ADA PEYAZ BATA PABDA MACH

 

A BORN FOODIE AND LETHARGIC IS SHORT LIVED!

This is my analysis, in fact conclusion! Having both traits inside and in excess amount; I had to start taking medicine at age 40! Now that I am 51 and already taking three varieties of medicine; I am diagnosed with an age related disease in the spine! One more capsule is added, the doctor is yet to decide the next move if itdoes not work. To add more to the worry; my blood pressure is not remaining under control. It started fluctuating either with the start of the pandemic or around the time when the son left home! I am hating the situation! I wish to live, stay active enough to travel across the continents, eat local food of the places we visit! It feels hopeless to sit with the newly bought BP machine every morning! Amidst all these mess, if anything keeps me happy is cooking a variety of food, eating the major share of the cooked food! I do not know what next, would not stop savouring a beauty called food! Had I have a demanding husband, I would have leaned towards healthy eating perhaps; one kilogram of increase in weight would have come with a threat; comparing me with a younger, sleek girl. This is the fear since my teen. Not only it is about wanting a relaxed, dilli-dallied life; it is also about losing my self-respect. One who is ready to give the heart and soul to build a home cannot take a comparison with a better looking brethren. It applies to both men and women. Anyway, I do not like T's leisurely attitude towards me, he never took me seriously. He could have shaped my life, helped me make a career as per my capability. He guided the son to take an academic / career decision. Does it mean T is no way different from his predecessor? That women need not be equal with the males? Before even talking about communism, it's followers had to think differently about the women.

IT IS TRULY SHOCKING TO SEE MY APPETITE!

It indeed is horrifying! Even I do not know why I am always in the lookout for food! At times, the rest in the family are responsible for it! Yesterday, T had to take his friend's family to the airport, Kaushik lost his father the day before! Being the elder of the two brothers, he must reach Kolkata the earliest! What are friends for if a friend in distress has to call a cab and proceed? I was at home, even the Chottopadhay family went as a couple to see them off! Sitting alone at home, I ate a bowlful of "muri o moong dal er halwa" around 6:30pm. Some four years ago Kaushik - Kunal's father visited this island, also our home.I found him the same active, jovial, full of spirit just the way he was decades back. Kaushik is very attached to his family and the place Serampore itself. I am not the kind who would not bother, who can stay cool in any given situation! I ate more!

We already ate Luchi & Chicken cooked last to last Saturday for our lunch! Once the man came back home; instead of chatting we started yelling at each other. He cannot make his son behave normal but can shout at me. I wonder why his family having a sweet tooth, was not in the habit of speaking nice & soft! Even  when off, I cannot neglect my home, duty! I had on mind clearing off the leftover food! I served the man the keema ghugni, palak paratha made from the leftover dough and jeera rice cooked using the stale rice. I was pretty sure, I would not have any amount of rice or roti!

The man who is in the habit of wasting food, ate only half of the rice. I had to eat that rice not wanting to waste! This is also a reason why clean eating does not happen in my case! My lunch today was semolina parathas, mixed vegetable & yogurt; also updated one older blogpost!

The pomelo we get here is sweet! Any Bengali can identify with this way of having it! We use chopped green chilli though!

WHAT IS THIS ADA PEYAZBATA PABDA?

I have mentioned several times we do not use onion and garlic regular in our cooking! Shopping raw materials was done fresh! On some days, they may not find the already frozen fish not that good to make a light curry. On such days, they would use onion , ginger paste to cook a thickened fish gravy! This ADA PEYAZ BATA PABDA MACH is a similar non-vegetarian, gluten-free fish curry with one of the various Indian cat fish varieties; Pabda Mach! It is a soft, fresh water fish with only one middle bone. You hardly require a lot of spices to cook this fish if you get them fresh. We are not lucky to get sitting in an island that loves sea fish! I get frozen packets, if they sit for long in the freezer, I  have to use onion, garlic in the cooking! I am just craving for a freshwater fish; would be going to the Bengali Market tomorrow for a client, have to pick few varieties for us! We definitely do not get the best quality. I keep happy with pakora; today we would be having homegrown carom / ajwain leaf pakora at dinner! Now it is time to wrap up and sip from the hot cuppa with a slice of a homemade cake!

INGREDIENTS :

PABDA MACH / BENGALI CAT FISH : 7-8

CHOPPED CORIANDER : 2 TBSP

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 2

ONION PASTE : 3-4 TBSP

GINGER PASTE : 2 TBSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 2 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

NIGELLA SEED / KALONJEE : 1/4 TSP

BAY LEAF : 1

HALVED DRY RED CHILLI : 2

OIL : 3-4 TBSP [I USE MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

Cleaning pabda fish is easy, we need to use two fingers! I made a video which got good views, one day I felt irritated and deleted it. Some other time, if the Almighty wishes; I would again!

Insert two fingers through the mouth and bring out the biles from the stomach. With a scissor, gently trim off the tail end, tip of the mouth and the fins. Done.

Wash each of them thoroughly under the running water, inside the stomach too! Pat dry. Marinate with a little of oil, salt, half of the turmeric.

Heat oil in the wok on the gas stove! Fry the fish without the marinade. It is a fish with no scales; fry them covered and do not deep fry!Take out!

Temper the same oil with the halved dry red chillies, bay leaf, nigella seeds; stir.

Add the onion paste, fry at low heat for 2-3 minutes; add the ginger paste, salt, rest of the turmeric. Stir for 3-4 minutes.

Add the chilli powder, 2 tbsp of water; keep stirring at low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add 1& 1/2 coffee mugs of water! Bring to boil.

Once the gravy has simmered at low heat for 5-6 minutes; gently add the fried fishes along with the marinade. Let cook at low heat for 2-3 minutes.

Add the washed, chopped coriander, and the washed & slitted green chillies. Adjust the salt. Let cook for a minute, it should be done.

Gently place the fried fishes in a serving bowl, pour the curry atop. Garnish with washed and chopped coriander leaves!

Serve it with piping hot rice! Get some dal, vegetables on the side!