The magic of marinade and the ways of fish

As I watch the early October rains and feel the sweep of cool winds, I remember one reason why we stick with Bengaluru, a city otherwise devastated by avarice and neglect, its former sprawl of trees, lakes and parks consumed by construction and sewage. I have a bountiful collection of spice mixes and there is a particular fish masala that I stock, procured from Shevde’s, a family run spice shop on Maharashtra’s Konkan coast. One of the first things I ever learnt to make was basic Goan fried fish, marinated with red chilli powder, turmeric, salt and tamarind. That basic marinade is good for fried and curry fish or the bhoozana, a version tossed in grated coconut, chillies, lime and coriander. A simple Goan curry Serves 4 Ingredients Half coconut, grated 1 small onion, sliced Half-inch piece of ginger 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp coriander seeds 10-12 Kashmiri chillies, soaked in warm water 1 tbsp tamarind pulp, squeezed from tamarind Salt to taste 500g firm fish 7-8 pieces of kokum, soaked in 1 tbsp warm water 2 tsp garlic, finely chopped 1 tbsp vegetable oil Method Grind all the ingredients, except kokum, garlic, oil and fish, to a fine paste.