Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce

One of my favorite types of food to eat is Thai, and for good reason. The flavors in Thai cooking are like a party in your mouth, with bits of ginger, lots of spices, and the unmistakeable curry flavor that brings a subtle heat to the back of your throat.

I've tried for years to replicate these wonderful flavors at home but have never had much luck. Fortunately my streak was broken once I came across this recipe. The mixture of curry, coconut milk, fresh vegetables and spices really made this dish outstanding.

The recipe recommended using a food processor instead of chopping the vegetables and spices as a timesaver, but I think this actually helped thicken the sauce as a side effect. I love using my knife (sadistic, maybe so), so I bypassed that suggestion and ended up with more of a broth than a sauce. At first I was disappointed because it didn't come out like I expected, but in the end I was actually glad I prepared it this way. The original recipe was for 6 servings and I only prepared 3 filets, so this made for plenty of leftover sauce to be used later.

I served the tilapia with mashed potatoes, which was great, but for the second go round I prepared jasmine rice made with coconut milk. The coconut milk in the sauce paired with the coconut rice was amazing, and my son kept asking for "more rice, more rice!"  If you love Thai food like I do and are looking for a new way to prepare tilapia, this recipe may be right up your alley.


Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce


Ingredients

• 1 tsp dark sesame oil, divided
• 1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped scallions
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 2 tsp red curry paste
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 4 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp Asian fish sauce
• 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Cooking spray

Preheat broiler.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add pepper and scallions; cook 1 minute. Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sugar, Asian fish sauce, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Brush fish with 1/2 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with sauce.


Adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes