Red Fish Curry — Meen Vevichathu

It’s a beautiful bright morning with golden ribbons of sunshine streaming through the window filling the room with light, warmth and happiness. Enjoying a cup of tea, and a good few minutes lost in excitement of the upcoming family wedding, and thoughts drifting to pastel, floaty dresses, country charms and rain puddles, and lingering so, suddenly, I was in a mood to connect. I was missing home—it’s been a while—and my mind was filled with a multitude of beautiful images and memories from happy times before. So today I wanted to share something from my homeland, one that we lovingly call “God’s Own Country”—the lush costal strip of southern India where ayurveda, mansoon, backwaters and kathakali rules. Fortunately, I had some naadan, aka desi material in my draft, and I gave in to the urge.

I’ve been meaning to share this fish curry recipe for a while now. However, with the thermostats climbing daily, must confess I’m more and more drawn to chilly drinks, and somehow end up flaunting my love affair—summer sips—each time I stop by.

Spice Crusted, Pan-fried, Sole — Manthal Fry

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We have seen a total dip in the temperature in the last few days here in Qatar and the other GCC states as well. Cold weathers like this stir an urge to spend as much time near the warmth of the oven, concocting plenty of delightfully spicy noshes and nibbles to lift the spirit and keep the body warm. But compared to last January, when I published like 21 recipes, it looks like I’ve been on kitchen hibernation this year—just two recipes to credit so far. It seems like forever since I posted a savory recipe too. So today, I decided to come out of the rut and put a stop to all that.

With cold weather, the thing is, I’m always craving something hot and spicy. The kind of dish that will make my insides warm. Like this impressive sole dish. 

It’s amazingly warming, deeply satisfying, and tastes heavenly too—perfect for winter. Hmm, did I tell you that I have a particular weakness for pan-fried dishes? Yes, I do. And this one has all the necessary qualities I prefer—use of Indian spices for a beautiful balance of tart and spiciness, with plenty of south Indian ingredient, curry leaves, thrown in for good measure, and a deliciously flavorful char on the crust. This makes an incredibly fast yet special weekday meal and has all the factors for elegant entertaining too.

Claypot Fish Curry with Coconut Milk — a welcome simplicity to the dining table that couldn’t be more delicious

Featured on the Kitchn Delicious Links, 

and Ten Killer One Dish Recipes at Justb.

There are so many festivities this time of the year, I realize I haven’t posted anything simple, or laid-back, for a while now.

High on my list of comfort food would be something pretty traditional from the coastal idyll of my roots. Fish and seafood, for example, would be perfect as my homeland—Kerala—is particularly known for its brilliant seafood delicacies. It makes me smile in reminiscence of the visit from the fishmonger carrying a basket of daily catch balanced on their head, letting out a long howl at the top of their voice, koooooooo…, announcing their arrival. It is a different scenario these days where they turn up on bicycles or mopeds honking their arrival in the neighborhood. People living in towns invariably go to fish markets or supermarkets to buy seafood.

Kerala Prawn and Drumstick Curry — Chemmeen Muringakka Curry

It’s a shame that I’m not able to post here regularly. These days I’m all over the place, and invariably end up tight for time. That’s just why I haven’t been able to visit your lovely spaces, to be inspired by what’s cooking in your kitchen. Sorry guys—but I promise to there soon.

I’ve also been hoping, in vain, to work towards at least two posts per week. But even such a modest figure seems quite ambitious now, ah. Frankly, a lot of times, I find it challenging to meet my own expectations of high editorial standards. For instance, with this prawn curry recipe, though I am excited to share the taste with you, I’m disappointed with the photos and styling. I’m like, I don’t think anyone’s ever gonna come back after seeing such pictures. Weird, huh? I know. This's gotta stop. On the contrary, it got to such a point that I had to pressure myself into publishing this recipe as is. Basically, what reflects here is my desire for quality as opposed to quantity. And the funny part is, I'm not even sure if I'm meeting my own expectations, duh! This is exactly why I admire people who post unfailingly 3-4 times a week,  that too without compromising on quality. Kudos, guys. You rock!

Clams Fry — Kakka Irachi Varuthathu

We love shellfish. Everyone in my family does. We especially adore clams and mussels marinated in freshly ground spices and shallow-fried with plenty of curry leaves. Much to our regret, it is simply too hard to find fresh clams or mussels in Doha and even more rare to find fried shellfish around the menus here. Sigh.

 

In the coastal area, where my husband comes from in Kerala, exotic food like shellfish is found in abundance. Truly world-class prawns, crabs and clams are plentiful, and that too with no hefty price tags. My mother-in-law uses the freshest succulent seafood to make simply rustic dishes that are just too scrumptious and finger-licking good.

