Nightshade-Free Curry-Baked Tilapia (or whitefish of choice)

I love curry, but traditional curry powders contain nightshades which are a big problem for me.  So, after a little experimentation, I found a great nightshade-free homemade curry mix.  I actually like to make a big batch of it and store it in a shaker for an easy and flavorful seasoning for a quick midweek meal.   It’s pretty common for me to just sprinkle some on some meat or seafood and panfry or bake.   My family especially loves the flavor of curry with seafood (one of my oldest’s favorite meals is this curried shrimp recipe and I now use the seasoning mix below as my substitute for curry powder in that recipe), which is the origin for this recipe.

The seasoning in this recipe is enough for anywhere from 4-8 fish fillets, depending on how thick the fillets are and how heavy-handed you are with the seasoning.  The leftover seasoning keeps well for a good long time.  I have a spice shaker dedicated just to homemade curry powder.    By the way, spice shakers are one of those inexpensive yet awesomely handy kitchen gadgets/tools that I highly recommend.

I like baking these fillets just for the ease of preparation.  However, pan-frying (in coconut oil or butter) is another great option.

Ingredients:

• 4 6-8oz tilapia fillets (or use hake, cod, halibut or other whitefish of choice)
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, melted (or use unsalted butter)
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp ginger
• ½ tsp cardamom
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp anise
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp caraway seed
• ½ tsp salt, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, tin foil, or a silicone liner.
2. Combine all of the seasoning together.  If using any whole spices (typically anise and caraway), grind in a mini food processor,  a spice grinder, a coffee grinder or use a mortar and pestle.
3. Place seasoning mix into a spice shaker (you can also dust using a sieve if you don’t have a spice shaker).
4. Melt coconut oil and coat fish with either a pastry brush or the back of a wooden spoon (if your fish is still cold, which it probably is, the coconut oil with solidify fairly quickly after you coat the fist and that’s okay).
5. Sprinkle seasoning generously over both sides of your fish (it should stick nicely to the coconut oil).  Place on you prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes (the rule of thumb is 20 minutes per inch thick, so for thicker fillets you’ll need to adjust your baking time).
6. Enjoy!