Friday, November 01, 2013

Diwali Special Fish Curry Rice on Plantain Leaf

Diwali the festival of lights is here and homes are illuminating with oil lamps and fireworks. The elderly and the younger generation mingle and celebrate the festival after having a oil massage and hot water bath the previous day. Among a section of GSB Konkanis, seafood preparations mark the arrival of Diwali after having the oil bath. This unique tradition has been followed by the Konkanis living along the coastal towns of Kerala to Goa since ages. Among the seafood, prawns and King Fish take the prime place and here, I am showing the readers my preference of dishes for pre-diwali seafood dinner.
This year, we thought of having traditional fish curry rice feast on plantain leaf. We got some fresh Mothialo(Bollanjir/Silver Fish) with which Meena made Phannaupkari and GSB style fish Fried. We had them with boiled red rice. This way of eating on plantain leaf not only adds to the flavour of the seafood delicacies but also ensures an easy job for the house wives to dispose off the environmentally friendly leaf and also saves time on cleaning dinner plates.

We also have a special Gojju(chutney) made with Kholambo(Raw Mango in brine) and Pachponosu(Wild Jack fruit in brine) prepared by our neighbour Vinaya Shenoy. This gojju helps in digestion and also induces salivation in the mouth with its tangy taste to sublimate the effects of the fiery hot spicy phannaupkari. A glass of masala buttermilk completes the feast.
GSB style Fried Fish:

Ingredients:Mothialo(Silver Fish) - 25
Red Chilli powder - 4 Tsp
Tamarind extract - 1 Tsp
Salt - To taste
Asafotoeda - A pinch dissolved in little water
Rice Powder - QS
Cococnut Oil - For deep frying


Method:

Clean wash and marinate fish with red chilli powder, salt, tamarind extract and asafotoeda for 30 mins.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
Roll the marinated fish in rice flour one by one to coat evenly and deep fry on medium flame till crisp.
Serve hot with fish curry rice, with a lemon wedge and onion slices.


Note: Same recipe can be adapted to fry any other fish like Mackerels, Sardines, Kaane, Ademeen, Pomfret or King Fish.

Kholambo and Pachponosu in Brine Gojju:

In Konkani Raw Mango pickled in brine is called Kholambo and Wild Jack Fruit is called Pachponosu. Raw mango is pickled in brine in summer and the pickled mango stays unspoilt for a year till the start of next season. Wild Jack Fruit is also preserved similarly and these are stored in cool dark places in Porcelain Clay Jars in Mangalorean house holds. These are used in curries but gojju or chutney is most popular.

This requires no heat and is a healthy tasty gojju that goes well with Boiled Red Rice Gruel(Congi) or rice and curds. This is a grandma's recipe passed over from generations to generations. A simple delicacy formulated in the rural places of Coastal Konkan, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala.

Ingredients:
1. Raw Mango in Brine(Kholambo) - 1(250Gm)
2. Wild Jack Fruit(Pachponosu) in Brine - 1(300Gms)
3. Grated Coconut - 1 Cup
4. Green Chillies - 5-6
5. Garlic Flakes - 6-8
6. Cococnut Oil - 2-3 Tsp

Method:
Cut and wash the mango to remove excess salt.
Cut, clean and wash the wild jack fruit.
Chop the green chillies.
Peel and chop the garlic flakes.
Pound the mango, wild jack and green chillies in a mortar or run in the chutney jar of the mixie till coarsely ground.
Add coconut oil and mix well.

Note:
1. Since the mango and wild jack are pickled in brine, no need to add salt.
2. You can also add hing instead of garlic. A generoous pinch should suffice if added while grinding the ingredients.
3. You can also replace green chillies with roasted red short chillies but use only 3-4 red ones instead of 6-8 green ones.

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