Seafood from Kerala

Very often, I find myself drawing parallels between Assam (the state I come from) and Kerala. Set apart geographically, on opposite sides of the subcontinent, Assam being in the Northeast and Kerala in the Southwest, it is amazing to see the similarity in food, customs and dress. Maybe there was an intermingling of cultures at some point in time.

Was there a migration of sorts I wonder? Can somebody out there throw some light on this or should one put this down to pure coincidence?

Both states are predominantly rice and fish eaters. The difference here is that the Assamese are used to eating fresh water fish only and find the strong flavour and smell of sea fish a bit unpleasant in some of their preparations. I suppose one can put it down to the absence of spices, which mask strong flavours, in Assamese cooking.

However, since I live in Chennai which is on the coast, I don’t have easy access to fresh water fish of my choice. So I have worked my way around this problem.

I get the fishmonger to fillet the fish that I am buying. Once the skin and bones are removed there is almost no fishy smell. (This is where most of the 'fishiness' lies).

One can also smear a paste made from besan (gram flour) and water onto the filleted fish and leave it on for about half an hour. Wash in several changes of water. Dry thoroughly before using.

I also fry the fish lightly before adding it to any curry, even if the recipe doesn’t call for it.  I follow these steps not only for Assamese cooking but for Kerala cooking as well, many recipes of which instruct you to add raw fish to the boiling curry.

This fish curry from Kerala is a family favourite. It is light, flavourful and very fresh tasting. This is how I make it.

Fish Molee

The ingredients

Seer fish or any fleshy fish of your choice     600 Gms, filleted

Salt                                                              1 tsp

Turmeric powder                                         1 tsp

Oil                                                              2 tsp

 Oil for shallow frying

Wash and dry the fish fillets. Cut into slices. Blend together the next three ingredients and rub well into the fish. Set aside for about 10-15 mins.

 Heat a heavy bottomed skillet until a drop of water sizzles, and then pour in the oil for frying. This will prevent the fish slices from sticking to the pan.

Fry a few slices of fish at a time until lightly browned on either side. Lift carefully with a fish slice and drain on kitchen paper to remove excess oil. Set aside.

The gravy

Coconut oil                              1½ Tbls

Onions, sliced                          ¾ cup

Ginger, juliennes                      ⅓ cup

Green chillies                           4-5, sliced

Curry leaf                                3-4 sprigs

Turmeric powder                     ½ tsp

Coconut milk                           2 cups

Hot water as required

Fried fish

Vinegar                                    1 ½ Tbls

Salt to taste         

Corn flour                               2 tsps

Heat the coconut oil gently in a heavy bottomed pan. Sauté the onions, ginger, green chillies, turmeric powder and a few curry leaves until the onions become limp.

Add 1 cup of coconut milk along with ½ a cup of hot water and bring to a gentle boil.

Lower the fried fish into the simmering gravy along with the vinegar, more crushed curry leaves and salt to taste. This needs to simmer gently for about 7–8 mins for all the fresh flavours to come together. Blend in the corn flour with the remaining coconut milk and add it to the simmering curry. Continue the gentle simmer until the gravy thickens; about 2–3 mins.

Serve with rice or crusty bread.

Baked fish and Salads Assamese style

Assam is home to a host of diverse ethnic groups, each one having a traditional cultural heritage.

Pre- independent India saw Assam as one in the group of seven states, in the northeastern part of the country, which came to be known as the Seven Sisters.  Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura formed the rest of the group.

Linked to one another geographically, the Seven Sisters encouraged barter and trade, which in turn led to the intermingling of cultures.

Although independent India, today, sees each of these states as separate entities the assimilated flavours remain.

Not many cuisines in the world have universal appeal. Unfamiliar cuisines are acquired tastes and Assamese cuisine falls into this category. One reason may be that the Assamese people have never been able to market themselves or their culture aggressively.

I remember being asked, when I was in school, whether I required a passport to go to Assam!

So little was known about the region that it was almost non-existent on the map of India. Then, suddenly there it was – Assam on the map of the world as a state in India that created Ulfa, one of the deadliest terrorist groups in the world. Who would have thought that the mild mannered, laid-back Asomia (people of Assam) could group together and hold the entire country to ransom?

Assamese cuisine is unique in its simplicity. It is characterized by the absence of robust flavours typical of Indian cuisine. The prolific use of fresh exotic herbs, fruits and vegetables is what makes this cuisine so wonderful in its simplicity.

Typically, an Assamese meal centers around rice, which is the staple food grown in the state.

Fish is widely eaten, and it is not uncommon to find pukhuris (ponds) in the backyards of many Assamese homes where a variety of small and sometimes large fish is grown.

Lingering flavours in Assamese cuisine come from mustard oil and mustard seeds, fenugreek, cumin and black pepper, whole spices like cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf and of course the ubiquitous panch phuron.

Today’s post has a recipe for the ever so popular Patot diya Maas or fish baked in banana leaves. Traditionally, this preparation cooks over a coal fire and has a wonderful smoky flavour to it.  Your outdoor barbeque would also be a good choice.

However, in the absence of a coal fire or a barbeque you can cook the fish in your oven, as my recipe suggests.

I must mention here that the fish eaten in Assam is primarily fresh water fish such as Rohu, Katla  etc. A variety of small fish is also eaten and savoured. A word of caution though! These varieties of fish, delicious as they may be are loaded with small bones and you have to be as adept as the Assamese in separating the flesh from the bones before swallowing the tasty morsels!


