The Portuguese also traveled to the Americas and occupied parts southern India, and there is evidence to suggest they were responsible for the introduction of chillies to the region of Goa, which occupies part the south western coast of India. Having traveled through India and Goa I have had the chance to taste some of the fantastic food the subcontinent has to offer.
All through Goa you can buy this delicious fish curry, often made with Pomfret, though any firm white flesh fish will do. The beauty of Goan cuisine is its diversty of influences. Unlike other parts of India, the major religion here is Christianity which means people are free to eat beef and pork, which are off limits to many Hindu and Muslim Indians. Along with this, the influence of the Portuguese has meant you can find spicy Goan sausage and other Portuguese influences scattered throughout menus. Finally, the climate and location mean that tropical fruit and coconut trees grow well here and these in turn find their way onto your plate.
This fish curry combines the fish with a simple spice blend, a strong sour note of tamarind and thickened with fresh coconut. A really simple curry that really took me back to lazy days along the beaches of Goa.
Recipe for Goan Fish Curry
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1 1/2" lump of tamarind
1/2 cup hot water
1 large onion sliced
1 large tomato sliced
7-8 dry red chillies
2 tbsps garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 whole coconut grated
2 tbsps coriander powder
2 tbsps cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2 green chillies slit
2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
Hot water for gravy (approximately 2 cups)
Salt to taste
Soak the tamarind in 1/2 a cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Now mash the tamarind with your fingers to mix it well into the water. Strain through a sieve to extract all the pulp. Keep pulp aside.
Put the onion, tomato, coconut, ginger, garlic, dry red chillies, all the spices and the tamarind pureé into your food processor and grind well to make a smooth paste (masala).
Heat a deep pan on a medium flame, add the oil and heat.
Add the green chillies, masala paste you just ground to the oil and fry for 5 minutes.
Now add the 2 cups of water (add more water if you would like more gravy) and bring the gravy to a boil. Reduce the flame to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Gently add the pieces of fish to the gravy and cook for 10 more minutes. Do not cover the pan at any time during the cooking.
Turn off the fire and serve immediately with plain boiled rice.
thanks for the recipes guys!
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