Malabar Special Fish Biriyani and Malabar Pudding

Today, April 15, marks the start of a new year according to the Malayalam calendar for us in Kerala (and for Keralites around the world). The day starts first by looking at auspicious and sacred objects arranged in the living room (which have been arranged the night before by the matriarch of the house) in a ritual called "vishukkani". Usually, the eldest in the house wakes up the next younger person and leads him/her to the vishukkani blindfolded and so it continues until everyone is awake. The next ritual, which everyone looks forward to, is "vishukaineetam" where the younger ones get "pocket money" . often in substantial amounts, from the elders. Of course, there's the "vishukkodi", new clothes to wear, and all the fireworks to burst and the temples to visit and.....the food! Vishusadya! This is usually a grand feast laid out on banana leaves, with almost 24 to 28 vegetarian dishes served on it.

The No-Fry Modern Fish Molee

I had earlier blogged about a "no-cook" fish molee (perfect for you singletons-check it out here). 
This "no-fry" fish molee is a lovely variant of the traditional one, a modern twist to a classic favorite, without any spices or spice powders, and it can be made in under 20 minutes! Vegetarians can just substitute the fish with vegetables to come up with an equally delectable vegetable stew....

Fish Preserve Cannanore/Kannur Style

This is a recipe I've posted before, but I'm re-posting it here because I felt it was a unique recipe that was in danger of being forgotten by many in Kerala, especially those of you in the Cannanore/Kannur region. My grandmother, grandaunts, aunts, mother, all used to make and still cook this dish, and so do my cousins and I, but many people in the North Malabar region itself are unaware of this, which is a pity because this is truly a different and delicious way to prepare that all time Kerala favorite-fish!

Mom's "Casual" Fish Vindaloo

Before I start this post, I'd like to first thank all of you who've written in to me enquiring about this blog, or rather my absence from the blogosphere...It felt great to know you're still checking in, inspite of my not keeping it updated and for that, I'm truly apologetic...sometimes life does get in the way of your best intentions! After my last blog post, and starting with the new blog series on the kiddie party menu, a lot of stuff happened-shifting to a new city, home, keeping up with my freelance writing job, etc.-and suffice it to say that something I really enjoyed doing-writing and blogging and keeping in touch with all of you readers-just took a backseat. I will have to abandon my kiddie party menu series for now, but will take it up again as soon as I get hold of the recipe folder that held those recipes! So here's onto a new recipe, minus any series :-)

Fish Pie

It's amazing how late in the day this recipe has made its way into this blog. Amazing because this is one pie I make ever so often and one I can make with my eyes closed! I got the original recipe from my mom, but over the years have modified it such that each time I make it, it's a little different...but I'll try to give a standardized recipe here, to make it easy for you to make it.

The original recipe requires it to be made with fresh fish (mostly with Mackerel, see this to get a clearer picture-in Malayalam  it's called "Ayla"). But I just substitute it with tinned fish, mostly tuna. I'm going to give the recipe as it is with fresh fish, so if you're like me and not inclined to go through the whole process of boiling and deboning the fish, then just skip those steps and use a can of tuna instead!

This recipe is a firm family favorite for dinner (when I was with my parents and also now that I'm a parent myself!). I've also made it for friends and have always got rave reviews....but try it out and see for yourself!

For the benefit of some friends who insist I mention the brands of certain products I use, under the mistaken notion that I'm an expert and anything tried and tested by me must be good (!), from now on I will be providing a list of such brands under the tips section. Please note that nobody is, as of now, paying me to endorse any product-but if by chance the CFO of any of the companies mentioned happen to read my blog, please, please contact me...we can work out a deal :-)

To serve 4

1. 4 fresh Mackerel, cleaned or substitute with 1 can of tuna
2. 4 medium onions, minced finely
3. 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
4. 2 green chillies, chopped finely
5. 2 tomatoes, chopped finely
6. 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
7. A pinch of turmeric powder
8. 1 teaspoon chilli powder
9. 4 slices of white bread
10. 2 tablespoons butter
11. 2 tablespoons oil
12. Half to one cup of milk
13. 1/4 cup bread crumbs
14. 1 to 2 tomatoes, sliced into thin roundels
15. Cheese grated or cheese slices, to cover the dish

