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food talk
Fish delight
Resist the temptation to overload the fish with readymade masala mixtures, says
Pushpesh Pant
 Fish
can be wonderful once you learn to cook it in more than one
way. Forget the conventional wisdom about sorshe bata, Amritsari,
Govan or meen moily Malabari. The ethnic classics are an
acquired taste or exotica for those who are not sons and daughters of
the soil. Macchali zamindoze from Awadh is almost a ritual.
There are myriad grills, fries, bakes and steamed variations coupled
with sauces light and rich but believe us nothing quite matches the
joy of fashioning your own delight — prepared at home with readily
at hand ingredients and familiar spices.
You can improvise and
innovate every time you step into the kitchen. The only precaution
that has to be taken is to begin with good quality of firm fish —
any one of your choice. Also resist the temptation to overload the
dish with readymade masala mixtures — let a single spice provide the
keynote.
We fell for the
much-hyped Govan masala not long ago and ended up with barely
edible non-descript stuff. On the other hand, loyalty to dhania, mirch
and ajwain paid rich dividends when an unexpected guest turned up last
week. We are indebted to Rita di for the inspiration. She, of course,
stayed with panch phoren and nothing else! The name has been
purloined from Muhammad Farouk’s Awadhi lexicon.
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HARI
JALPARI |
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Method
Smear each piece of fish with a little salt and leave for
30 minutes. Then rinse gently. Heat oil until it smokes,
reduce heat and fry the fish till golden brown. Keep
aside. In the same oil, add ajwain and fenugreek seeds,
wait until the seeds begin to splutter then put in the
garlic paste, stir for about 30 seconds, add the pounded
and powdered spices and stir for another 30 seconds. Fry
the spice paste for two to three minutes at moderate heat,
stirring continuously and adding a little water, if
required. Put in the ginger and the paste of fresh
coriander, chillies and mint and salt, stir, reduce to low
heat and fry until the fat separates from the masala and
rises to surface.
Now add the fish and
simmer until cooked, stirring constantly to prevent
sticking. Adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle garam masala and
lemon juice over the fish, stir and serve hot. |
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