Uncles, Mom and Dad have left for work. It’s just my Amma (grandmom) and I. It’s the peace after the storm.
With no one to order me around, tease me, or make me bring things, I very quietly walk to the balcony and hold the railings with my two tiny little hands and start my favorite pastime. Watching people. A variety of people with a myriad of emotions: preoccupied looks, busy smiles, the nervous laughter, all for different reasons. They all were in a rush to get somewhere. I was plain amazed by that. I looked at their clothes, their make up and everything. I remember one day asking my grandmom, pointing to a lovely looking girl: “She looks so pretty ma, will I ever be as beautiful as her?” To that she responded, “You, my dear, are much prettier than her and without all that makeup!” That made me feel good then. My ego booster, my Grandmom.
We sit chatting for a bit…..Until we hear the sounds of the guy we were waiting for….
The fish guy would push his wooden cart which had 1 large wheel on each side, with a huge cane basket filled with ice, to keep the fish fresh. He visited the streets every morning, and would be around until the last of fish was sold, which wouldn’t take long. His voice raised a bit as he neared the regular customer’s home. He would shout out ‘‘MEEN’ Meenuma MEEN” (which means Fish;), my Amma (grandmom), a sea food fanatic,would ask me to tell the guy to wait for her until she gets down to the street. Holding her pallu (corner of her saree/dress), I would tag along dragging her to begin bargaining which never seemed to end. After a discussion, they settle and although the guy seems annoyed while she bargained, they part with a smile and a promise to come back tomorrow with some fresh caught fish. She bought all sorts of fish from him, but preferred KING Mackerel (vanjaram in tamil) for her famous Fish curry.
The process of buying was the easiest. She would take it to the back side of the home, sit down on her one foot wooden stool which had a sharp knife attached to the front of it, and started working on the fish. Scraping away the scales, washing it with salt and turmeric, slicing it into uniform pieces, was just the beginning. Watching over her all the time, I would squirm seeing the head and tail in the pot, she would tell me “That’s the best part chellam(my dear one).” Freshly grinding the masala in the huge mortar, the meager home that we lived in started to smell like the sea. With a cup of oil floating atop a clay pot, fish simmering in its spicy gravy, we were minutes away from the famous MEEN Kozhumbu (fish curry). She never changed the ritual of calling me to give a slice on a steel plate right off the pot which was simmering on the stove. Juicy, moist, flavorful and divine, it was like the feeling of satisfaction when you drink a glass of cold water after a long water-less day in a dessert. It was simply the best bite and probably something that’s embedded in my brain till date. “The more the fish curry soaks, the better it tastes,” she said. The clay pot was covered and kept in a cool place in her kitchen to get ready for tomorrow’s meal.
- 3 king mackerel or any white fish cut to 3 inch pieces
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp salt
- meethi/fenugreek seeds - ¼ tsp
- coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
- onion - 1 small roughly chopped
- garlic - 4-5 cloves
- ginger- ! inch
- coriander/cilantro - 1 cup or 2 whole bunches
- green chillies - 4 or accordingly
- 3 tbsp any flavorless oil
- ½ tsp brown mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 10-12 fresh or dried curry leaves
- light coconut milk - ½ cup+1/3 cup (if you are using the can, skip the top cream and use the bottom milk)
- Salt
- Wash the fish very well, pat dry and keep on a plate. Add some turmeric and ½ tsp salt and mix well and let sit for few minutes.
- Toast the fenugreek seeds and coriander seeds on a medium heat until you smell the spices and powder it.
- In a pan with 2 cups of water, boil the onion, ginger and garlic for 10 minutes. Discard the water and grind the onion, ginger and garlic to a fine paste in the same container that you ground up the fenugreek and coriander. Try not to add any water while grinding it. Set aside.
