food talk
Coastal delights

With the availability of coconut milk powder and tamarind extract in convenient satches, one can dish out Mangalore fish curry in a jiffy, says Pushpesh Pant

Chef’s corner

Method Clean, wash and pat dry the fish. Sprinkle salt and a pinch of turmeric powder and let it rest for 15 minutes. Glaze a non-stick frying pan with oil and pan grill the fish evenly—for about three minutes on each side. Heat oil in a pan and stir fry onions till translucent. Add the powdered spices, continue frying for about 30 seconds, then reduce heat and add coconut milk. Bring to boil, add tamarind extract along with sugar, if using, and red chilly paste and cook for about five minutes. Add a little warm water if a thinner gravy is preferred. Add fish and simmer for about two minutes. Remove and serve with rice.

Many years ago, during a Bharat darshan educational tour, we discovered that the Bengalis were not the only lovers of fish in our land. There are coastal cousins who give them more than the proverbial run for their money. There are myriad recipes for cooking fish—the freshest ‘catch of the day’—to let you enjoy the fruits of the sea covering the entire palate spectrum from the mildly tingling peppercorns to the real scorchers, scarlet hued, to keep the wary away.

You are reminded time and again as you travel from Mumbai-Pune to Kochi and beyond via Panji and Mangalore that there are many other drapes for the maachch than the famed sorshe or doi. The rich creamy malaai maachch of Sonar Bengal has nothing in common with the meen moilee from Kerala that we are told commemorates the maritime contacts established by our Malabari ancestors with the Malay Peninsula.

The Andhra fish, fried in a red-hot chilly spiked batter, is far removed from the Amritsari signature delicacy. Machli zamindoz is an Awadhi specialty much too complicated to master, prepare or relish for diners who are not snobbish epicures and Muz Gadhi, an unusual combination of radish and fish from the Kashmir repertoire, has an undeniable seductive charm of its own—but we digress.

In our view, in the realm of curries, the western seaboard brooks no rivals. Here, too, Goa and Mangalore offer delicacies that are exceptional. Most take very little time to cook.

We are saving the best for the last: now with the availability of coconut milk powder in convenient satches and tamarind extract in similar packaging (or bottles), dishing out the delectable Mangalore fish curry in a jiffy has become possible. So don’t deny yourself the coastal delights; enjoy them sitting at home.

These are not only flavourful but also easy to cook—let the purist quibble about the joys of a particular fish—Kane, Bangda, Mackarel et al—you can adapt the basic recipe with little effort to your taste and preferred fish. Feel free to improvise as you sail along adding a pinch of clove or cinnamon powder, including a few cloves of crushed garlic with onions, and a bit of fresh tomato puree to make the recipe your own. Call it ‘inspired coastal’ if you please.

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