FAMILY STYLE WINTER FISH CURRY

 3:58 pm Thursday; there ain't hard & fast rule that I need to write blogpost every week; I do it to unwind, what else to do? I can't believe I did not write blog for 8-9 months! I remember once poet Srijato told "I knew I cannot do any job, face interview board; I only can write; keep writing"! Anindya,lead singer of Chandrabindu told similar. I feel same, problem is their ability to play with words, vocals is great, I am average. I couldn't get ready a manuscript, approach a publisher, material is ready, my entire blog is material, lazy enough to format it. This personal space is dear, writing blog perhaps has become obsolete. As long as I am allowed to, let me. 

I am just back from RKM, it's Sarada Maa's birthday! Celebration started early morning, would continue until night. I forgot, my friends notified, I hurriedly went! Last year I couldn't, I was just back from hospital. Again on 1st January, I be there! I met someone most unexpectedly today after years, tragedy struck this family, they had to shift back to India for time being! I felt happy, they were on my mind always! Let me see if they allow me to share the pictures taken together. Many people we meet at different junctures in life, some leave strong mark in our hearts, this happens to me! I am getting old, I find it difficult to hold emotions, wish I could be strong, carefree like my men!

The spider webs on face have everything written about me, I hum Bollywood romantics with same emotion as I did decades back, time flies! I am romantic genre, can't survive without Tagore, Gulzaar Saab, even Ghalib! Our mother loves academically sound boys & girls too much. I share fondness for Bollywood with her, the man! When a toddler, I had to play Bollywood songs to make son eat, sleep; he did not stick to that later!

There is noise around, the swimming pool is under repair. I cannot tolerate noise, it's 5pm, they are wrapping up work, let me connect headphone, I can't stay without music. I listen to Southern Indian, Local Chinese songs when at marts without understanding lyrics. Trust me, I foot tap enjoying the music. Do not think of sequence of a song while listening, get lost in melody; else how would you soak in essence of music! Music in heart, Romance to me is like standing in middle of Orchard Road in heavy downpour wearing sari without anyone watching except one! That someone would notice me from opposite of road, come, hold my hand tight. That's isn't man, neither son; I am sure my man would utter "idiot", go for meeting straight, son would say "lame mumma ekta, tokey bhenge felbo", go watch television! This is what novels, movies since teen makes out of you at fifty five! Perhaps, there ever wouldn't be born another Gulzar, Tagore, Sunil Gangopadhay; I haven't met Nillohit, Sataru o Jolkonya's Sataru, the man at Derbyshire[?] who Jane Austen wrote about. If I try to initiate such discussions with Bossy, he would stop me in first sentence, ask me to go shopping next day, say that he wants to watch CNBC, Vir Dass, Fox Crime, Asian Network instead! I told he no more remains my best friend!

But we enjoy having such fish curries together, although this FAMILY STYLE WINTER FISH CURRY recipe is from my side of family! Man, Son, man's mother prefer fleshy big fish, I make my man eat less boney smaller fish! I can't eat fleshy sea fish varieties, Cristine became Bengali under my influence. His father, sister, her man enjoy smaller fish. Our boy eats less boney fish if mumma de-bones. Mumma misses those exercises, mothers who experience empty nest syndrome would understand me. Bhai, Bidisha too enjoy, our Mother's man too enjoyed! Let me treat all of you academically supreme guys & dolls with a gluten-free fish curry recipe from our mother's, grandma's kitchen on behalf of our mother! Earlier, fresh coriander, Hyacinth beans were available only in winter, these days I cook it throughout the year but with smelt fish, we do not get fresh smaller freshwater fish here! Let me continue with "Chalte Chalte Yuhi Koi Mil Gaya Tha", to stay put with "Nonor Maa"!

                             

INGREDIENTS :

SMELT FISH : A COUPLE OF

HYACINTH BEAN : 6-7

SMALL EGGPLANT : 3-4

FRESH CORIANDER : A BUNCH OF

GREEN CHILLI : 2-3

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

NIGELLA SEED / KALONJEE / KALOJEEREY : 1/4 TSP

BAYLEAF : 1

Oil : 3 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Clean stomach, head, scales of each fish properly! Wash thoroughly!

Marinate fish with salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, 1 tbsp oil, keep aside for 10-12 minutes.

Discard root ends of coriander, wash taken in a strainer, blend together with green chillies.

Cut eggplants, Hyacinth beans, wash, marinate with salt, turmeric!

Heat oil in wok, temper with nigella seeds, bayleaf!

Add the marinated fish, Hyacinth beans, cover cook at minimal heat for 2-3 minutes.

Gently turn over, add eggplants. Cook covered at minimal heat for 2-3 minutes.

Add 2 coffee mugs of water, cover cook at low heat for 8-10 minutes.

Remove cover, add fresh coriander-green chilli paste, gently fold in, simmer at low heat for 2-3 minutes. You may also add slitted green chillies!

Enjoy warm with piping hot steamed rice!