• If using fresh fish, boil water in a pan and add the fish to it with a little salt and turmeric.
• When it is cooked, drain the water, wait for the fish to cool and carefully remove all the bones from the fish. Scramble up the fish into flakes and keep aside (if using tinned fish, all you have to do is open the tin and keep aside....your call!!!)
• Spread the butter on the bread slices, pour the milk over it, and mash both together to make a smooth paste. Keep aside (If you want this to be low on calories, skip the butter. But want it high on taste? Obviously, bring on the butter brigade!)
• In a deep skillet, heat the oil and add the onions. Fry till translucent.
• Now throw in the green chillies and ginger-garlic paste. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure the paste does not stick to the pan.
• Now add in the tomato pieces and fry till they get pulped.
• Then add the turmeric powder and chilli powder and fry till the raw smell is gone.
• Now tip in the tomato ketchup and the fish flakes. Stir well to combine, for about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• To this, add the bread-milk mixture and combine everything really well.
• Preheat oven to 180 C.
• Transfer this to a baking dish, sprinkle bread crumbs on top, arrange tomato slices on it, and grate the cheese on top or arrange cheese slices on top of the tomato slices.
• Bake at 180 C for 30 minutes or more until the top gets bubbly and brown.

Since this already has bread incorporated into it, it's great to have with just a green leafy citrusy salad on the side. Or you could still pair it with some hot garlic bread!


TIPS:

According to my mood, at different times I've also added fresh herbs (like coriander leaves) or dried herbs (like oregano or thyme) or a dash of pepper and even a dash of soya sauce for a different taste.
I once added iceberg lettuce leaves along with the onions-it definitely upped the taste and nutrition quotient!


PRODUCT BRANDS USED:

Tinned Fish: American Garden

Ginger-Garlic paste: Mother's Recipe

Cheese: Britannia

Fish Vindaloo (or Fish Preserve)

This is an unusual fish curry recipe, unusual for Kerala, that is, but is very much a true-blue, authentic one, from Cannanore. It used to make a regular appearance on my grandmother's (dad's mom) dinner table, whenever she bought a particular type of fish called "mulluvaala" in Malayalam. I don't know the English name for this fish (if anyone can help on this one, please comment or email me!), but it's an extremely bony one, which is why this method of cooking is perfect for it, as it makes the bones soft, mushy, and chewable. You can make this with any other small, bony fish-I like to use sardines.

This is one of those recipes that nobody knows what the name is, but when my grandma used to make it, I used to be reminded of the pork vindaloo preparations, maybe because of the vinegary flavor to it-so I just named it Fish Vindaloo! I got this recipe from my dad's sister, Kanchana aunty, who used to make it often. This sometimes reminds me of the taste of tinned fish in tomato sauce-it's delicious, very easy to prepare, and keeps well for a few days (if there happen to be leftovers, that is!).

This is a recipe you should try at least once-even if you're skeptical about it!

I'm going to list out the exact, original recipe here. I normally cook it with half the quantity of fish, so naturally, use half the quantity of all the other ingredients.

      Serves 6

1. 50 nos. sardines (about 2 kilos), washed and cleaned, topped and tailed
2. 2-inch piece of ginger, julienned
3. 3 pods garlic
4. 4 green chillies, slit
5. 1 large onion, chopped fine
6. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
7. 1 to 2 tablespoons chilli powder
8. 1 cup vegetable oil (preferably coconut oil for the authentic taste)
9. 1 cup tomato ketchup
10. 1 cup vinegar (reduce this if you want it less tangy)
11. 1 sprig curry leaves
12. Salt to taste

• Now comes the unbelievable part-Just add all the above ingredients into a pressure cooker, mix well, close the cooker and after the first whistle, simmer for 45 minutes-not less and not more!
• Take off the flame after the 45 minutes is up, wait for the cooker to cool, then open and transfer to a serving dish.

Serve hot with rotis, cooked tapioca (kappa), rice, or bread.

TIPS:

Even if you're halving the quantity of fish (and the other ingredients), stick to the 45-minute cooking time.

I have only tried this with sardines, so I don't really know if there are other fish (other than "mulluvaala") that could be suitable for this.
If you are using any other bony fish (like "mulluvaala") which has harder bones, then add half cup of water to the mix.
If you want it less sweet and more spicy, use tomato chilli sauce instead.

Can also be used as a sandwich filling, if you mash the fish afterwards.

Can be used as a preserve-will keep for several months in the refrigerator.

(Most of these tips courtesy Vrindechi, another exponent of this curry!)

Mahe-Style Fish Salad

This recipe was brought to my attention by Vrinda chechi (Vrinda Giri, in Chennai now), who is my dad's cousin (the Fish Baked In White Sauce  that I remembered even after 15 years was cooked by her mom!). From day one of this blog, Vrindechi has encouraged me with her comments and suggestions on the phone, on emails, and on this blog. She herself is a repertoire of recipes and told me that this particular fish recipe was a Mahe classic and used to be cooked quite often during her childhood days. My dad also told me the same thing later. Apparently, there were a lot of innovative cooks back then!

