Simple Mangalore Style Fish Curry without Coconut

Happy New Year dear readers and apologies for not bringing you recipes during the most exciting season of the year, Christmas, and for not responding to any of your comments or queries these past few weeks!!

I have been away across the seas to a place they call HOME, amidst people that mean the world to me. Its been a fairytale holiday comprising of late morning risings, tantalising aromas of freshly brewed coffee or tea, scrumptious food cooked by mom’s loving hands, no mundane house chores, lots of meaningless chatter, time to sit in the garden watch the world go by, read the daily newspaper, lots of dancing, giggles and squabbles from the little ones, manicures and pedicures, bollywood songs, Mangalorean delicacies, Christmas cake and goodies, awesome Bangalore restaurant food, auto rickshaws, mad noisy traffic, street dogs barking at night and shopping!!!…….and then….

…. a week in hubby’s coffee plantation to enjoy the silent bliss of nature, surrounded by the greenest and prettiest flowers, nature at its best, the fresh crisp morning air, sipping on  mil’s to die for masala tea and munching on light and crispy dosas for breakfast and kuswar ( best gulios and nevriyos ever)  all daylong. The freshest spinach/ashgourd/ tendli (gherkins) vegetable preparation from plant to plate in minutes, plucking and enjoying ripe and juicy lychees, kids running wild on coffee drying yards, games of cricket or carrom, stamping on red ants, poking fingers at the dogs in kennels, mooing at the cows, skinny dipping in the river, sipping on water from large green tender coconuts, eating white sweets and sucking on coloured lollipops………

BabyA  has loved it the most, being an hard core social bee, he has had a great time  stealing sweets and treats from grandpa, cuddles and kisses from grandma, never ending presents from uncles and aunts, bonding with 7 cousins, with no rules, no restrictions, lots of games, dancing, peek-a-bo adventures, and monkey tricks in the back seat of cars and 2 birthday celebrations….no wonder he was so upset coming back!!

Yes, we have been on a dream holiday with family and friends and coming back has made it so much harder. Anyways, as always good times do come to an end. We are back and getting back into our routine lives and to the jobs we both enjoy. 

To uplift our spirits and in celebration of good things to come here is a simple, spicy and tasty Mangalore style fish curry that is free from coconut.

 I hope you will enjoy making and eating it. Once again Happy New Year and may 2013 bring you and your family’s lots of happiness, good health, peace and lots of tasty and healthy food. Cheers !!

Ingredients: Serves:3-4
Mackerals/ or any white or firm fish ( Cod/ River cobbler or Pangasius / Trout)  : 6 descaled, cleaned/gutted and slit of using mackerals or trout.

To Grind for spice paste/ masala:
Kashmiri red chilli powder: 2.5 tbsps
Onion large:1
Ginger garlic paste: 1.5 tsps
Coriander powder: 2.5 tbsps
Cumin powder: 2 tsps
Turmeric powder: 3/4 tsp
Methi powder:1/8 tsp
Fennel seeds: 1 tsp
Poppy seeds: 2tsps

Coconut oil: 2tbsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Cumin seeds : 1 tsp

Method:
1. Grind all the  spice paste ingredients finely into a thick paste using water. 

2. In a wide based vessel heat 2 tbsp of oil, when hot add the cumin seeds and curry leaves, once the seeds splutter add the ground spice paste, fry on a low flame till aromatic, then add water to obtain a  gravy of your desired consistency ( I prefer the gravy slightly thick and to just cover the fish while cooking). Add salt to taste. Add tamarind extract for sourness. Close the vessel and allow the gravy to come to a boil on a medium heat and cook for 5-7 minutes. 

3. Then add the fish one at a time and in a single layer to the gravy. The gravy should slightly cover the fish.  Do not use a spoon to stir. Hold the sides of the vessel and turn around gently to swirl the gravy over the fish and cover it. Close the vessel and cook on a medium flame till fish is cooked. Taste for seasoning, and adjust if desired. Turn off the flame. Let the fish rest in gravy for a few hours or still better overnight in the fridge. The fish will absorb all the wonderful spices and sourness from the gravy and taste wonderful when served hot the next day.

 

 

 

 Next day serve the fish curry with some plain white or boiled rice and vegetable on the side. Enjoy.

Yours,

Carol Sequeira Pereira