Today is meatless Friday, so we cooked one of our favorite easy fish recipes for our family lunch/dinner. Fish is a regular part of our meals anyway, fried or grilled, a healthy source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. We often include fish, either salmon or tilapia, in our weekly shopping list. This morning’s ‘catch-of-the-day’ is tilapia and the recipe is Panko-crusted tilapia fillet, pan-fried till crispy. Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb with a dryer and flakier consistency than regular breadcrumbs and it makes fried food extra crispy; it also absorbs less oil.
As a topping over the fried tilapia, we whipped a sweet-and-sour tangy mango chutney, made from fresh mangoes, and it makes the dish much more appetizing. To complete the Friday meal - we’re serving it with rice and some leafy greens!
Recipe for Panko-crusted Tilapia
Ingredients
6 pcs skinless tilapia fillets, rinsed and patted dry
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko seasoned breadcrumbs
2 cups all-purpose flour
Olive oil for the pan
Salt and pepper to taste
<
Directions:
Line up three shallow dishes; put flour in the first, beaten eggs on the second, and the Panko in the third.
Season the tilapia fillet with salt and pepper, then coat
each fillet with the flour from the first dish; then the beaten egg, and finally with Panko breadcrumbs in the third dish.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the coated tilapia fillets in a single layer; turn carefully after 3-4 minutes; cook until golden brown. It’s ready and crispy!
Recipe for Mango Chutney
Chutney is a sweet-and-sour tangy spread, usually made from sugar and white vinegar (with other spices) but for this mango chutney recipe, we’re opting for less sugar and substituting the ingredients with maple syrup and apple cider vinegar.
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cut mango, finely chopped
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tbsp onion, finely minced
1/4 tsp fresh ginger root, minced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
Directions:
In a medium-sized pan, pour maple syrup and cider vinegar and heat to boiling. Reduce to low heat and add all other ingredients; simmer for 20 minutes until slightly thickened.
Remove mango chutney from heat, cool, and serve on top of tilapia fillet. (For unused chutney, refrigerate in a sealed container and use within 2-3 weeks). For a completely delicious meal, serve with rice and greens.
Dinner is ready!