- Grind the cilantro/coriander, mint and green chillies and grind to a fine paste, set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed pan, add 3 tbsp of oil, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and 12-14 curry leaves. Let is pop. Then add the onion, ginger-garlic mixture with ¼ tsp salt and saute very well on low heat until the raw smell of the onion goes(10 minutes),add the coconut milk and again keep stirring and saute until the whole mixture is thickened up, oozing oil from the sides. It will take about 10 minutes. Now add the fish and coat in the mixture and let the fish brown a bit on both sides.
- Once it is 50 percent cooked and browned on both sides, add the cilantro/mint/green chilli paste, mix well. Check for salt. At this point, if you want to add water, add ½ cup and no more. Cover and cook on simmer for 6-7 minutes or until the fish is cooked and flaky.
- Add the coconut milk, turn off the heat and let it sit at least 2 hours before serving.
How delicious Ash!! I also made a curry but a Kerala fish curry. Recently I’ve had huge cravings for curries and spicy food because I went for a week without any chilli. I should definitely give this a go!
I really need to make the mango fish curry, one of my favorites too. Craving for curries do hit hard. Glad you made it my dear.
Have a great weekend. xoxo
Ok I love your stories! Period! 🙂 Gosh you would not believe! But the simplest recipe like dokhla that my grandma and mom used to make, I just cant get the same taste ever! lol. I will have to spend a day with my grandma, or my masi to master it! 🙂
Aww, you are sweet. Thanks for your support always. WE all have so many memories etched in our hearts, they are precious. You really should just spend a day and learn my dear and write about it.
Thanks my dear for stopping by.xx
What a great memory, Asha!! Like Amisha said, love your stories and was remembering your post on the jam when I was reading this 🙂 Gorgeous pictures as always too !
You are right, the same grandmom. She really created a lot of memories for me. Thanks Bina. xoxo
Wonderful story, Asha!! I can totally relate to grandmom stories. All the pampering and variety of food they would make for us with so much patience and love…always. You took me to my grandmoms house through your beautiful story. Keep writting…hugs.
Thanks so so much for your never ending support Bansi. Yes, they really were so patient and their food was unparalleled. I am so glad I could transport you, we are the emotional kind. Hugs my dear.
xoxo
This is absolutely smashing! I am so going to try this out Asha…..
Thanks so so much for stopping by dear.
xox
????to your memory. I enjoy reading your story. Lovely pictures and delicious fish curry.
Thanks so so much mum. You know about my memory;).
xoxo
Hats off to your memory
Asha, I wish you would write a cookbook one day, replete with your stories for all the dishes you make. It was wonderful to read this…brought back a sea of forgotten childhood memories. Thank you for sharing the delicious recipe and reminding us to stop to cherish what we had and what we have.
Your support means a lot to me. Thank you so so for your kind comment, that is exactly what it is, to cherish the moments and pen them if we can.
God willing, a cookbook will come soon. Hugs.
What a great story Asha.. Your writing is so beautiful and captivating.
I have never had fish curry before but the way you describe it made me want to give it a try.
My mom used to make a mean rice pudding. Now, rice pudding is no difficult thing to make, but she would grind the rice instead of putting it in its full form. Also she would use fresh milk from a farm close to our house. To this day, even though I follow her recipe to a tee I still haven’t been able to achieve the same taste. Who knows why? But I think it was her mom touch. She is long gone now, but the taste of that rice putting will be with me until the day I die.
Thanks so much my dear for stopping by and commenting.
I got so emotional reading your memory about the rice pudding. Thanks so much for sharing, so precious. It sounds divine especially with the fresh farm milk and grinding the rice, so perfect.
thanks again and have a wonderful weekend my friend.xo
It is always a pleasure to visit your space Asha. Your food stories are so amazing. Awesome pictures that also talk ! Hatsoff!
You are just so kind. Thanks for visiting.
xx
What beautiful memories Asha! Thanks for sharing those precious treasured moments with us. The curry sounds really good and we love our fish way more than chicken. Oh that pic of the fish in the clay pot…beautiful!
