One of the most popular dishes in Parsi (Zoroastrian) cuisine and wonderful with basmati (or brown) rice, this is traditionally made with pomfret, a fish that is not always readily available here. Use pompano, if you can find it, or any fillets, from mackerel to sole. You can prepare the banana leaf packages up to 3 hours in advance—just cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　8 dried banana leaves (page 230), each about 8 inches square

　　5 garlic cloves, chopped

　　One 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

　　3 small hot fresh green chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced, or to taste

　　1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves

　　2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint leaves

　　1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, rinsed and drained

　　2 teaspoons ground cumin

　　3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

　　3 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil

　　Salt to taste

　　1 1/2 to 2 pounds fillets of pomfret, pompano, mackerel, sole, flounder, or sea bass, cut into 8 pieces

　　

Step 1

Put at least 2 inches of water in the bottom of a steamer. Soak the banana leaves in hot water until soft, just a few seconds.

　　

Step 2

Put the next 7 ingredients into a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the lime juice, oil, and a pinch of salt and process until nearly smooth; taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

　　

Step 3

Put a piece of the fish in the center of each of the banana leaves and season with salt, then top with the coconut chutney. Fold in the sides of the leaves and seal shut with toothpicks or skewers.

　　

Step 4

Steam for about 15 minutes, or until the fish is done (peek into one of the packages to check, but be careful—it’s hot). Serve each guest 2 packages.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.