil over high heat. Sauté whole red chilies and cumin seeds till dark. Add spice paste, salt and pepper; fry until oil starts to separate from the paste.

Transfer the fish slices into the spice mixture and gently stir fry for 5-8 minutes, or until the slices are fully coated with spices. Add chopped scallions and stir for a minute or so. Serve with rice, accompanied with tomato achaar.