Goan Fish Curry

The first beach experience for me was Goa in India and it was a love at first sight. I have been to many other beach destinations thereon but there is no other place which matches the enigma of Goa. Calm, serene, peace, tranquility, hospitality, fun and frolic, there are hardly any adjectives which can be left behind to describe this perfect holiday destination. The best part is that it fits every budget and even a pauper can afford a dream Goan holiday. And no, before you think that this post is sponsored by Goa Tourism Board, this post is about one of my absolute favourite dish from the Goan cuisine. The Goan Fish Curry is a highly irresistible fish curry served with hot steaming rice. The fish generally used is either prawns or pomfret or any other boneless sea fish. I have used here a Boneless white fish fillet, quite similar to the White Snapper. The curry was a perfect balance of all the flavors, the tang from the tamarind, the heat from the chillies, and the creaminess from the coconut. The best part about this gravy is it is absolutely easy to prepare and needs  only a few ingredients. If you love Goa and you love their cuisine, this recipe is a must try!

Ingredients 

450 gms fish (I used boneless white fish fillet; you can also use either pomfret or prawns or any other similar sea fish)

1 medium onion finely sliced

4 cloves garlic chopped 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

1 tbsp coriander seeds

7-8 kashmiri whole red chillies 

1 cup or 200 ml coconut cream (I diluted this with 1/2 cup water; you can directly use 1 1/2 cup coconut milk)

2 tsp tamarind paste (you may need a little more later at the final stage while adjusting the seasoning)

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt for marinating the fish as well as for gravy

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp oil

Direction 

Wash and clean the fish and marinate with salt and lemon juice and keep aside. 

Dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and whole red chillies and grind to a fine paste along with the garlic and little water. Now heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till soft and translucent. Add the spice paste and stir well. Add the turmeric powder and mix. Keep stirring continuously until the base mixture is well fried and blended. Take care not to burn it though. Now add the tamarind paste and stir followed by the coconut cream and water mixture or coconut milk. Give a good stir and bring to a boil. Now simmer the flame and add the marinated fish. Do not add the marinade as it might make the gravy too sour. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the fish is cooked. Add salt as per taste and slit green chillies. You can adjust the tanginess of the curry now by adding more tamarind. It is important not to add the entire paste at one go as the consistency of the tamarind paste can be different and so also the tang. You can also adjust the thickness of the gravy now by adding or reducing the water. This is a very forgiving recipe and you can make adjustments at any point in time. Serve hot with steamed rice and enjoy this Goan delicacy!!

Chilli Garlic Prawns in Lemon Butter Sauce

This appetizer is quite simple to make and is a wonderful way to kickstart your cocktail party. Easy to assemble and equally yummy to eat, it is an instant hit with guests who like to eat a little something with their drinks. 

Ingredients

300 gms small prawns deveined and tails removed

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp butter

2 tsp chilli flakes or as per taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Direction

Wash and clean the prawns and keep aside. Preferably, keep the prawns in a strainer to let go of excess water. 

In a pan heat the butter and just before it starts browning, add the lemon juice. Now add the garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes till the raw smell goes and turns a bit golden. Now add the prawns and sauté on medium heat till they turn pink. Add the chilli flakes, salt, and pepper and mix. If the prawns leave a lot of water, put the gas on high till most of it is dried up, for about 2-3 minutes while stirring constantly. Take care not to over fry else the prawns will be rubbery. Remove from heat and serve. 

Cambodian Fish Amok

On my recent trip to Cambodia, the one thing that really made my trip memorable, apart from the awesome Spa and the wonderful hospitality of the local people, was this Cambodian speciality called the Fish Amok. Simple delicate flavors of Coconut, Lemon Grass, Lime leaves, and Galangal to name a few, made into a paste and marinated with the fish and then carefully wrapped in Banana leaves takes this dish to a different level altogether. What I like best about this dish is that it is completely oil free and yet so yummy to taste. I did not have banana leaves at hand today and so had to manage with small portion-sized oven-safe bakeware to make this. While I had got the readymade spice mix for this preparation from the resort, the same is equally easy to make at home. The resort's Head Chef was kind enough to share the recipe with me. If you are not sure whether you will be getting a chance to visit Cambodia, I highly recommend to make this dish and enjoy their local cuisine from the comforts of your home!

