Seafood Dishes, Mangalorean Specialities
Catch of the day
We mangies love our fish and we are fortunate to have a famous fishmongers shop a stone’s throw away. Every saturday hubbie wakes up early ( amazing but true!) to get the choicest of the fresh catch. Just seeing all the wide array of fresh fish on sale and a crowd of fish lovers waiting to grab their own share sends bizzare signals to the brain and we end up buying a whole load of fish that can feed the neighbourhood!!!!
This Saturday we picked up huge crabs, mackerals, sardines and herring roes.
We returned home and marinated the fish with meet mirsang paste and made a traditional mangalorean curry with the crabs.
We had friends over to share our meal. It was a hearty omega 3 feast.
Poole harbour
Crabs from the Atlantic 
Female crab 
Mackerals 
Sardines 
Mangalorean Crab Curry
Very yummy had lots of eggs/ laak! 
Mangalore Crab Curry- Recipe
Ingredients:
Crabs large 2-3
Grated coconut-1/4 cup
Onions-1 large/ 2 small
Garlic- 3 large flakes
Kashmiri dried red chillies- 12
Whole coriander seeds- 1tbsp
Whole cumin seeds- 1tsp
Mustard seeds- 1tsp
Methi seeds- 1/2 tsp
Coconut milk- 1/2 can
Tamarind- marble size
Salt to taste
Oil- 3tsps
For tempering:
Mustard seeds- 1tsp
Crushed garlic flakes- 3 large/ 5 small
Curry leaves-1 sprig
Oil- 2tbsps
Method:
1. Lightly fry in some oil sliced onions and sliced garlic till brown and soft. Add grated coconut and fry till slightly browned. Keep aside.
2. In same pan lightly fry the whole dried red chillies, coriander, cumin, mustard and methi seeds till aromatic. Grind finely all the broiled ingredients in a mixie or in a grinding stone using 1/2 can of coconut milk. Keep masala aside. Retain the masala water by rinsing the mixie/ grinding stone with 2 cups water.
3. Clean and cut crab into large pieces, slightly break claws with a hammer or back of knife. Place in a large thick base vessel. Add 2 cups of masala water, salt and tamarind extract, close vessel and bring the crabs to a boil 5-7 mins( medium flame). Add the ground masala, check for salt/seasoning. Close lid and bring to a boil again. .
4. For tempering: In 2 tbsps of hot oil add mustard seeds, when splutters add, curry leaves and crushed garlic and fry till garlic turns a golden brown. Add seasoned oil over crab curry.
Crab curry is ready. Serve with boiled rice and vegetable sukke.
Mangalore Fried Fish in Meet Mirsang paste.
To make simple Mangalore Style Chilli Paste- Meet Mirsang Paste:
Quantity of paste is for 2 large mackerals, adjust according to quantity of fish.
Chilli powder- 2 tsps
Cumin Powder- 1tsp
Tumeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Rice flour- 1/4 tsp
Vinegar- 1tbsp
Salt to taste.
1.Take all masala ingredients in a bowl, add water to make a shiny paste. Do not make runny or too thick. Marinate cleaned fish with the paste for 1/2 hour. Make slits in fish to allow masala to seep into the flesh.
2. To fry: In a hot tawa heat sufficient vegetable or coconut oil to almost smoking or very hot.
Place fish carefully in oil , reduce heat slightly and do not move fish till done on that side. Then turn over and cook the other side. Add more oil as require to prevent the masala burning.
Serve hot
Fried mackeral heads with meet mirsang paste…..remaining fish dissapeared before a picture could be taken 🙂
