Pomfret Recheado ( The Truly Goan 'Chakna' )

N: What's your idea of a perfect paradise for travelers ?

P: A place lined with endless pristine beaches buffeted by the enigmatic blue green waters that stretch as far as one can see.

N: Sigh, that's interesting. Did you miss anything ?

P: How about some heritage buildings to bring on that old world charm !

N: Good doing. Anything else you want to add to that list ?

P: Ummm. Maybe a hidden cove or two to up the mystery quotient.

N: Ahh. Now you getting better. How about capping it up with something to cater to those baser instincts ?

P: Yesss. How could I forget ? I wish for dozens of beach-side shacks serving seafood to the tune of some exotic music ( Bollywood, gimme a break ),

N: That's my girl ! Now you are getting almost as good as me ! You have almost seduced me into believing that Nirvana is within arm's length. I could spend my entire life listening to the music made by the waves while lying in one of those seaside shacks. Goa, here I come !!!

Snap. Snap. But just as I am about to slip into the throes of this fantastic daydream, I remind myself that the blog post needs to be up before the terminator arises from his afternoon siesta. (Focus, focus, focus.) Still wondering about that conversation ? That's just me ( P aka Poor little pedestrian me who is happy to make do with whatever life throws at me ) and my doppelganger ( N aka Narcissist me who is always striving to break free and reach for the stars ) making those noises in my head. :)

Back to the beaches of Goa. Given the reputation of being a drunk's paradise, it is hardly surprising that Goan food includes some delectable 'chaknas' or those finger foods that go wonderfully well with alcohol. Spicy and tangy, and often marinated in some kind of toddy (local brew), they add punch to the beers and the fenis that are part of the Goan charm. One such dish is the fish Recheado. While it can be made with other varieties, I picked up a nice and juicy Pomfret for mine.

And since my family tree is very much restricted to the eastern parts of the country, I had to refer to this wonderful recipe by Chef Sainora ( Marriott resort, Miramar). Tweaked it a bit as per my preferences and it turned out to be amazing !! I served it with white rice, yellow dal and a salad.

Read on -

Preparation Time - 1 hour 15 mins ( includes 1 hour marination time)


Ingredients -

• 1 Pomfret fish ( 250 gm )
• 4 dry red chili
• 2 inch cinnamon
• 3-4 cloves
• 2 green cardamom
• 10-12 garlic flakes (fat ones)
• 1 inch ginger
• a thumb nail sized piece of tamarind
• a pinch of cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 small onion(finely chopped)
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/3 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp oil for frying
• 2-3 tsp vinegar( toddy vinegar preferably )
• lemon wedges for garnishing
• onion rings for garnishing

Preparation - Soak the dry spices and the ginger and garlic in vinegar . Grind into a smooth paste along with the tamarind.

Cooking - Brown the onions using about 1 tsp oil. Add the spice paste to the same wok. Fry for 2 mins. Add the sugar and salt to taste. Remove from heat and keep aside.

Clean the fish,make a slit and remove everything from the belly. Also remove the soft mass from the head. Make 2-3 slits on each side. Stuff the masala inside the fish and also rub it all over the sides.

Sprinkle lemon juice and salt over the fish. Marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the fish and fry on each side for 7-8 mins.

Remove from skillet and garnish with lemon wedges and onion rings.

Serve hot.

Masor Tenga (A simple Assamese Fish Curry)

"Your place or mine ??". "Let's go to yours. I have spent most of the morning cleaning up mine. Don't want to mess it up just yet".

Before most of you start smirking at the impure thoughts that have started to form in your heads (thanks to watching repeated episodes of that immensely popular show Savdhan India), let me inform you that it was just a banal discussion about where the kids should play. It has become the topic of regular conversation among my neighbors ever since the Dengue infested mosquitoes have started swarming Bangalore.

It was on a day like this when I had ended up exhausted with a marathon cleaning session and did not want to do much cooking. I remembered the fish sitting in my fridge. Thinking about a simple fish curry to go with white rice, I jogged my grey cells which are dying off at an alarming pace thanks to the Saas Bahu soaps that I am forced to watch these days. Masor Tenga. I did not have elephant apple which is the souring agent of choice but I went ahead with lemon juice instead. And it was just what I wanted for lunch.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 pieces Rohu fish
• 2 medium sized tomatoes
• 3-4 green chilis
• 2 pinch fenugreek seeds
• 1 /2 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste
• good quality mustard oil
• lemon juice as per taste
• cilantro for garnishing

Preparation - Wash the Rohu fish and pat it dry. Rub 1/4 tsp turmeric and salt to taste over the pieces. Let it marinate for 10 mins.

Chop the tomato into small pieces.

Cooking - Add sufficient oil for shallow frying the fish. When it is hot and just about to start smoking, add the fish. Fry on both sides to a light brown on medium flame. Remove from the pan and keep aside.

Add 2 pinch fenugreek seeds to the oil. When it turns brown, remove the seeds from the pan.