Since recipes like this rarely have a name, Vrindechi and I agreed to call it a "fish salad" because of the similarity this had to a salad dressing (or whatever!). I think its important to document recipes like this, before they get forgotten and lost between generations. Of course, it also fits perfectly in my category of "effortless cooking" and could even be called not just the mother, but the grandmother of all easy fish curry recipes (maybe its the sister of the Pasted Chicken recipe!). It not only looked good, but tasted fantastic and had minimal effort behind it! Hats off to our grandmothers/aunts or great-great grandmothers/aunts who came up with this!

Here's the recipe (Serves 4)

   Fish     4 slices if its the big, fleshy variety or 8 whole pieces of smaller fish

1. Turmeric             1 teaspoon
2. Chilli powder       2 tablespoons
3. Salt                    To taste
4. Onions                1 big, chopped fine or pearl onions 10, chopped fine
5. Green chillies       2, chopped fine
6. Coconut milk       1 cup, thin in consistency (or use coconut milk powder, 5 teaspoons in one cup water)
7. Vinegar               1 tablespoon, but adjust to taste
8. Coriander leaves  2 tablespoons
9. Salt                     To taste

• Make a paste (with water) of the turmeric, chilli powder and salt.
• Marinate the fish in this and rest 10 minutes.
• Shallow fry till lightly done on both sides.
• Now mix all the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
• Next, you have two options. A-Take the fried fish out of the skillet and dunk it into the coconut milk dressing that you just prepared. Or, B- If you're like me and the kind that likes to polish off the skillet in which the fish was fried, oil, masala and all, then go ahead and leave the fish in the skillet itself after frying, take off the heat, and pour the coconut mixture over the fish. Do not stir with a spoon. Just swirl it around.
• It is important to note that you do not need to heat the fish after the coconut milk gravy is added. It might be difficult at first to believe this could be good since its not cooked, but just take it as a salad dressing for fish :-).

That's it! Fish salad ready! Serve with bread or roti or even rice!

Fish Baked in White Sauce (Bechamel)- The Failproof Sauce!

This is a recipe that, frankly, has been around in my family for so many years and has been cooked so many times, and by so many different people, that I don't know who to attribute it to. It is a very quick-to-do dish, which I think is a fusion of Kerala and French cuisine, since the town of Mahe, where my dad is from, was a French colony that geographically lies in Kerala.
I don't know if I can safely take the credit for turning this dish into a bake. The one version of it that I remember, even after 15 years, was made by Chandrammayi, my father's aunt, in Pondicherry. If it had to stick in my mind this long, you can imagine how yummy it was…anyway, here's the recipe without further ado!
The short story (for the seasoned cooks):
Shallow fry fish slices after marinating in some masala (given below). Make the white sauce. Plonk the fish slices in the white sauce and serve (this is the original). My version is to transfer this to a baking dish and bake for 10-20 minutes. Both versions are delicious. Your call!

The long story:
Serves 4. Serve with plain bread slices or even better, garlic bread :-)
• Fish slices (the fleshy variety, preferably sear fish)    4 big or 8 small, thinly cut slices
For the marinade:
1. Turmeric             1 teaspoon
2. Chilli powder       1 tablespoon
3. Salt                    To taste
• Make a paste of these with a little water and smear onto the fish slices. Let it rest for 10 minutes and then shallow fry it for just 2-3 minutes on each side, very lightly. Keep aside.
For the white sauce:
(Make sure the whole process is done on low heat)
1. Butter                    1 tablespoon
2. Milk                      1 cup (add more depending on consistency needed)
3. Plain flour (maida)  1 tablespoon
4. Salt and pepper to taste
• Add the flour and mix it well, making sure it doesn't brown.
• Slowly stir in the milk and mix well, making sure that no lumps are formed. If needed, take the pan off the flame during this stage. Do not let it become too thick if you plan on baking this.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• To Garnish:
1. Tomato             1 big, sliced in thin circles
2. Cheese             Grated, enough to cover the dish
3. Bread crumbs    3/4th cup

• Arrange the fish slices on a bake-n-serve dish, pour the white sauce over the slices, arrange thin tomato slices on top, and grate any soft cheese over it. Sprinkle a thin layer of bread crumbs on top.
• Bake in a 180 C preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the top becomes golden brown.