This is an amazing go-to recipe. Just pluck off some basil from the garden, handful of spices from your drawers and chop slash an onion and light up the flame to get this dead fish into a treat for all around. Though basa is not the most nutritious of fish around, it would certainly be one of the friendliest to serve. Less bones, more meat, sweet and friendly which the kids would love in so many different styles and so many different spices ! Enjoy while you make this fragrant delicacy and feel good when you serve this greedy eyes 😀

Ingredients of Basa Chili Basil

Basa Fish

Basa Chili Basil

…need to know (food details)

• Number of people served : 3 to 4 in 500 grams of cut fish. You are having rice or bread alongwith it right !
• Preparation time : 20 minutes

….and we need (ingredients)

• River Basa, 500 grams, cut pieces :Also called pangasius this is a very common river fish which is extremely easy to fillet. It is not very nutritious but the great thing about it is that bass is safe for all ages and does not have high mercury levels as in some other popular fishes. 
• Basil leaves, 20, lime would be best : Basil is the king of the herbs. It’s a good king as well since it is very easily grown. Be it opal (purple basil), lime, cinnamon or holy (tulsi) basil, it grows super easy with cuttings or seeds. Check out my blog regarding propagation of basil by punching in basil in the search box. Sweet basil is an amazing seasoning besides having a host of health benefits like healing qualities, anti stress, anti inflammation, analgesic (pain-killer), antipyretic (anti fever), cancer fighter etc.
• Oil, 3 tablespoon : Use any light odorless and tasteless oil only required for greasing the pan.
• Onion, chopped, 1 : Strong, acidic and bitter. That’s what a good red onion is supposed to be. They are also good sources of Vitamin C and Iron and are good for hair, skin and help in weight-loss.
• Red Chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon : Dried red chillies have a sharper, earthier essence then the fresh green ones. They are a good source of Vitamin C, A and E hence beneficial for skin and hair.
• Ginger Garlic paste. 1/2 teaspoon : An amazing herb mix to cure all sickness, pains etc. and providing the pungency and earthiness to the dish.
• Black pepper powder, 1/4th teaspoon : Hot and mildly pungent, black pepper is good for digestion, skin, respiration and is a good antioxidant too. On tables across the world salt n pepper are partners in relation.
• Oyster Sauce, 1 teaspoon : This has high sodium content and is sweet, salty and has a deep savory flavor.
• Salt to taste : Regular treated table salt would do here.Since it is a river fish that we make here, sea salt which I otherwise use would feel out of place.

….time to cook ‘n roll (preparing instructions)

• Marinate the cut fish with salt, ginger garlic paste and the red chili powder and set your bowl aside in the refrigerator for 30 mins. Cover it.
• Take a non stick pan and grease it with the oil. Heat it till smoke starts coming off it.
• Add onions to it and saute’ till they turn golden brown.
• Now add fish to it and move around in the pan for 2 minutes on medium heat.
• Sprinkle the pepper powder on this and mix well. Cook further for 5 minutes now.
• Spread out the oyster sauce on pan and mix well.
• Add the torn basil leaves and adjust the salt now to your taste. You may add 2 tablespoons of water now.
• Cook uncovered for 10 minutes moving the fish in the pan well. Do not toss else you may breaks the fish pieces.
• Serve the fish hot and steaming with bread or rice.

Storage : Storing the fish firms the texture and the initial softness and oils are practically lost. But you can still store this dish for 2 days in the refrigerator provided that you do not reheat more than once.

Missing Something ? : You may want to garnish with dry parsley. That would be quite fine as well.