Tandoori Marinated Tilapia with Mango Salsa

I've mentioned before that Steve isn't very picky about many food related things. {Read: He will eat just about anything. Happily.}

However, after watching an episode of Dirty Jobs a while back that highlighted the fish farming industry, he's had a thing against tilapia. Mostly because he learned that they are bottom feeders that basically eat poop. {Thanks a lot, Mike Rowe. I'm pretty sure you just killed a few small tilapia farms across the nation.}

Silly boy.

For whatever reason, this little tidbit of information doesn't bother me much. Partly because I'm all for knowing where my food comes from, {No, that chicken did not just magically appear plucked and ready to cook in a tidy little plastic package}, but also because in my head fish poop isn't very "dirty", and if eating it floats tilapias' boat, then I say go for it.

Does that even make sense? Maybe I should stop using the word "poop"on a food blog? 😉

Anyway {if you're still reading after all that potty talk. Ha!}, I have been bound and determined to turn Steve into a tilapia eater ever since he stubbornly declared that we would no longer be cooking it in our home.

I could have just made it for him and lied about what it was, I doubt he would know the difference, but deception is no way to go, even when it's just getting someone to eat something they don't think they like. {With the exception of feeding children. Sometimes lying to them is necessary for everyone's sanity.}

So, instead of blatantly fibbing, I decided to try to make the tastiest version of tilapia I could come up with so that Steve would see that - poop eaters or not - they can make a lovely meal.

I succeeded.

The spice blend and yogurt marinade give the tilapia an exotic flavor, and the mango salsa adds just the right amount of sweetness and zing.

I think tilapia will be making more appearances at our dinner table from now on. And hopefully it's lost its "dirty" reputation in Steve's mind.

Tandoori Marinated Tilapia with Mango Salsa
Slightly adapted from A Decade of Cooking The Coscto Way cookbook

4 tilapia fillets
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala {I made my own blend, but you can buy it at the store, too}
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, grated
½ teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons butter

Place fish in a medium glass dish. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, chili powder, garam masala, ginger, cayenne, garlic, and salt until well blended. Cover fish fillets with yogurt marinade. Cover dish in plastic wrap, and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Remove fish from marinate and shake off any excess. Place fish in skillet and saute for about 5 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily.

Serve topped with Mango Salsa.

Mango Salsa
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 kiwi, peeled and diced
½ cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
⅓ cup hearts of palm, diced
½ teaspoon lime zest
Juice of 1 lime
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Refrigerate for an hour to allow flavors to come together.