Sun, Sea and Fish Curry

During our annual trip to Goa, my family would wait patiently for all the religious rituals and temple visits to end so we could eat the amazing seafood that Goa is famous for.

The day went something like this - stop at a roadside shack for a quick breakfast then drive lazily along winding roads with the sea following you like a stalker (Goa forces you to do this - ie. not have an agenda. The Goans' attitude to life can be summed up by this quintessential Goan word - sossegad, which means to take it easy), chance upon a quaint eatery that smells like your mother's kitchen, place your order for fried catch of the day & fish curry, plant your wobbly plastic chair under a benevolent palm and savor every morsel.

You can take as long as you want, this is Goa after all, and time is of no concern. When utterly sated, end this sumptuous meal with kokum kadhi and force your eyes to stay open till you reach the car!

Well without further ado here is the Goan fish curry. Mind you the experience is incomplete without all the factors mentioned above, but we can try!

GOAN FISH CURRY
(adapted from 'The Essential Goa Cookbook')
(serves 2-3)
1 medium size silver pomfret (or any other firm, white fish)
1/2 medium size onion, chopped fine
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
salt to taste
Grind fine with a little water -
4-5 dry red Kashmiri or Bedgi chilies*
4 cloves garlic
3-4 peppercorns
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1 cup grated coconut, fresh or frozen

Clean and slice pomfret lengthwise. Pat dry with a kitchen towel. Apply salt and turmeric and keep aside.

Place chopped onion and ground paste in a pan. Add a cup of water. Bring to a boil on low heat. Add tamarind paste and season with salt.

Finally add fish slices, bring to a second boil then simmer for a few minutes. Serve hot with rice and kokum saar or sol kadhi.

* Make this curry in the morning to serve at dinner, or even better the next day.
* It is Kashmiri chillies that give Goan curries their distinctive color and taste. They are not too pungent but impart color to the dish. Use these (or Bedgi) if possible.

KOKUM SAAR (Tival)
Think of kokum saar as 'sol kadhi' before she gets pretty in pink!
Ingredients
6-7 pieces of kokum
1-2 green chillies, slit
1 large garlic clove
1-2 peppercorns
salt and jaggery to taste
finely chopped cilantro to garnish

Steep kokum in 2 cups of hot water for about twenty minutes. Add minced garlic, chillies and coarsely crushed peppercorns. Let sit for an hour. Season with salt and jaggery. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro at the time of serving.

This saar tastes best when chilled in my opinion but you could serve it at room temperature too. It goes well with non vegetarian curries or spicy dishes. (See also cilantro & tomato saars)

SOL KADHI
To make sol kadhi add a cup of coconut milk and omit jaggery. Steep the mixture for 1-2 hours so flavors blend well.