I AM FOND OF THIS FISH BOWL!
They call our Pabda Mach, Indian Butter Cat Fish; that 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 research, 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 about food! I am happy with Western Desserts, Pizza, 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 HAD THE SUBJECT FOOD-O-NOMETRY!
I would have gotten a first class degree in it! Although I achieved a first class degree 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 is 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, then turning it into a flourishing business.Thereafter, I yawn few times, go to sleep! These days it feels a dependant pass holder cannot achieve much here unless he is or she is a professional. 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 stepped into the college! 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 says I never lived in reality! When I cook, I do not dream; I perform well in my kitchen! Okay, I am not good at making gluten-free chapati, yet they tasted good!
WHAT IS DOI KAJU BATA PABDA?
I was dilli-dallying since this morning; I am to blog about a Bengali Fish Curry; not a regular macher jhol! With help of Cristine, we did little changes in the garden! Not knowing much about their care, also being a lazy self; there are less blooms!
Cristine too is not keen about taking care of them in spite of being a farmer's daughter! I like her stories about 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; 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 paste! The recipe is not my family's but of a friend! I arranged for a get-together of my college friends few years back in 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; some friends are enthusiastic, overwhelming! You can see I used less amount 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, she took "mach bhaja, begun bhaja, bhindi sheddo" for her friends yesterday! That made me happy. I enjoyed the waffle!
We must smile at the small things in life, a beautiful face is not required for that!
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 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, rub gently! Remember, this is a soft, scale free fish!
Heat oil in a wok, 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, bay leaf!
Add 1 &1/2 coffee mug of water, 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!
Dear friend! Here in Turkey, culinary schools or courses are so popular, but i havent gone to anyone so far. Our all recipes are from our moms and grandmoms (i mean that i have traditional culinary experience). I try to share our cuisine's foods because i think that it is very interesting and unique. I think yours is interesting and unique too. Bye the way, we use turmeric for the meals but i havent used it for fish base dishes before. This is new and i will try it. This recipe looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteMe too! I cook what I had seen cooking in the family and off course around!
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