Shorshe Eel - Flavors of Bengal

The other day at our local cash & carry mall, I came across some freshly dressed eel. To be honest I had never tried out eel ever before and was really itching to take it home and prepare it. The real problem started once it got home. I really did not know what to prepare and then it struck me to prepare it the Bengali way. I have always loved the way Bengalis prepare their seafood. So uncomplicated yet so tasty. Since I dig mustard and have a bottle of Kasundi always at hand, I decided to make the Shorshe Maachh only that this time the maachh was the eel. Shorshe is the bengali word for Mustard or Rai.
I made it a little more thicker than usual and boy! It flew off the plate literally. I got a Kg of fish and it did not make it past dinner time. I took it to office in the evening and Smitha our HR partner in crime literally cleaned the bowl dry. I did not disclose it to her at the beginning that it was eel, and when I told her after she had finished, she didn't seem to mind much.

Shorshe Eel

Ingredients:
Eel - 1 Kg
Kasundi (Bengali Mustard Sauce) - 12 Tblsp
Yogurt - 12 Tblsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 5 Tblsp
Tomato, cut into 4 pieces - 2
Green Chillies, slit - 3
Kalonji (Onion Seeds) - 1 Tblsp
Black Pepper - 2 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Lemon Juice - 8 Tblsp
Mustard Oil - 8 Tblsp

Method:
1. Wash and keep the eel aside. Rub it with salt and pepper and soak in lemon juice.
2. Make a smooth paste of Kasundi, yogurt and ginger-garlic paste by whisking in a bowl.
3. Heat oil in a wok. Add in the kalonji.
4. As the kalonji crackles, add the yogurt-mustard mixture and stir to mix. Bring it to a boil.
5. Add in salt, tomato pieces and green chillies.
6. Add the eel to the gravy and cook till the eel is soft. (10-15 minutes)

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Narangi Mahi (Pan Seared Fish with Orange,Dill & Vodka)

Here's another one of my fish variations. Getting bored on a Sunday Morning with time on hands and some uncooked fish at home, I tried to do the impossible..mix n' match different ingredients. Thankfully, nothing untoward happened ...nothing blew up and I lived to tell the tale. In this dish, I attempted to marry fish with vodka, oranges and dill. The result, a mild well-balalnced dish that went well with buttered rice. Try it out and let me know how you liked it.
Ingredients:
Fish (Red Snapper) - 200gms
Orange - 1 No.
Dill - 30 gm (Finely Chopped)
Vodka - 60 ml.
Chilli Flakes - 30 gm
Black Pepper (Coarsely Ground) - 30 gm
Tabasco - 30 ml
Tomato Puree - 30 ml
Salt - To Taste
Olive Oil - 30 ml
Olives - 4-5
Bell Peppers ( Red & Yellow ) - 1 each (Chopped into 1-in cubes)
Lemon Juice - 60 ml

Method:
1. Cut peel, including all white pith, from the orange with a sharp paring knife and cut each orange crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Squeeze juice from 5 such pieces.Keep the remaining aside. Do not throw away the peel.
2. Cut ther fish into cubes & Marinate the Fish in olive oil, lemon juice, orange rind, Orange juice (that we squeezed out),tabasco, chilli flakes, salt & black pepper. Keep for 15 minutes.
3. Heat the remaining oil and toss the bell peppers lightly, add in the fish pieces and toss till almost done. Add in the vodka and toss a bit more. Flambe if you are comfortable with it. Add in the orange slices,Dill, olives. Toss for a few more seconds and take off the fish pieces alongwith the olives and oranges.
4. Put in the remaining marinade in the pan already flowing with the juices alongwith the tomato puree and make a sauce.
5. Pour on top of the fish and serve hot.

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Rice Crusted Snapper

Have been going around too much finding out the traditional dishes and the REAL way to make them directly from the source.
This time around, I tried to do something different. I can already feel the purists and traditionalists squirming. Fusion cuisine has always fascinated me. It's more complex thing to do, marrying the ingredients and falvors to please both sides, but hey, many have suceeded. My endeavor is of the same kind, wherein, I tried to marry different flavors from the konkani cuisine and doing something continental with it. It also had a dash of chinese influence thrown in.
The end result ... I loved it !!!