Ingredients

400 gms boneless fish

5 kaffir lime leaves (I love the flavor and so added extra although it is already present in the spice paste)

1/2 cup coconut freshly grated

1/2 cup coconut milk plus a little extra while serving

4-5 whole red chillies

1 tbsp oyster sauce or fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

4 tsp Amok Spice paste

2 lemongrass stems (inner core only) grated

4 lime leaves finely shredded

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp grated galangal (Thai ginger root)

3 garlic cloves chopped

1 medium onion chopped

2-3 whole dry red chillies

Direction

Clean and wash the fish fillet and cut into small 1/2" chunks. Keep it in a bowl. 

Now add all the ingredients listed under the spice paste and make a smooth paste, adding little water as required. Do not add a lot of water but just enough to make a fine but not watery paste. Keep aside. 

Now make a paste with the grated coconut, whole red chillies, and lime leaves adding just a dash of water as required. 

Mix the fish with the coconut paste, 4 tsp spice paste (you may finish it off if only a little is left behind or store in a air-tight jar in the refrigetator for later use), salt, sugar, coconut milk, oyster sauce, and coat all the fish chunks evenly. 

Pre-heat the oven at 200 degree celsius. Take portion-sized ovensafe bakeware or any bakeware of your choice and transfer the fish mixture to the dish. 

Take an aluminium foil and cover the dish completely.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Top it with some more coconut milk and serve hot with steamed rice.

Please note that this dish is best baked in banana leaves. However, I did not have any at hand and so prepared it this way. 

 

Bandha Kopi Diye Moori Ghonto (Cabbage in Fish Head)

The one vegetable that I truly dislike is cabbage. As a child I never ate it and nor did I eat after marriage. However, things change when you shop and cook for your family and within a monthly budget. You cannot just bin a veggie that cost you a couple of dollars just because you don't like it. The situation then becomes such where you need to find ways to like it. And this recipe is one! The flavor of the fish beautifully compliments the otherwise bland cabbage and makes an interesting dish. I do not like Fish Head also, btw, but the combination tasted good in totality!! :D  A happy Homemaker!

Ingredients

1 fish head washed and cut in half

1 medium cabbage finely chopped

1 medium onion sliced

1 tbsp fresh grated ginger

1 medium potato cut into quarters (optional; I forgot)

1 tsp panchphoran (equal quantities of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, and onion seeds)

1-2 whole red chillies

1-2 bay leaves

2 each of cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ghee (optional)

1/2 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

2-3 slit green chillies

Mustard oil as required

Direction

Smear the fish head with a little salt and turmeric and keep aside for 10 minutes. 

Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and fry the fish head till crisp and golden. Make sure you keep the pan covered at all times to avoid oil spilling on your hands and face and all around. Remove from heat and keep aside. Fry the potato quarters in the same pan till golden and keep aside. 

In the same pan, add any additional oil if required and add the panchphoran, whole red chillies, bay leaves, and whole garam masala. As the fragrance starts coming out, add the sliced onions and grated ginger and fry till onions turn pink. Add all the spices except the garam masala and ghee and fry for 2-3 minutes. Do not add the salt now.  Add the cabbage and mix well. Cover and  let it cook till tender and shrunk in volume. Now add the salt, fried potatoes and fish head. Cover again and cook for another 5-10 minutes while stirring in between. Now break the fish head with the tip of the laddle and mix everything together. Add the garam masala and ghee and check for seasoning. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice. 

