Classic Chicken Afritada is one of your family’s staples. Your mom cooks it once a week as part of your family’s routine of viands, and you do not complain because it is good and goes great with freshly steamed rice.
But do you know that there is another way to enjoy the tomato-based sauce in Afritada? Change your protein to fish, replacing the chicken particularly with bangus (milkfish), and you get a lighter and slightly different – even better – take on Afritada as you know it.
This Afritadang Bangus recipe by Mama Sita’s might just be the ‘for a change’ version that will keep your menu familiar yet more exciting.
Afritadang Bangus
Ingredients:
1 whole bangus (milkfish), scaled, cleaned, and cut into serving pieces (500 grams)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup cooking oil
For the sauce:
2 tbsps. cooking oil
1 cup carrots, cut into large dice
1 cup potatoes, cut into large dice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pc. red onion, sliced
2 pcs. tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 pouch Mama Sita’s Menudo/Afritada Mix (50 grams), dissolved in 2 cups water
1 pc. red bell pepper, cut into large dice
1/4 cup green peas
Procedure:
1. Season fish with salt and allow to marinate for 5 minutes.
2. Dredge fish in cornstarch and fry in hot oil over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
3. Remove from pan and drain off excess oil.
4. In a separate pan, heat oil and fry carrots and potatoes until tender. Remove from pan and set aside. Sauté garlic until golden brown. Add onions and tomatoes and sauté until softened.
5. Add dissolved Mama Sita’s Menudo/Afritada Mix. Bring to a boil. Add fried fish, fried carrots and potatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add bell pepper and green peas. Cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Remove from heat. Transfer to a serving plate.
8. Serve hot with rice.