I live in Chennai and I have been using sea fish that is freely available here to make this particular dish with great success. Besides, fish without bones is the only way that I can get my family to eat fish!
Fish baked in banana leaves (Assamese) Serves 4

Fish fillets [Seer or any other fleshy fish]       ½ kg

Unblemished banana leaf                           1 large

Oil for smearing on the leaf   

Marinade

 Mustard oil                                                   1 Tbs

Whole grain mustard paste                         2 Tbs

Salt                                                                1 ½ tsp

Lime or lemon juice                                      2 Tbs

Peeled and sliced onions                            1 cup. Marinate in lime juice.

Coriander leaves, chopped                         1 cup

Green chillies slit                                           4 – 5 or more

Ghee (clarified butter)                                   1 Tbs

  

Method:

Wash and dry fish fillets thoroughly. Whisk all the ingredients for the marinade together and marinate the fish fillets in this mixture for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge.

Remove the central rib from the banana leaf and discard. Clean the leaf with a wet sponge so that it is free from any dust or grit. You will need to cut the leaf into 3 to 4 rectangular shapes about 10” x 12” each, in order to wrap the fish fillets for baking. It doesn’t matter if you get uneven sizes. They can be placed side-by-side overlapping one another.

Fresh banana leaves are crisp and therefore difficult to handle since they tear very easily. To make them limp and more pliable, place them on a hot griddle for a few seconds or in a microwave oven on high power for about 10 seconds. They are now ready for use.

Smear the leaves with oil. Place a layer of the marinated fish in the center of the banana leaf, leaving a border of about 4” all around. Sprinkle the marinated onions, coriander leaves and green chillies on top of the fish layer. Alternate the layers until all the ingredients have been used up. Dot with the ghee.

Fold the border of the banana leaf up to cover the fish completely, using more leaves if necessary to make a neat parcel.

Place the parcel on a 10” x 10” greased baking tray (seam side down) and bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes.

To test for doneness, poke with a skewer. The fish will flake easily.

Remove the outer banana leaves carefully and discard. Lift the cooked fish very gently along with the leaf on which it is resting onto a serving plate and serve as a side dish along with rice and dhal or as a main dish accompanied with buttered vegetables and a crisp salad.

Die-hard Asomia s will surely squirt more mustard oil on to the fish before eating it!

The banana leaves

The ingredients

Tied up in a neat parcel prior to baking

After baking

Sometimes, I make a meal of this dish accompanied by a salad and maybe buttered vegetables on the side. I am posting a couple of salad recipes which have a truly Assamese flavour because of the unconventional dressing that is used. I have to add that some of my friends with conservative taste buds have also been converted!

Mixed salad Assamese style

This is amongst the prettiest salads I have ever seen. The combination of vegetables and the dressing is what makes it so distinctively Assamese.

Like with any other salad, add the dressing just before serving.

Boiled beetroot, shredded                  1

Radish shredded                                 1

Cucumber, shredded                           1

Raw spinach, chopped fine                10 – 15 leaves

Tomatoes, sliced                                  2

Onions, sliced                                       2

Coriander leaves, chopped                1 cupful

Ginger, shredded                                2 Tbs

Green chillies cut into slivers              3 – 4

Dressing

Lime juice                                           1 to 1 ½ Tbls

Salt to taste

Mustard oil                                          1 to 2 tsps

Radish and greens salad

This is another combination of vegetables that makes a delicious salad; using the same dressing.

White radish                               2, sliced into thin rounds (about 2 cups)

Spinach leaves, chopped         1 cup

Coriander leaves, chopped      2 Tbls

Green chillies, sliced                 1 to 2 or more

Setting the Assamese dinner table is incomplete without a small plateful of lime cut into quarters, green chillies, a small bottle of mustard oil and salt. The heat in the food is predominantly from the green chilli and black pepper. The use of chilli powder is an external influence though dried red chillies are used to temper dhal.

Something fishy!

 Try out this recipe. It is delicious and has never failed to impress people ! Serve it with a fresh salad and stir fried vegetables.

                         
 Indian seafood a la creme                         

Fish fillets ¾ kg

Marinade
Oil                                  1 Tbs

Salt to taste          

Pepper                          1 tsp

Lime juice                     1½ - 2 Tbs

Flour                              1 Tbs
Thick cream                  ½ cup
Grated cheese             50 gms 
*Garlic butter                25 gms

Spring onions              4 – 6 chopped fine

Green chillies               2, chopped fine

Coriander leaves        ½ cup, chopped fine

Method
Wash and dry the fish fillets thoroughly. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and marinate the fish fillets in this mixture for a couple of hours in the fridge.

Gently heat approximately 15 gms of the garlic butter and sauté the chopped spring onions and the green chillies until limp. Remove from the heat and blend in the chopped coriander leaves.

Line a well-oiled ovenproof dish with the sautéed vegetables.

Coat the marinated fish fillets lightly with flour and place on top of the vegetables.

Pour the cream over and sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Dot all over with the remaining garlic butter.

Bake in a moderately hot oven [375-400° F or 190- 200° C] for about 25 to 30 mins or until golden brown.

The fish fillets will flake easily when poked with a fork.

*Garlic butter: Pound 2 cloves of garlic fine. Blend into 100 Gms of salted butter, (room temperature). Chill.