Bengali Maacher Jhol (Bengali Fish Curry)

Fish and Bongs are like the two sides of the coin. Inseparable! While there are a few exceptions, but majority of Bengal population thrives on fish. And why not? It is easy to cook, readily available (even in a pond), and loaded with nutrition. Over the years, the traditional bengali fish recipes have been passed on to the new generation, each doing their own tweaks as per their convenience. However, the basic essence has always remained intact so much so that today people, and not just Bongs, across the globe love and enjoy Bengali food and even recreate it in their kitchen. Today's recipe is one of the simplest Bengali Fish Curry, which gets prepared on a regular day in the most humble household as well as any sophisticated high society one! Try it and enjoy this recipe if you and your family have a liking for fish. 

Ingredients

Rohu fish fillet as per your serving size (I used 8)

2 medium potato, cut into wedges

1 medium tomato chopped

1 tbsp ginger grated

1 tsp cumin seeds freshly roasted

1 tsp coriander seeds freshly roasted

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp sugar

3-4 slit green chillies as per taste

1 tsp onion seeds or kalonji

Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Mustard oil for frying the fish and 1/2 tbsp for gravy if required

Salt to taste

Direction

Wash and clean the fish. Apply little salt and turmeric and keep aside for 20 minutes. You can keep it for longer as well. I applied it in the afternoon and kept it in the fridge till I made the gravy in the evening. However, take the fish out and bring it back to room temperature at least 1 hour before frying. 

Make a paste with the roasted cumin seeds, coriander seeds, ginger, chilli powder, and turmeric powder with a little water. Keep aside. This is usually done on a silbatta or mortar and pestle for the ultimate taste. I had to do it in my regular grinder like in most modern homes!

Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan with a lid and bring it to smoking point. Add the fish pieces, leaving enough space for it to be fried golden on all sides. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cover the pan with the lid while frying to avoid spillage of oil on the outside as well as on your face and hands. Also, keep adjusting the heat so as not to burn the fish. Remove from heat and keep aside. 

In the same pan, add any extra oil if required. Now add the kalonji and slit green chillies and let it splutter. Fry the potato wedges till golden. Now add the chopped tomato and continue frying on a medium heat till soft and mushy. Add the ground paste and rinse the grinder with a dash of water and add it to the pan. This will ensure that your masala does not stick to the pan without adding any additional oil and also saves you from wasting the residual masala. Take care while stirring the masala now as it might break the potatoes. When the oil starts leaving the sides of the pan, you will know that your base is ready. Now add the salt and sugar as per your taste and 1 cup of water. Bring it to a boil and then add the fried fish. Cover and cook on a medium flame till gravy thickens to desired consistency. Pick 3-4 potato pieces in a bowl and mash them with the back of a spoon. Put it back into the pan and stir. Check for seasoning and remove from heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and slit green chillies and serve hot with steamed rice. 

Doi Maach

The first proper dish I had ever cooked in my life. This was way back in 2002 when I met my husband's (then boyfriend's) maternal family and with everybody around sans my boyfriend, I was the little trembling adolescent girl just out of her teens and doing her first year of Engineering, when I was informed by my boyfriend that his maternal family was in town and I should go to visit them. I was in the hostel then and super terrified to meet them all, although I had known them since childhood (we were childhood friends, btw). However, I was meeting them for the first time after our relationship was made public and so the anxiousness and hesitation. They are the sweetest people ever and as dinner time was approaching, no one was in the mood to cook. I got a little carried away in my bid to impress them as a Daughter-in-Law and suddenly spurted out, I can cook! God knows what I was thinking!! I did not know the ABC of cooking then, leave aside making a proper dish. They readily agreed and I rushed to make a hurried phone call to my Mom for the quickest, easiest, and foolproof recipe. That was a day and today is one. The dish was fabulous and I was officially declared Grihalakshmi (Goddess of Prosperity)!!  Reliving those memories today with this dish made with love from an Assamese Wife for her Bengali Sweetheart!!

