Balchao de Camarao - Pickled Prawns

Sounds a bit weird, but this dish is tangy, hot and very aromatic.

Equal quantity of ginger and garlic (about 2 tsp of each)
3-4 dried chillies
1 tbsp malt vinegar
2 cloves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp ground cumin
large pinch of salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
4-6 curry leaves
1 onion, finely chopped
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tbsp oil (vegetable, groundnut or sunflower)
200g prawns

Method:
Using a food processor, mince the ginger, garlic, chillies, vinegar, cloves, mustard seeds, cumin, salt, cinnamon and turmeric.

Heat the oil, add the curry leaves and onion and fry until it begins to brown. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the spice paste. Add 2 tbsp water to the blender to rinse out the spices and add this to the pan. Add the prawns and simmer until cooked through.

Serve hot with rice.

Home-style fish curry

A recipe gleaned from the boyfriend's family archives.

Ingredients:

1/2 tsps ground coriander
1/2 tsps ground cumin
1 tsps ground turmeric
1/2 tsps chili power
1/2 tsps ground cinnamon
1/2 tsps grated nutmeg
3-4 small cardamom pods
1 large onion
1 tsps garlic paste
1 tsps ginger paste
1/2 lime juice
1 tsps tomato paste
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Fresh coriander leaves
2-3 fillets/steaks of Ruhu (very little bones) or Hilsa (boney but delicious) - alternatively use trout or salmon fillets


Method:

First, prepare the fish:

Thoroughly wash the fish fillets in fresh water, then added 1/2 tsp of ground turmeric and 1/2  tsp lime juice and marinade for half an hour or as long as you can.

Just before cooking, wash the fish fillets thoroughly in salty water (salty water for fresh-water fish, or fresh water for salt-water fish) and dry using a paper towel.

Now, the cooking part:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then add all of the chopped onions into the pan. Cook the onions on a low heat until they become slightly golden brown (and sweet). Stir in the cardamom pods, garlic and ginger paste.

After a minute, add the remaining turmeric, coriander, cumin, chilli, cinnamon and nutmeg powders - and stir into the onion-garlic-ginger mix. Add the tomato paste and 1 tbsp of water when it starts to become too dry and sticky. Sprinkle in some fresh, torn coriander leaves.

Add the fish fillets on top and cook in the sauce until done, roughly 15 minutes.

Serve with rice and/or bread and sprinkly generously with fresh coriander leaves. Yum.