Slippery Fish, Slippery Fish...

It is a beautiful Sunday morning. Even though it is bone chilling cold outside, the sun is shining. That is more than we can hope for, this time of the year, in the northeast. Around dawn, I left my comfy bed and wandered out to the living room couch. Sometime during the night the girls had slipped in to bed with us. A queen bed can not handle two adults and two kids (who like to sleep perpendicular to each). They are not as tiny as one would think.

As I lay shivering under the threadbare Throw, in my mind I was already forming a list of the chores I needed to get done today. After cooking, cleaning, laundry and spending time with kids, I still needed to find time to complete some office work. Top of the list though was the fish thawing in the fridge since last night. If I didnt make the curry this morning, it would surely spoil. I finally woke up at 9AM. Thanks to day light savings, it was really only 8AM when I woke. Nice!!!

There is a history to the fish curry recipe I am about to share. The recipe has been in my family, handed down at least from my mom's grandmom to her daughters and who knows how far back it goes. We are from the Konkan region of India. This is the coastal area on India's western shore, starting in the state of Maharashtra and extending all the way down to Karwar in the state of Karnataka. The Arabian Sea has blessed this area with an abundance of food. Fish is plentiful. The rich red soil is excellent for growing Rice, Mangoes, Bananas, Cashews and various kinds of nature's bounty. Coconut palms line the shores. The culture is 1000s of years old. In medieval times, the area was involved in sea trade with Arab traders. The language is infused with words from Farsi and Arabic. The culture is rich, the people warm and the food delicious.

I have made a few changes to the recipe to allow for the fact that I live in Northeast Ohio, 1000s of miles from Konkan and dont always have access to all that bounty. I also have to build convenience in to my recipes. When my mom made this curry, she had a maid who did all the prep as per mom's instructions. I cant afford that luxury here, while I juggle cooking with two (demanding) toddlers. My mom had a puritanical approach to food. She would squirm to know that I use store-brought light coconut milk instead of cracking and grating and milking a fresh coconut. Well, moms not here so moving on...

This recipe remains true to the original by using Konkani staples such as Kokum and Teerphal.

Kokum is the dried skin of a sour fruit that grows abundantly through Konkan. It can be found at some Indian grocery stores but the quality is atrocious. I get mine when I visit India. They last for years without spoiling and a little goes a long way. Tamarind Pulp is a good substitute.

Teerphal is a spice that grows almost wild in the Konkan area. It is used widely in Malvani cooking (Malvan is a region of Konkan- the dialect spoken in this area is also called "Malvani"). If you can find an Indian grocer who sells this gem of a spice, let me know. I can guarantee that even most Indians, outside of Malvan, havent heard of it. It is great for killing the fishy smell of fish. Pepper corns are a good substitute for those of you who unlike me, dont have parental ties in Konkan, India.

Fish Curry

Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1-1.5LB Ocean Fish such as King Mackerel (I find mine at Wholefoods).

One large Onion: diced thin

7-8 Kokum or 1 tbsp Tamarind pulp

1 tsp Teerphal (Optional)

1 tsp Chili Powder

2-3 Red Chillies (Optional if you dont like a hot curry)

1 tbsp Dry Coriander Seeds or 1-2 tsp Coriander Powder (Ask for "Dhania seeds" at your Indian grocers.)

5-6 tsp Pepper Corns

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric

1-1.5 tsp Salt

1 tbsp Canola Oil

13.5 FLOZ Lite Coconut Milk or Fresh Squeezed Coconut Milk (Good luck with that!)

 

I use King Mackerel for this recipe. You can use almost any fish or even shrimp. The less stinkier the fish, the fewer the number of peppercorns needed. When I make this curry with shrimp, I may add 2-3 peppercorns per pound.

 

 

Heat up the oil and add the Onions, reserving about 1tbsp of onion for later use. Let soften for 5 minutes on medium heat. Do not burn. Add the turmeric powder and salt. Add the fish, kokum (or Tamarind Pulp) and Teerphal (If available. If adding only Pepper Corns, do not add in this step). Add 1/4 cup water and cover to cook. At this step, you should not smell the fish but rather the aroma of the Teerphal spice.

 

 

In the meanwhile, start prepping the coconut milk and spices.

Roast the red chillies, dry coriander seeds and pepper corns for few minutes on a hot pan.

Grind to a paste with the reserved Onions.

When the fish has cooked through (takes about 10-15 minutes depending on thickness of the filets), add the ground paste, chilli powder and coconut milk to the pan. Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.

Coconut milk tends to separate in to whey and solids if heated for too long on high heat. For a smooth creamy curry, the consistency of the coconut milk must be maintained.

Serve hot with steamed rice.