Ingredients

4 pieces of Rohu fillet (you can increase this quantity to a maximum of 6 pieces for this gravy. For more than 6 pieces, you will need to increase the ingredients for the gravy accordingly)

2 medium onions roughly chopped

2 each of cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves

1 tbsp fresh ginger paste

Scant 1/2 cup yogurt whipped

A pinch of turmeric

1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

1 1/2 tsp of sugar

Salt to taste

Mustard oil as required

Handful of raisins (optional)

1 tsp ghee (optional)

1 tsp good quality garam masala

Direction

Wash and clean the fishes and marinate it with some salt and turmeric and keep aside for 30 minutes. In a pan dry roast the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and bay leaves and keep aside. Once cool, pulse for just 1 sec to coarsely crush the spices. Alternatively, you can also grind them coarsely in a mortar and pestle. Now heat a little oil in the pan and fry the onions till pink. Remove from pan and let it cool. Finely grind the onions to a paste, preferably in the same grinder where you ground the spices (after transferring the spices, of course). This will impart maximum flavor to the gravy. In the same pan where you fried the onions, fry the fishes till they are golden browned on both the sides. Take care not to over brown or to fry them till crispy hard. Lastly, in a bowl take the whipped yogurt and add a pinch of turmeric, 1 tsp sugar, salt, half of the onion paste, and ginger paste and mix well and keep aside. 

Now time to assemble the gravy. Heat oil in the same pan where you fried the fish (in case, the oil has blackened and has charred bits of fish or others, change the pan). Add the coarsely ground spices and fry for a sec till a lovely aroma arises. Follow up with the remaining onion paste and 1/2 tsp sugar and fry till oil separates from the edges. Now, add the chilli powder and fry for another minute. Lower the flame and remove the pan from fire and add the yogurt mixture. Mix well and put it back on low flame. Once mixed well, increase the flame to medium and continue stirring continuously till oil starts coming out from the edges and the mixture thickens. This will take about 5-7 minutes. Now add about 1/2 cup water (add more if you have more than 4 pieces of fish) and bring it to a boil. Add the fried fish and raisins and cover the pan and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes for the fish to absorb the gravy. Remove the cover and stir. The gravy should thicken a bit by now and have a silky smooth texture. Add a tsp of ghee and garam masala and give a gentle stir. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice.

Bengal Special Macher Paturi (Steamed Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaf)

With my homemade Kashundi ready, I had to put it in use immediately as I was too excited to try out my newest homemade venture. I had got some fresh banana leaves the previous day while going in search for a bakery store nearby and I knew perfectly what to do with the leaves and the freshly made Kashundi. Fish plus Kashundi plus Banana leaf is a match made in heaven (as said by one of the admirers of this dish) and so it was. Zingy, tangy, and spicy all packed into one small parcel of banana leaf delicately wrapped and carefully roasted on stove top to infuse the most amazing flavors of mustard and fish juices and the smoky flavor of the leaf! Bliss!

Ingredients

4 pieces of fish fillet (I used Rohu but this dish tastes best with Hilsa or Bhetki)

2 tsp kashundi for each parcel

2 tsp mustard oil for each parcel

Fresh coriander leaves chopped

Salt to taste

1 tsp turmeric powder

Slit green chillies

2 banana leaves 

4 toothpicks for sealing the parcel

Direction

Wash and clean the fish fillets and marinate with little salt and turmeric powder. Keep aside for 30 minutes. 

Wash the banana leaves thoroughly and then with the help of tongs, gently roast them on stove top till soft and wilted. If you are using a big banana leaf, you need to first cut it through the central rib and then again cut it through half so that you get 4 square leaves out of 1 whole big leaf. Keep the wilted leaves arranged on the kitchen counter and keep all the other ingredients handy. 

Take one fish and place it on the leaf. Put the mustard paste and salt and coat evenly. Add the oil and garnish with coriander leaves and slit green chillies. Repeat for the rest of the banana leaves. 

Now fold in the leaf as shown in the pictures below and seal with a toothpick.

Keep the fish marinated in this parcel for at least 30 minutes. If you have guests coming over for dinner or lunch, you can also keep these parcels ready the previous day and refrigerate. 

