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ONE of the Hindi rhymes the kids learn first at school is macchali jal ki rani hai jeevan uska pani hai, etc. Come summer and these lines seem to haunt us, how lucky for the fish to be submerged in cool water all the time when the mercury is rising! The fish lovers of the ‘foodie’ tribe do not confine themselves to envy but keep thinking of ways to relish fish in the hot season. Years ago, an Oriya friend introduced us to the haldi-pani fish—a flavourful watery soup that accompanies a small helping of rice wonderfully.
We have also enjoyed greatly a steamed sole in celery sauce rustled up by chef Manish, then at the Octopus of the Orient at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, and then there is the dahiwali macchali from the repertoire of Raja Sahib Sailana that seems almost perfect for a light summer lunch—a recipe we have shared with our readers in the past. Fishy tales have become increasingly popular since white meat of the fouler—oops! We mean ‘fowler’—kind has become suspect with rumours of bird flu. The trouble is that most of us are tired of ‘time tested’ traditional Indian recipes—Jhol and jhal from Bengal or patrani macchi from the western seaboard or polichattu from the land’s end deep down south. The fast jading palate demands something different. Indrajit, who loves to experiment, innovating constantly, has come up with a recipe—refreshingly different and cooling—that we are pleased to share this time. He calls it (after a chutney from Awadh recommended for garmi ka mausam) rahat jaan—respite for the distressed soul. It tastes great with any kind of firm fish but we have discovered that using fillets of soles enhances its appeal for even those who normally avoid fish fearing—without reason—smell and bones. You may, if you like make this dish with a thinner gravy adding half a cup of water as it simmers in the pot. |
Most of us are tired of
‘time tested’ traditional fish recipes. The jading palate demands
something different, says Pushpesh
Pant