Add the slit green chili and chopped tomato. Cook till the tomato turns mushy.

Add the remaining turmeric and a little salt. Cook for 2 mins.

Add 1 1/2 cup warm water . Bring to boil and add the fried fish. Lower flame and let it simmer uncovered for 10 mins.

Switch off the flame. Add lemon juice as per taste and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Serve immediately with white rice.

Note - One can use the sour country tomatoes instead of lemon juice for better flavor !!

Poppy encrusted Rohu Fish Fry

Was in a very relaxed mood this Sunday after a great dinner @ Village restaurant (Total Mall, Sarjapur) and did not want to ruin the mood by indulging in too much cooking. Hence decided to keep it simple with a fish fry and a simple vegetarian side along with dal-chawal. But did not want to repeat the regular style that we usually adopt while making the fish. That is when I noticed the packet of poppy seeds peeking out from the grocery bag (which was unpacked as I was feeling lazy) and decided to go for an encrusted fish fry. The mild flavours that I used in the marinade complemented the nuttiness of the poppy seeds. While I used fish slices which still had bones in them, I feel that this would taste even better with fish fillets.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10-12 mins (plus 30-40 mins marination time)

Ingredients -

• 4 slices of Rohu fish
• 4 garlic flakes
• 2 green chilis
• 4 tbsp coriander leaves
• 4 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 egg white 
• 1/2 tsp corn flour
• 2 pinch turmeric
• 2 pinch black pepper
• 4-5 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation - Make a paste out of the garlic, green chili and coriander leaves. Add salt and turmeric to the paste. Rub it all over the cleaned fish slices and allow to rest for 30-40 mins.

Beat the egg white with the cornflour, pepper and a little salt. 

Cooking - Heat the oil in a non stick frying pan. 

Remove the fish from the marinade and coat it with the egg wash.

Place the fish slices over the pan and drizzle the poppy seeds generously all over the pieces.

Fried Fish Parcels (with Turmeric leaf)

Few days back, I had posted the recipe for fried fish parcels using the banana leaf. Loved the flavour that it imparted to the fish and wanted to try out the recipe using various other kinds of leaves like pumpkin, saal, etc which are generally used in the villages of Odisha. But since I could not get my hands on any of these, my Mom suggested that I give it a try with turmeric leaves. With Prathamashtami celebrated a few days back, some of these leaves were still lying in the fridge. I had eaten enough Enduri during the past week and so I decided to put these super aromatic leaves to a different use.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 4 pieces of Mirkali fish (Rohu/Bhakura is also fine)
• 2 tsp mustard-garlic-coconut-green chili paste 
• 1 1/2 tsp mustard oil
• 2-3 green chilis (slit lengthwise)
• 2 pinch turmeric
• 1/5 tsp salt
• 2 tsp mustard oil for frying
• 8 pieces of turmeric leaf


Preparation - Wash and marinate the fish with salt, turmeric and mustard-coconut paste. Leave aside for 10 mins.


Make a cross with two turmeric leaves. Place a piece of fish in the centre. Drizzle mustard oil over it and place 2-3 pieces of slit green chili. Close the parcel and secure it with a string.


Cooking - Heat the mustard oil on a pan. Once it gets smoking, add the parcels and immediately lower the flame. Once the leaf on the bottom surface has turned brown with black spots showing at some places, flip it over. Let it sit on the pan till the leaf turns brown. (it takes roughly 7-8 minutes to cook on each side)


Switch off the flame and remove the pan. Keep aside for 5 minutes.


Carefully open the parcels and discard the leaves.


Serve hot with white rice and dal.

Note - For the mustard paste, the ratio of the ingredients is ' 2 tsp black mustard seeds : 2 tbsp freshly grated coconut: 4 garlic cloves : 1 green chili '. 

Fried Fish Parcels

Bored with the various kinds of fish curries and fries, I had been planning to try out something new with fish. And the Rohi fish being so very fresh in Odisha, I was reluctant to try anything crazy lest I spoil it. It was during one such confused moment that I came up with this rather simple preparation.

After marinating the fish in a salt-turmeric-mustard-garlic-green chili paste, I placed it on a banana leaf and drizzled it with more mustard oil. Then I threw in 2-3 pieces of slit green chili before wrapping up the leaf and securing it with the drumstick fibers( it was the first thing that I could find in the kitchen). People in villages usually use some kind of bark strips or natural fibers to secure the parcels.The parcels were then pan fried on low flame till the leaf turned black and shrunken. Though similar to a Bengali Fish Paturi, this one uses minimal spices.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 4 pieces of Rohi (Rohu) fish
• 2 tsp mustard-garlic-green chili paste 
• 1 1/2 tsp mustard oil
• 2-3 green chilis (slit lengthwise)
• 2 pinch turmeric
• 1/5 tsp salt
• 2 tsp mustard oil for frying
• 4 pieces of banana leaf (8" X 8" preferably) (tender leaves are best)


Preparation - Wash and marinate the fish with salt, turmeric and mustard paste. Leave aside for 10 mins.


