Food talk
Fish flavour

Light and nutritious, subz jalpari can be prepared quickly, writes Pushpesh Pant

THERE are some for whom the epithet subz is reserved for a delicacy that is emerald hued and others insist that the prefix should only be for strictly kosher pure vegetarian dishes. We beg to differ. We have no quarrel with chutney packed, green coloured pomfret or subz ke shammi or subz seekh but firmly believe that linguistic usage should reflect popular practice and not be subject to moral policing. The lady who treated us to a delightful fish ’n’ veggies stew insisted that what she had recreated was subz jalpari a recipe handed down by her mother; who are we to dispute that. Our mother had taken great pains to teach us that jalpari meant a mermaid — a half-women half-fish — a dangerous enchantress of innocent off guard seafarers.

Once the stream of consciousness gushes forth, it throws up interesting nuggets of memory. One recalls how we had once tasted absolutely delectable maachh cooked with drumsticks at the dining table laid out by late Professor Sishir Gupta our mentor, brilliant analyst of Indian Foreign Policy, a great teacher and lover of good food.

It is not uncommon among fish-eaters to pair the favourite species with preferred vegetable. This is done not only to stretch an expensive commodity but also to provide contrasting, colours, textures and flavours. The Singapore Chinese pep up the fishy recipes with slices of pineapple and it was venerable P. L. Lamba of Kwality’s fame, who had shared with us his favourite fish Portueguesa — more tomato than fish — almost certainly an alien to Portugal.

We feel that what we savoured recently is worth a try and more at home. It has shades of Chinese sweet ’n’ sour but doesn’t have to be sugary, can be quickly prepared and offers infinite possibilities for original variation. What is more it is light and nutritious. The fish and the vegetables enrich each other. Long live the mermaid oops — we mean subz jalpari.

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