DOI KAJU BATA PABDA

I AM FOND OF THE FISH BOWL IF NOT OF THE PHOTO FEATURE!

They call our Pabda Mach,Indian Butter Cat Fish; that too the majority of the world may not eat!I wonder who might have given this English name to Pabda? Wikipedia would not answer our deepest queries, that requires further studies!Do I at all study or read? All day I dream of food!Had I known about my passion earlier;I would have studied food; at least nutrition, not political science!I have just learnt Pabda is near to Wel fish / Sheat fish variety; look wise.I do not know if taste wise or not; I am not an adventurous food taster!I am happy with Western Desserts and Pizza, and, and; not Pretzels but Waffles!What will I write, I am eager to have the plain Waffle Cristine is going to get in an hour!I am soon to have an ice-cream waffle Sunday and die early; but in peace!

IF CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY COULD HAVE A SUBJECT CALLED FOOD-O-NOMETRY!

I would have gotten a first class degree then!Although, I achieved a first class in BEd.; I think I am a poor teacher.No one could make me arrange a cooking class at least for the foreigner helps of Bengali Families here!I felt my home is not equipped with a proper kitchen to take cookery classes!This may just be an excuse,I lack entrepreneurial skills! I am lazy may be the only truth about me!I read real life stories of people starting a business with an amount as low as 100 or 200 or 300 rupees and then turning it into a flourishing business.Then I yawn few times & go to sleep! These days it feels one who is not a professional cannot do much staying with a dependant pass in a foreign land. I was thinking, if I was anywhere in India, I could have joined back in a school or would have a good food delivery business after the son's stepping into the college!Then, if its not a city like Mumbai or Bangalore, I do not wish to shift back at this time!At times, I see myself in Kunnur; the next moment in the country side of Australia or in a quiet neighbourhood of Canada; everyone has something to do there!T is not wrong when he says I never lived in reality, not for a moment!When I cook, I do not dream; I perform well in my kitchen!Okay, I am not good with gluten-free chapati, yet it was not bad to have those for our dinner yesterday!

Thats T's plate; I requested him not to growl and he did not!

WHAT IS THIS DOI KAJU BATA PABDA?

I was dilli-dallying since this morning; eversince I decided to blog about a Bengali Fish Curry; a not so regular macher jhol!With help of Cristine, we did little changes in the garden!Not knowing much about their care and being a lazy self; there is less blooms!

Cristine too is not keen on taking care of them in spite of being a farmer's daughter!I like her stories of the quintals of rice they have grown or of the magur mach their waterbody has farmed!In between all these stories and rebuke for a single mistake; we cook curries; and at times kebabs!This DOI KAJU BATA PABDA is a fish curry using the Indian Butter Cat Fish, Yogurt, a little of Cashew Nuts & Melon Seeds!The recipe is not my family's but of a friend!I arranged for a get-together of my college friends few years back at our Kolkata Home, that is when a college friend got a thick curry of Pabda with cashew nut paste! I always ask my friends not to get any food item except for a little of pastries & sandesh for myself!If I am arranging a party, let me curate the menu; but some of my friends are enthusiastic & overwhelming!You can see I used very less of the cashew nuts in this gluten-free, Bengali Fish Curry with Indian Butter Cat Fish!How can I take pride of been a Bengali if I have not turned a Filipino into a ferocious Bengali Food lover?

I gave Cristine some Bengal Carp pieces and she took "mach bhaja, begun bhaja,bhindi sheddo" for her friends yesterday! That made me happy does not mean I would not enjoy Cristine brought fresh, hot waffles at this time!

We must smile at life at every juncture, for that we need not have a beautiful face!

INGREDIENTS :

PABDA MACH / INDIAN BUTTER CAT FISH : 6-7

PLAIN YOGURT : 3 TBSP

ONION : 1 MEDIUM SIZED

GREEN CHILLI : 3-4 SLITTED

CASHEW NUT : 5-6

MELON SEED : 1 TSP

BAY LEAF : 1

DRY RED CHILLI : 1 HALVED

NIGELLA SEED / KALOJEEREY : 1/4 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

RICE FLOUR : 1 TSP

OIL : 4 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Cleaning this fish is very easy!Just insert your fingers through the mouth and take out the biles; shape the tail & cut the tentacles with a scissor!

Wash them thoroughly and inside the stomach too!Add a little of the rice flour, salt and the turmeric and rub gently!Remember, this is a soft, scale free fish!

Heat the oil in a wok and fry the fish in batches.The rice flour coating does not allow breakage!

In a blender, blend together peeled, washed and cut onions, washed green chillies, washed melon seeds & cashew nuts!

Heat the remaining oil in a wok, temper with the kalonji / kalojeerey, dry red chilli & the bay leaf!

Add the white spice paste and a pinch of turmeric; stir cook for a minute or two!

Add 11/2 coffee mug of water and some slitted green chillies.

Bring the curry to boil, gently add the fried fish pieces; let boil for 2-3 minutes and take down!

Serve hot with piping hot rice! We also had Egg Drop Curry, Dal / Lentil Curry & Dhonepata Bata / Coriander Paste alongside!