You can now either bake these parcels in the pre heated oven for 20 minutes at 175 degree celsius. Or you can place the parcels on a non stick/iron tawa or griddle and keep it covered on the lowest flame  for 10-15 minutes, turning in between. Serve hot with steamed rice with the individual parcels on the plate. It is best served off the leaf to enjoy maximum taste. 

 

Fish Biryani

Biryani in itself is a scrumptious and feasty meal, considering the  amount of effort and spices that go into its making. Serve it with some freshly whipped raita and you have some happy faces around, be it family or friends. While the most popular among biryanis are the chicken, mutton, and vegetable variants, there are some lesser known siblings such as this Fish Biryani. Some people find the smell and taste of fish a little offensive and owing to that this form of biryani hasn't got its due. However, for fish lovers this is an ultimate change from those regular curries and grills. The spicing is moderate and the procedure simple, which makes this dish even more amazing. The best part of this dish is that it gives you the liberty to cook it with any kind of fish that you have and still taste equally awesome. Deboning the fish is preferable so as to enjoy an uninterupted meal but that is left totally upon your preferance. I made this dish for a guest who does not eat chicken and I am glad that he doesn't as otherwise I would not have been able to experiment and share the results with you all. Lastly, I would like to thank Fauzia of Fauzia's Kitchen for this amazing recipe. 

                                     

Ingredients

3 cups long grain fragrant basmati rice (good fragrance will balance the smell of sea fish, if using, which some people find offensive)

Whole spices for using during the initial cooking of the rice (you can use whatever spices you have at hand like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, mace, etc.)

About 5 cups of warm water for cooking the rice 

Few strands of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp cold milk

Finely chopped coriander and mint leaves

Deep fried onions (about 2 small onions crispy fried)

1-2 tbsp ghee as per preference (optional but recommended)

For the fish masala

600 gms boneless fish cut into 2 inch cubes (boneless is preferred though not mandatory; you can use any fish as said earlier; I used a beautiful white snapper fillet)

3 medium onions thinly sliced

2 tomatoes finely chopped

3-4 tbsp tomato puree (I prefer store bought which lends a better color)

1 big tbsp ginger garlic paste

2-3 tbsp coriander finely chopped

1/2 cup yogurt whipped

1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

2-3 green chillies chopped

1 tsp red chilli powder, non spicy

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

Salt to taste

Oil as needed

Marination

1 tsp red chilli powder

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 cloves garlic minced

Direction

In a bowl, mix all ingredients listed under marination and add the fish cubes. Coat the fish evenly with the marinade. Cover and keep aside for a minimum of 1-2 hours and upto overnight.

Meanwhile, wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes. Then bring the water to a boil and add the soaked and drained rice, whole spices, and a bit of salt (I skipped) and cook till the rice is just 3/4th done. I cooked the rice in my electric cooker. 

Now heat oil in a pan and fry the fish cubes little at a time just until slightly golden on high flame. They need not be properly cooked at this point but just firm enough to hold their shape in the biryani. Discard the marinade. Keep the fried fish cubes aside until further use.

In the same pan, add some more oil if required and heat. Now add the sliced onions and fry till golden. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till soft and mushy. You can cover and cook to expedite the process. Now add the puree and the spices and fry till oil starts appearing on the sides. Add the nicely whipped yogurt and continue frying till the water is absorbed and a thick gravy with oil coming out from the sides is formed. Now add the fried fish cubes and gently stir taking care not to break the fish. Check for seasoning and adjust. Add the coriander leaves and mix. Remove from heat.

                              

Time for the final step. There are two ways of doing it. You can either do it on stove top or in the oven.

For stove top, take a deep bottomed non stick vessel (preferably) and apply a generous amount of oil or ghee at the bottom. One step further, you can also line the bottom with a layer of sliced potatoes. Now arrange one layer of the rice evenly followed by the fish masala reserving just about 4-5 tbsps for the top. Now sprinkle the finely chopped mint and coriander and some fried onions. Drizzle a little ghee. Top it up with the leftover rice and followed up with the left over fish masala in the center. If any rice is still left you can sprinkle on top of the fish masala. Garnish it some more fried onions, the soaked saffron, and mint and coriander and another tbsp of ghee. Cover the lid tightly and place the vessel on a tawa or griddle and cook on slow flame for 30 minutes.

