Grilled Tilapia with Pistachio and Tamarind Sauce

I was searching the internet for a Vietnamese fish recipe and I stumbled upon the grilled fish recipe.  Trout or snapper was used in the original recipe, I changed it to Tilapia.  And it was just supposed to be ordinary roasted peanuts, I only have pistachio at home.

Celina brought tamarind pods the other day, she said, we will make Tamarind juice or shake when she comes home from CDO and Camiguin tomorrow.  If fresh tamarind is not available, you can use tamarind paste in bottle which you can buy in the supermarkets.

Grilled Tilapia with Pistachio and Tamarind  Sauce



1 pc. Tilapia, cleaned and scales removed
shredded ginger
finely chopped shallots
2 t. lime juice
2 t. light soy sauce
pepper
oil
banana leaf or tin foil
leeks, sliced thinly
roasted pistachio or nuts, chopped coarsely

Marinate the fish in lime juice, light soy sauce and pepper for 15 minutes.  Stuff the cavity with the ginger and shallots.  Wrapped in well oiled banana leaf or tin foil.



Grill over hot coals.



You may also bake in the oven.

On a frying pan, heat oil over low heat, fry the sliced leeks, cover until it is soft.

Unwrap the fish carefully.  Top with fried leeks and chopped pistachio.



Drizzle tamarind sauce over the fish.

Tamarind Sauce



1 red chile, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 t. brown sugar
1 T. Thai Fish Sauce
1 T. water
3 T. fresh tamarind pods soaked in 1/2 C. hot water for 10 minutes.

Drain the tamarind pods.

Grind the red chile and garlic in a mortar.  Add the sugar then slowly add the tamarind juice.  Season with fish sauce and dilute with 1 T. water.

I never expected it to taste good!  Maybe because it is something new to my palette.  At first I thought the tamarind sauce was a bit bland, so I had to heat bagoong isda with fried garlic.



But it turned out, I did not need it.  The combination of roasted chopped pistachio, fried onion leeks and tamarind sauce was just perfect.

Yaya Hermie cooked Ginisang Patola.  Yum! The patola was so sweet.



She also made Adobong Hito, my dinner tonight, with Adobong Sitaw.



I think Hermie is a budding food stylist LOL  She cooked the little fish wrapped in banana leaves and wanted me to take a picture.



She said it is our dinner tomorrow with Mongo soup.

So far, my blood sugar level has been going down but not as fast when I was on a Vegan diet.  Slow but hopefully, sure.  It is a struggle for someone like me who enjoys cooking and eating.  I pray every morning that I do not get tempted and go back to my unhealthy dining habits.