For Snapper coating:
1 Egg
2 tablespoons refined flour
Salt, As per taste
1 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Rice flakes (Poha) - Available in Indian Spice Stores
3 pieces snapper fillets (200-300 gm)
100 ml. oil

For Marinade:
1 Cup Kokum juice/syrup
3 tblsp. Tomato Puree
2 Tblsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/4 tsp Red Chilli Pepper
Salt per taste

Method:
1. Cut fishes into large chunks. Wash and clean if required.
2. Prepare the marinade by mixing all the ingredients. Marinate the fish peices for 15-20 minutes.
3. While the fish marinates, mix all the ingredients for the coating except the oil and rice flakes and make a smooth paste.
4. Heat the oil in a skillet. Take the marinated fish pieces and dip in batter, coat with the rice flakes on all sides and sear until coating is golden brown.
5. Place the seared fish pieces in a baking dish. Pour the remaining marinade on top and bake at 200 deg, Fahr. for 10-15 minutes.
6. Serve Hot with lightly tossed herb pasta.

Note:
1. I also added in some Arabiata sauce alongwith the pasta. Went along well.
2. You can substitute Kokum syrup for Tamarind Pulp/paste. This one is also available at Indian stores. You can also make your own. I have it mentioned in my earlier recipes.

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Gaurav's Konkani Fish Curry

The Konkan belt is known as much for its cuisine as it's unexplored virgin beaches. Though most of the public makes a beeline for Goa, beaches like Tarkarli and Guhagarh can leave the goan beaches far far behind. Of course, you will not find a swanky hotel at these locations serving you Daiquiri's or Pinacolada's but then the food more or less makes up for it.
The konkani food is known for using ingredients that are a little less common,barring the exception of coconut and is mostly in all dishes. My love affair with Konkan food started 3 years back when I went to Kashid to spend a lazy weekend. Naturally, most of the holiday ended up being spent eating good food ...actually, good fish. Since then, I have made trips time and again to different destinations with the ulterior motive of getting good fish.
Here's my take on a fish recipe:
Ingredients:
Fish - 300gm
Lemon Juice - 100 ml
Coconut Milk - 200 ml
Kokum juice - 60 ml
Red chilli powder - 10 gm
Shallots - 100 gm
Tomatoes - 100 gm
Raw Mango - 1 ( grated )
Garam Masala - 20 gm
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 20 gm
Black Pepper - coarsely ground - 10 gm
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 100 ml
Method:
1. Clean & Cut Fish. Marinate with a little salt, lemon juice and crushed black pepper.
2. Mince half of the shallots finely. Skin the other half and keep whole.
3. Heat Oil. Add in minced shallots and ginger-garlic paste.
4. Once paste starts to turn golden, add in garam masala and red chilli powder.
5. After masala is cooked, add in kokum juice and pureed tomatoes.
6. Cook till gravy is done. Stir in the coconut milk. Cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Add in the fish pieces and the marinade.
8. add in grated mango, cook till fish is done.
9. Finish with bhunaoed red chillies.
10. Serve hot.

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Hari Machhli ( Fish in green sauce)

Ingredients:
Fish ( Snapper or Pomfret) - 300 gm
Green Chilli paste - 15 gm
Mint Paste - 50 gm
Corriander paste - 50gm
Lemon Juice - 50 ml
Banana Leaf - 1
Oil - 1 tsp.

Method:
1. Clean, wash and dice the fish.
2. Apply lemon juice and salt and keep aside.
3. Mix the mint,corriander and green chili pastes.
4. Apply the paste to the fish.
5. Wrap the fish in the banana leaf.
6. Steam for 15 minutes.
7. Garnish with lemon slice and serve.

Serves : 4

Time for Preparation : 30 minutes

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