Zimble Yummy Black Pomfret Curry

Just back from a weeks travel through a couple of south Indian cities. The abundant monsoon of the last couple of months seems to have retreated and has been replaced by a balmy but welcome heat and a gentle breeze. Though busy with non-stop travel and meetings one has to stop to admire the plethora of food aromas that waft through the busy city roads, especially when one passes by the busier parts of the city like the bus stands and the railway stations. Trivandrum at one end of India can be the start of a life long passion for marvelling at the variety and diversity of food.

If you look closely, the average Trivandrum restaurant display window is a riot of colours and shapes of various deep fried mouth watering and life shortening delicacies.  Oily orange Jilabies , burnt yellow banana fritters,  Chocolate brown Unniappams, pale green steamed appams in their banana leaf wrappings, gem studded light brown vadas, heaps of blackened chilli studded chicken parts.. It is not a place for the weak hearted when on a diet.

During lunchtime the populace stops what ever they are not doing to sit down and enjoy Kerala’s quintessential afternoon fare – Rice and Fish curry.  Hot rice, fish curry, a lemon juice and a spread of pickles and cucumber/tomato raita is enough for one to be transported back to the simple pleasures of  eating uncomplicated food. This is a guaranteed comfort zone for me – hot rice and a good fish curry; transporting me to a childhood where fish and rice was a staple diet – as dependable as the sunrise.

 This easy to make Black Pomfret Curry is inspired by a traditional Goan fish curry, with some of my essential  personal tastes thrown in.

Ingredients:

Black Pomfret Fish – single fish of 1KG, deskinned and cut as steaks.

Cumin Seeds – half teaspoon

Olive oil ( or any cooking oil) – 2 Table spoons

Coconut Milk – one 500 gm packet of powder in 500ml water

Garlic – 15 – 20 pods

Chilli Powder – 6 teaspoons

Worcestershire sauce – 1 teaspoon

Curry Leaves – 6 fronds

Turmeric Powder – 2 teaspoons

Cocum – 8 pieces

Salt – to taste

The cooking

Clean the fish thoroughly and dry the pomfret steaks on a kitchen towel and keep aside.  Chop the garlic into circular slices and prepare the coconut milk to be ready. Rinse the dried cocum and leave it in half a cup of water to soak.

Heat a large non stick skillet on the fire.  Add the oil and once it heats up add the cumin seeds. Stir lightly with a wooden spoon. Once the aroma of frying cumin seeds come up, add the chopped garlic. Stir lightly to ensure that the garlic stays soft.  Now add the chilli powder and the turmeric powder into the pan. Stir lightly to ensure that the spice is getting fried consistently. The Kitchen should get the sharp tangy smell of chilli and garlic by now.

Add the leaves from two fronds of curry leaves to this mix and the the aroma now gets even better with the curry leaf smell mixing in. after a minute, add the coconut mil to this mixture and stir well. The coconut milk will take on the golden color of the mixture. After 2 minutes add the Worcestershire sauce and the soaked cocoum. 

Now add the fish pieces to the curry mixture, ensuring that the heat is maintained at a low level. Now add the remaining curry leaves. Ensure that the fish pieces are submerged in the curry and cook on low heat for 12 minutes.  Switch off the heat and allow the curry to stand for 5 minutes.

This simple easy to make but aromatic and tangy Black pomfret curry is now ready to be enjoyed with steaming hot rice and a simple cucumber raita.  Throw in a papad and stir up a lime juice for a refreshing and zimble rice and fish curry.