Indian Spiced Sea Bass with Braised Red Lentils

Indian Spiced Sea Bass with Braised Red Lentils is a healthful and flavorful way to spice up a date night dinner!

The inspiration behind this recipe:

Although January has 31 days just like a number of other months, it always seems longer than that to me.  It’s cold, dark and dreary.  Besides dealing with January weather, we’re all trying to eat healthier and plan for the year that lies before us.  Sometimes it feels as though January will never end!

I wanted to take a break from all that!  Something exotic and colorful like this Indian Spiced Sea Bass with Braised Red Lentils was in order!

How to make Indian Spiced Sea Bass with Braised Red Lentils:

• First, get the lentils going.  Red lentils, also referred to as pink lentils or masoor dal, cook much faster than brown or green lentils.  Besides the fact they cook faster, I love red lentils because they cook to a soft, almost sauce-like consistency that pairs well with a simply-prepared protein such as this fish.
• While you could certainly make your own curry powder blend for the lentils, I use a good quality blend from a local Indian grocery store.

• Then, cook the fish.  Combine all the spices for the fish in a small bowl.  This combination packs a real flavor punch:  They include:
  • Hungarian paprika
  • Ground cumin
  • Ground coriander
  • Ground turmeric
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Hungarian paprika is more pungent than regular sweet paprika.  It’s available in any grocery store, however, if you can’t find it or don’t wish to buy it, use sweet paprika and just add a little more cayenne.

• Almost any fish will work with this dish such as salmon, trout, grouper, cod, etc.  I used barramundi which is an Asian sea bass but Chilean will also work.
• Encrust the fish with a generous amount of the spice blend.  Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, then add the fish and brown it well on both sides.  Place it in the oven to finish cooking.

That’s it!  This dish is amazing as is, but a cooling raita or a dollop or two of yogurt is a lovely addition!

Indian Spiced Sea Bass with Braised Red Lentils!

Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs, add a little bit of yogurt if desired and you’ll forget all about the long month of January!

Be sure to check out some of my other delicious Indian-inspired meals!

• Curry-Braised Chicken Thighs
• Meatballs in Spicy Curry
• Indian Root Vegetable Curry
• Curried Roast Vegetables
• Vegan Indian Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry

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