Laughter is the best medicine
A Holiday in Konkan
Far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, on the western coast of India – Konkan, in a small village lies our ancestral house. And in the house, live Aajji and her kitchen. Her kitchen opens out to her very own garden where the most typical ingredients of Maharashtrian cuisines are grown. In this kitchen, very frequently prepared according to a secret family recipe...
Bound by the traditional ties,
With a pinch of salt and lots of spice,
All ingredients in quantities precise,
With flavors of absolute paradise,
My beloved, The Konkan Fish Curry and rice.
The way the flavors of this dish have held their earthiness, the dish has held its status as my favorite for 20 years. Even the basic ingredients of the dish are grown with utmost love and care by Aajji in her garden– black pepper, cloves, coriander, lemon, tomatoes, Indian bay leaves, red and green chilies and curry leaves. The special spices and herbs added to the dish are a mystery to me. The secret family recipe hasn’t been passed down to me yet but revealing the special ingredients from the recipe even otherwise would still be a crime.
Handpicked by Aajji, for my taste buds,
Ground together, the secret spices and herbs…
The preparation of the spice mix is one of the most immersive experiences about this dish. The grinding of spices in the traditional pestle and mortar spreading its aroma beyond the kitchen, makes it irresistible to wait till it is ready to be served at the table.
The fish, cooked just right to melt in your mouth. The curry, a perfect blend of not just the fish and spices but Aajji’s efforts and love. It has the consistency just right to either have it like a soup or to savor it with rice. The rice, cooked a bit more than just right to bed the curry.
Typically, the fish curry and the rice are mixed. But I like to dive into the flavor-some curry first. A spoonful of the curry with a piece of fish, elevates all senses creating an explosion of powerful textures of fish and the earthy curry in the mouth. It is an experience of bliss. The strong and crude flavors of chili, garlic, ginger and tomato are best complimented with the light and creamy coconut milk.
I then pour the curry on the soft, fluffy steaming rice. I leave it be for a few seconds till the fish curry infuses into the rice. A bite of the same and each of the ingredients of the curry burst individually in the mouth one after the other. I can experience the entire process of preparation of the dish is gushing through my mouth reminding me of my roots and tradition.
Being passed down, generation after generation,
making its way to my heart through a plate, a secret creation.