Thanks so much Taruna, those moments definitely are treasured. Hugs my dear.
xx
What a lovely write-up as always! I love good Fish Curry and this sound just perfect! Beautiful pictures and what a lovely dish! Have a lovely weekend my dear Xx
Thanks so so much for stopping by my dear and for such kind words, means a lot.
I seriously would lick the whole plate clean!! Love the curry gravy.
Thanks so so much Angie. It’s an easy and delish curry. Hope you are doing well.
xx
Reading your reminiscing about your grandmother made me float off to memories of mine… and I miss her deeply. My grandmother wasn’t too much of a cook that I recall, but she could cook a mean pot of red beans and rice. I’ve been trying to recreate it, but I know she used ingredients that I don’t now… so the flavor is off (she used ham hocks), but I’m okay with that. They’re still fabulous and I think about her (and my Ma) every-time I cook them! This looks amazing Asha and I can imaging the flavor of this dish with all the warming spices you’ve included. I’m still in search of fresh curry leaves! xo
Aww my dear, sending you hugs. It’s so tough to not have them around. That red beans and rice sounds so good though with ham hocks, wow. I am sure they are proud of you in every way.
Thanks a lot my dear, it’s a simple curry but a flavorful one. I wish I could send you some.
xx
Asha, my grandma used to also say that head and tail of the fish were the best part though I was so freaked out by those 2 parts!
I loved reading your story about your grandma’s haggling and how she went about making fish curry – thaknsk for sharing that and this delicious fish curry – I wish you opened up a restaurant – I’d fly to SF to get me a taste of this fish curry if you served it at your restaurant there!
Exactly, it is freaky.
Thanks so much my dear. Don’t need a restaurant, I will cook for you anytime and get me the cookie of yours:). Have a fun weekend my dear.
Asha..what a coincidence!!! My last post was about a taro root curry that my grandma used to make and I too feel often that I don’t make her curries up to the mark as she used to make. You literally took me to your grandma’s kitchen :). I love reading your memories and those post which takes back to your childhood. A true nostalgia for a real foodie!!
I need to visit and see your curry post, love curries and if it’s your grandma’s, I am sure I will love it. Thank you so much my dear for stopping by.
xo
OK I definitely need to come over so that you can teach me all of these recipes. By the way they look I bet they taste mighty awesome. I love masala anything so I know for sure this would be up my alley. Those dishes are also great. I need to get my hands on some of those metal serving plates 🙂
You will definitely do awesome my dear, your food is spectacular always. Thanks so so much and those brass pans are vintage. Got it from a vintage store and it was so well seasoned, just perfect to cook and serve in. Hope you are doing great my dear.
xo
This looks exceptional dear Ash! We’ll be on the lookout for some fenugreek and curry leaves, those are hard to find here in Greece. We loved the beautiful story with your grandma, the way you describe it is so sweet, full of love! We can’t seem to able to reproduce Panos’ grandfather ancient Greek style pork with quinces recipe ourselves:) Something is missing, like you said in this recipe, and can’t seem to be able to pinpoint it:)
Thank you for another fantastic meal dear, have a beautiful day ahead!
xoxoxo
Aah, see there’s always a dish that feels so hard to recreate. That pork sounds good though.
Thank you so very much. My grandma was a very interesting and inspiring lady, full of life. Thank you for always supporting and your kind words. Means so much to me.
xoxo
Great story! So nicely told. Terrific recipe, too. Fish takes to curry so well, doesn’t it? This looks superb — thanks.
Thanks so much John, you are so kind. Yes, the fish definitely takes to the curry quite well. Hope you are having a great week so far.
Great recipe Asha! I used cod to make curry before and they fall apart easily when cooked. Never thought of using mackerel though. Will definitely try it out!!
Mackerel is definitely a bit sturdier fish. Definitely do try it out and let me know if it works. Thanks for stopping by.
xx
Looks amazing Asha. I make a Dhaniya Fish Curry, but I don’t add Coconut Milk to it. THis is a nice twist. Beautiful pics.