Alternatively, you can arrange the layers as mentioned above in a oven proof dish and cook covered with aluminium foil at 180 degree celsius for 10-15 minutes. Make sure your oven is pre heated. You can also get the layers arranged and keep it ready and cook the final stage just 30-45 minutes prior to serving to enjoy steaming hot biryani. Serve it with some cucumber raita and enjoy!

                                

                               

 

Illish Macher Jhal (Hilsa Fish in Mustard Sauce Gravy)

Hilsa and mustard go hand in hand, especially when it comes to Bengali Cuisine. While the most famous of all is Steamed Hilsa in Mustard Sauce Gravy or simply Bhapa Illish as we Bengalis call it, this recipe is also equally famous and brings out a whole new flavor and taste. For those who like and enjoy the pungency of Mustard, this dish is a treat. So go ahead and enjoy this super easy and super yummy Bengal Special Illish Macher Jhal!

Ingredients

4-5 pieces of Hilsa, washed and cleaned

1 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds, soaked for 1/2 hour

1 small tomato, chopped (optional; I like a bit of tang in my mustard gravy)

1/2 tsp nigella seeds or kalaunji

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp sugar

2-3 green chillies

1 +1 tbsp mustard oil

Direction

Make a paste with the soaked and drained mustard seeds, green chillies, and the tomato. If adding tomato, no need to add extra water. Keep aside.

Marinade the fish pieces with little salt and turmeric and keep aside for 10-15 minutes. 

Now heat oil in a pan and fry the fish until slightly golden. Remove from pan and keep it in the dish you are going to serve. The fish will be releasing some of its juices and so this is important for a tastier gravy.

In the same oil, add the kalaunji and add the mustard paste. With a dash of water, rinse the grinder and add it to the pan. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, sugar, and salt (be careful as you have already added salt to the fish). Stir and let it come to a boil. Add the fish pieces and cover and cook on a low flame until the fish is cooked. Do not overcook else the mustard will turn bitter. Remove from heat, add another tbsp of oil on top (optional) and serve hot with steamed rice.

                                                

Prawns Malai Curry (Malai Chingri)

This Easter Weekend has been the most hectic with dinners organized on all three days. While just one was planned, the rest was completely unplanned and was organized with just a couple of hours prior information. Whatever it was, I thoroughly enjoyed and more so as all the dishes were totally delicious and earned me some of the best accolades ever. What else does a cook/chef long for ? The best of all was this Prawn Curry made with coconut milk. It is a famous Bengal delicacy and is an absolute favorite for every Bengali household and also for those who get the chance to taste it once. Easy to make and with some very simple and easily available ingredients, you cannot go wrong with this recipe. 

Ingredients

500 gms prawn, washed and deveined (use the medium ones with tail intact if at hand. I made with the small ones though)

200 ml coconut milk/cream (if using cream, dillute it with 1/4 cup water)

1 big onion or 2 medium onions chopped

3-4 big garlic cloves or 4-5 small ones

1 inch piece ginger

2-3 green chilles, 1 chopped and rest slit

2 bay leaves

1 inch piece cinnamon

2-3 cardamom

2-3 cloves

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 1/2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

Juice of half a lemon

1-2 tbsp ghee

Salt to taste

2-3 tbsp mustard oil ( you can replace with regular vegetable oil but this dish tastes best with mustard oil)

Direction

Marinade the washed and cleaned prawns in a little salt, turmeric powder and lemon juice and keep aside for 15-30 minutes. Meanwhile, make a fine paste with the onions, ginger, garlic, and 1 chilli. Add a little water if you need to. 