Place each piece on a banana leaf. Drizzle mustard oil over it and place 2-3 pieces of slit green chili. Close the parcel and secure it with a string.


Cooking - Heat the mustard oil on a pan. Once it gets smoking, add the parcels and immediately lower the flame. Once the leaf on the bottom surface has turned brown with black spots showing at some places, flip it over. Let it sit on the pan till the leaf turns brown. (it takes roughly 7-8 minutes to cook on each side)






















Switch off the flame and remove the pan. Keep aside for 5 minutes.

Carefully open the parcels and discard the leaves.

Serve hot with white rice and dal.

Note - For the mustard paste, the ratio of the ingredients is ' 2 tsp black mustard seeds : 4 garlic cloves : 1 green chili '. 

Fish Cutlet

Yeah..it seems to be raining cutlets in my kitchen and everyone is loving it!! Thank God for it!! Finally those long missed out posts on cutlets are making their way into my blog. Simple and easy to do without much oil or spices, they make for a tasty snack or even a side dish. So when I had some leftover fried fish sitting in my fridge, I did not think twice before making it into cutlets. (Actually we had bought over 2 Kgs of Rohu fish last weekend and had made fish fry, besara and masala jholo with it. So the cutlets actually added some variety.)

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -

• 4 large pieces/slices of fried Rohu fish
• 1 cup boiled potato cubes
• 1 large sized onion ( finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp grated/crushed garlic
• 1/2 - 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• a pinch of turmeric
• 4-5 tsp oil
• salt to taste

For the outer layer

• 1 egg (lightly beaten)
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of chili powder
• 1 cup breadcrumbs

Preparation - Remove any bones from the fish pieces and lightly crumble with your fingers.

Mash the potatoes. Break any lumps but do not make it too smooth.

Lightly beat the egg with some salt and chilli powder.



Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the onions and fry till translucent.

Add the ginger and garlic and fry for 2-3 mins. Now add the fish and fry for another 2 minutes. Then add the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle all the powders except garam masala. Mix and fry for 4-5 minutes on medium flame. (add a few spoons of water if it is getting too dry

Sprinkle garam masala.. Mix and switch off flame.

Allow to cool down to a tolerable temperature. Then pinch small balls out of the mix and fashion into round or fish shaped cutlets.

Dip into the egg and gently roll over the bread crumbs to make a uniform coating. Make similar cutlets out of the remaining mix.

Heat a non-stick tawa/frying pan. Drizzle with a little oil or use a oil spray.

Place the cutlets over it and cook on both sides for a few minutes till little brown spots appear. Remove from the tawa/frying pan.

Serve immediately with some onion rings and lemon juice.

Chilli Fish

Just like many of the improvised indo-chinese recipes that have become the mainstay of our menus, Chili fish is another quick and interesting recipe that can multitask as both as a side-dish cum starters. Nothing new about this recipe, as I remember having it way back in 95'-96'. It had caught the imagination of the Oriya masses at that time and hardly any marriage/reception that we attended was complete without a serving of this delicacy.

But like all good things, it suffered an overkill and that is the reason I had been avoiding it for so long. But with the onset of summer, curries are taking a backseat. So, in addition to the plain fish fry (using only salt and turmeric) , maccha besara bhaja ( using garlic-green chilli-mustard sauce/paste ) and masala dia maccha bhaja ( ginger-garlic-onion-coriander-garam masala paste ), I decided to add it to our meals on a one off basis. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients -

4 pieces of Rohu fish ( or 200 gm )
1 medium sized onion
1 medium sized capsicum
2-3 green chillis
2-3 red chillis
4-5 tsp oil
2 pinch turmeric
salt to taste

For the sauce -

1 1/2 tsp corn flour
1-2 tsp vinegar
1-2 dark soy sauce
3 tsp tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp chilli sauce
1 tsp fish sauce (optional)
2-3 tsp water

Preparation - Wash the fish pieces and pat them dry. Add the turmeric and salt. Rub all over the fish and marinate for 10 minutes.

Cut the onion and capsicum into medium sized chunks. Slit the green chillis and deseed them.

Take all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl. Mix well.

Cooking - Heat a non-stick frying pan. Add 2 tsp oil.

Add the fish pieces and cook on both sides to a light brown (reddish) color. Remove from pan and allow to cool down. Cut into small pieces.

Heat the remaining oil in wok. Add the red and green chillis. Follow with the capsicum and onion chunks after 1 minute. Saute for 2 minutes.

Add the sauce and turn up the flame to HIGH. Cook for 2 minutes or till the sauce dries up a bit.

Add the fried fish and mix well to coat the pieces with the sauce. Fry for 1-2 minutes before switching off the flame.

Serve hot as a side dish. ( If using boneless/fillets, this can also be served as a starter. )