Fish Delicacies From Mother’s Kitchen

Fish recipes that evoke nostalgia

Those of us who are non-vegetarian, we most likely love fish. Fish in its different preparations. I have lived in the USA for 12 years. The fish I have tasted here are either trout, bass, whitefish, cod, salmon, or snapper. The fish preparation here is rather simple

People just dip the fillets in batter and deep-fry. Good but not delectable.

In India, we cook it differently, more elaborately.

Fish available in rural areas are often freshly caught. My parents have bought these two fresh fish from a local roaming vendor, right in our front porch.

I think they are rohu fish.

My mother scrubbed away the silvery scales, removed the innards, and chopped them into rings. She marinated the rings in oil, turmeric, chili, cumin, coriander, ginger, and garlic mix. Then she heated mustard oil on a cast iron cauldron perched on wood fire stove, and deep-fried the rings.

Some of the fried pieces were served to relish as such.

The remaining rings were cooked in mustard-onion-tomato gravy, with garnish of curry leaves and cilantro. This curry goes well with white steamed rice.

One of my most-cherished childhood memory is eating rice and fish curry, sitting beside my father. Mother served us, while rain pelted on the tile roof and in the courtyard.

They say it right, ‘mother’s food is an emotion’.

I follow pretty much the same recipe. But in the curry, I use oil-fried potato chunks too.

How do you cook fish at your place?