Heat the ghee in a pan and fry the marinated prawns till slightly golden and wilted. Do not overcook or you will end up with rubbery prawns. Remove from the pan and keep it in the dish you are going to serve. In the same pan, now add the mustard oil (add as per your understanding as there will already be ghee left from frying the prawns as well as some of the juices from the prawn) and bring it to smoky hot. Now add the whole spices and let them crackle. Add the onion paste and fry till the raw smell disappears and changes to a slightly golden color. Now, add the dry spices and fry till oil starts separating from the edges. Lower the flame and then slowly add the coconut milk/ cream dilluted with water while stirring continuously. Bring it to a boil and then add the fried prawns. Cover and lower the flame to medium low and cook for another 10 minutes till the gravy thickens a bit. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee. Bliss!

                                         

Pomfret Macher Kalia

Being married to a Bong, I have developed a special liking for fish. Assamese people also eat fish quite regularly though. However, the way Bong's make their curry is something which makes it a "typical" Bengali fish curry. While you can get almost everything in Singapore, you have to travel a distance to fetch that unless of course you stay right next to the Tekka Market. The rest of the supermarkets are mostly selling pomfrets and prawns apart from the rest of the sea fish. So with Pomfret so easily available, we hardly (read never) take the pain to explore the Tekka Market. Here is a dish very commonly prepared in Bengali households. I prepared it with Pomfret; will taste good with any other fresh water fish as well.

Ingredients

2 Pomfret fish, washed and cut into fillet

1 medium onion chopped

3-4 garlic chopped

1/2 inch piece ginger, chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tomato chopped 

4-5 green chillies, chopped (as per taste)

Fresh coriander leaves

1 tsp turmeric powder

Mustard oil

Direction

Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric for 10 minutes and keep aside. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat about 2 tbsp oil and fry the fish pieces until golden brown and crisp. In a blender, make a paste with the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies. 

Once you are done with frying the fish, add cumin seeds to the same oil and let it crackle. Add the paste and fry till the raw smell disappears. Add the salt, sugar, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and red chilli powder. Fry till the masalas get blended well. Now add the tomatoes and keep frying on high till they become mushy. Now add 1 cup of warm water and bring to a boil. Release the fish slowly into the gravy and cover cook for 10 minutes on medium flame. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with hot plain rice.

                                           

Shorsher Illish- Steamed Hilsa in Mustard Sauce (Microwave Version)

In Singapore, the one fish which I have learnt to make, and now quite good at it, is Hilsa or Illish as they call it in bengali. The supermarket next to my house sells fresh Milk Fish (as they call it here) from Philippines and is quite a tasty buy. The recipe that I am sharing here was taught to me by my bengali cook back in Mumbai. Although I never cared to try it there, it's a hit in my household now and surprisingly my baby likes it too! This dish has never failed me and I am sure it won't fail you too.

Ingredients

1 medium sized Hilsa fish, cut into medium sized fillets (approximately 6-8 fillets)

3 tbsp mustard seeds, soaked in water for around an hour

1 medium sized onion, chopped

1 medium sized tomato, chopped (you can replace this with 1 tbsp yogurt)

2-3 fresh green/red chillies, chopped 

1/2-inch piece ginger, chopped

1 tsp salt or to taste

1 tsp turmeric powder

Coriander leaves for garnshing

1 tbsp mustard oil (please do not replace it with any other oil. You might skip it as well if you want an oil free version)

Direction

Take a clean medium sized microwave safe bowl. Wash and clean the fish and arrange it in the bowl in a single layer. Make sure there is no overlap. Add the salt and turmeric and rub it on both sides of the fish. Keep aside. 