Country Style Fish Stew — Fish Moilee

Kerala has long attracted visitors to its shores from every corner of the globe since time immemorial: Phoenicia, Greece, China, Arabia, Syria, Portugal, France and Rome. Needless to say, these civilizations left their imprint on the local culture, cuisine and religious practices. Several of the world’s great religions are found here—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. Jews dating back to 562 BCE, Christians to CE 52 and Muslims to CE 643.

Crispy and Crunchy Tuna Cutlets with Panko

I don’t care about fat or not, I have a (unhealthy?!!) weakness for deep-fried food. Some of my fondest childhood memories center around my visits to the Indian coffee house, an Indian-based restaurant chain, and enjoying their mouthwateringly delicious cutlets with a cup of chai. This used to be the high point of my visit to the city those days. My other fond memories are centered on my girlhood days in Abu-Dhabi when my mom used to make these gorgeous tuna cutlets and I would wait in anticipation to gorge on the hot patties. Cutlets have a warm fuzzy feel to it that makes it very comforting and equally appetizing to me. With such history, it is little wonder that this dish was my crowning glory when I started cooking, after marriage.

Fish Fry with Red Hamour

I’ve been pretty lame this week, I know. My apologies. I’ll put in more efforts. Soon, I promise.

With that annotation, let me go straight to the recipe.

Fish fry recipes are as varied as the cuisine of a region to the cooks who make them. This recipe is quick, easy and very delicious. It can be made with any fleshy white whole fish or even fish fillets. I used whole baby hamour and it tasted awesome. The key is to fry with a generous amount of curry leaves.

Fried Sardine — Mathi Varuthathu

Finding fresh sardines in the market is a treat, and it is hard to resist the temptation of buying these smelly, oily, toothsome little creatures. The sardines we get back home are much smaller than the ones found here. But they are still such heavenly little bites when pan-fried! They sure outshine any other fried fish, I say.

Fish Fillets in Coconut Sauce — Chettinad Meen Kozhambu

Chettinad, a region in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is famous for its delicious, aromatic cuisine. This wonderful warming Chettinad fish curry is perfect for a family meal or for entertaining friends. You can use any fleshy white fish fillets like hamour, snapper or king fish to make this dish. Also, you can serve it with rice or your choice of bread – it goes well with anything.

Prawns in Tangy Masala - Chemmeen Ularthiyathu

I’m suddenly gripped by this burst of energy and I’m all ready to rock and roll. Don’t ask why. Nah, it’s okay. This one seems like a no-brainer, but, seriously, I’m happy. I’m happy to be doing something I like. Life never fails to surprise us, huh. Oh yeah. When I had a full time job and a live-in housekeeper, cooking was an activity I used to indulge in only during the weekends or when I was entertaining. Now, I’m cooking a ton, photographing my way to happiness, sharing it with y’all and making new memories. Ah!

Okay, back to the subject matter. Chemmeen Ularthiyathu or prawns cooked in tangy masala is yet another Syrian Christian delicacy. The seafood is stewed in kokum  broth in an earthern pot or manchatti. Kokum (Garcinia indica) is a berry-like fruit the size of a small orange, used as a souring agent in fish curries. In Malayalam, it is known as kudam puli.  I simply love this dish for the exotic combination of the crunchy coconut pieces with the flavored prawns. To me, it’s something comforting; at the same time it tastes incredible.

Fiery Red Prawn Curry — Chemmeen Mulakittathu

 

Our usual lunch includes rice, fish, vegetables and yoghurt. Oh yeah, fish. We cook and eat fish and seafood a lot and often. I guess that’s the influence of being a native of the coast. Coastline of any country has a unique, exciting cuisine different from the rest of the land. One of the blessings of life on the Malabar Coast is that we get to enjoy fresh fish, seafood, vegetables, and poultry. Yes, all fresh. The chicken running around in the courtyard is caught and dressed to prepare spicy delicacies. Fresh seafood and fish is boiled in earthern pots made from local red clay, and firewood is used to impart a smoky flavor to dishes. Ah, those good carefree days.

Kerala Style, Spiced, Aromatic Prawn Roast — Chemmeen Roast

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Prawns, eh?!! Yum! 

This recipe is so easy to prepare and mouthwateringly delicious—trust me! Both my kids, including my youngest who is a fussy eater, totally love this. 

A family favorite, it is, and my crowning glory at home. Why not make it yours!??

Karimeen pollichathu — Pearlspot fish grilled in banana leaf

Featured on Foodbuzz Top 9

Actually, meen pollichathu is a Syrian Christian delicacy from Kerala. Fresh fishes like pomfret or pearl spot are flavored in a spicy, tangy marinade and grilled to perfection wrapped in banana leaves to lock in the taste and moisture. Result? Zingy, tender, succulent fish--simply delish! Fish fillets like king fish can also be prepared this way. To me, a vacation in Kerala is never the same without enjoying this delicacy from the Grand hotel in Ernakulam, Kochi—they serve one of the best grills in town.