Strain the soaked mustard seeds through a sieve for 3-4 times to ensure it is nicely cleaned. In a wet grinder, add the mustard seeds, onions, tomato, ginger, and green chillies (if you are using yogurt, you can add it now). You might add a little water as well. I didn't add any water as the tomatoes were quite juicy. Once the paste is done, pour it into the fish lined out in the bowl. With your hands, mix everything very well so that every fillet gets a fair share of the paste. Add the mustard oil gently over the fish fillets which have been arranged back in place now. Sprinkle coriander leaves. Take a cling wrap and cover the bowl nicely making sure there are no loose ends. Leave it like this for at least an hour (you can skip this step if you are pressed for time; else, if you are getting the dish ready for dinner, you can do it all and just put in the refrigerator and take out 1 hour prior to cooking). About 10-15 minutes before serving the meal, put the prepared bowl into the microwave and cook it on high for 6-7 minutes. Serve hot with plain rice. 

                                        

   

An Evening by the Tandoor

In Singapore, there is a very nice tandoori/ barbecue culture wherein a group of friends would get together and cook some wonderful meat and fish in the charcoal grill while enjoying their wine and beer. Every condominium here is equipped with 2-3 barbecue pits. You also get barbecue pits on rent by the sea (called the East Coast Park) which apart from the good food also gives you a chance to enjoy sun, sea, and sand in the midst of the city. My husband and his group of colleagues/friends had hired one such pit on the East Coast Park and I was made responsible for the entire non-veg menu, with just a day's notice. Grilling has never been my forte and have never been able to successfully marinade any meat or fish till date. So I quickly looked up some recipes, some from my blogger friends and some from the net, which would save my honour and also give me a chance to prove my grilling skills. I picked pomfret, jumbo prawns, and chicken as my barbecue menu and decided to have a different marinade for all. I had pomfrets in excess and hence decided to try two different marinades. The end result was glorious. I was flooded with compliments for the flavours induced in the lusciously soft and juicy meat and fish. You can also try these recipes as a pan fried dish or grill it in the oven as per the directions given below.

Lemon Ginger Prawns

Ingredients

500 gms jumbo prawns shelled and deveined but with tail intact

2 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

6 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp white pepper powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp red chilli flakes

4 tbsp lemon juice

1 lemon zest

Salt as per taste

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together to form a marinade. Add the prawns and refrigerate it overnight in an airtight container. In the morning, give it a stir once again and take it out of the fridge just half an hour before grilling. Preheat the oven at 200 degrees. Skewer the prawns and roast them for 12-15 minutes or till prawns become opaque and fully cooked. If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes. This will avoid the burning of the skewers in the oven.

                                              

    

Hara Bhara Pomfret

Ingredients

3-4 pomfret fish cut into fillets

A bunch of spring onions (roughly 1 cup chopped)

A handful of coriander leaves 

1 tsp Tamarind paste 

3-4 dry red chillies (adjust as per your taste)

3-4 pods garlic

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt to taste

Directions

In a grinder, add all the ingredients and make a course paste. Marinate the fish in this mixture for 3-4 hours in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Take out the fish 30 minutes prior to grilling. Preheat the oven at 200 degrees and grill the fish in a greased baking tray for 20-25 minutes turning once in between so that both the sides get a grilled look.

                                          

    

Pomfret in Orange Sauce

Ingredients

2-3 pomfret fish cut into fillet

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 tsp red chilli flakes

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup honey

1 onion finely chopped

Directions

Mix all the ingredients along with the pomfret and keep in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool place for 3-4 hours. You cannot keep it in the refrigerator else the honey will crystallise. Preheat the grill at 200 degrees and grill the fish in a greased baking dish turning alternately for 20-25 minutes or until nicely done.

                                             

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients

1 kg chicken drumsticks/thighs, skin removed

1 pkt (50 gms) tandoori chicken masala

1 cup yogurt

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

4 tbsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

Few drops of red food color (optional)

Directions

Mix all ingredients and marinade the chicken in this mixture overnight in an airtight container in the refrigerator. In the morning, give the container a shake and take it out of the refrigerator 1 hour prior to grilling. Preheat an oven at 200 degrees and grill the chicken in the oven grill plate for 30 mins while turning in between. 

                                          

Note: The above quantities can be tweaked as per your serving size. Use your discretion. The pictures of the final dishes could not be taken properly as it was an outdoor event.