Go Fish ( Fingers) and have some fun with Math

I was thinking about this a few days back but never had the time to write …it’s about a celebration day called the Pi day. I now can’t really remember the exact day – but hey, I’d rather not remember it.

Pi Day – are you serious?!  For a moment I thought I might be reading it all wrong and they probably meant it to be the ‘Pie’ (I mean the eating variety and not the mathematical one) day. I was so wrong, they really meant the ‘pi’ as in the (3/14) day. 

I don’t think the day makes me want to celebrate in any way. The numbers haunted me when I first learnt about them and they continue to haunt me even now.  It’s such a setback to my honest bong genes.  
When I was first introduced to these peculiarly named set of numbers, I was flummoxed.  My father – who used to teach me math in school was furious and my mother turned to faith and food. She firmly believed that perhaps I’m too small for all these complexities and one day I will grow up to be like my father and grandfather, and be  a math pro atleast if not a genius. It was a lot of pressure for a ten year old ‘with highly ordinary’ math skills.

 After faith, or maybe along with faith, my mom adopted the food route to make me math whiz. She latched onto fish. She is not alone in this; almost 90% of the fish eating bong believes that fish consumption is somehow directly proportional to the intelligence of a human being.  So along with increasing the portions of this super power dish in my diet, she also increased the frequency. Introducing various snack recipes for me to savor with my morning and evening milk.

I have to admit that I relished those ‘super power’ meals, I frankly don’t know what it did to my brain power as I’m still scared of numbers , however it did its bit to my waist line.  And I do regret that I should not have overdone it, but then I was just a 10 year old!

Since I ate so much of it, that I have now completely eliminated it from my diet. Fish still continues to remind me of maths!!! and It’s been 10 years or so. I wouldn’t have had given this much of a thought , until I met a fellow bong mom at my daughters play school (incidentally on the pi day) who commented on  how important it is to introduce fish to my daughters diet, now that she has started to go to school. This time I just smiled, I knew I have fallen for that ‘fish is must for your brain’ trap. Maybe it has something to do with being Mommy brained.

Anyways, my mind is working fast thinking of an easy fish recipe for my little one to have and C'mon, what can be easier and tastier than fish fingers. After all it’s the pi day. One day she will have to understand the complexities of the math world. Let the fish carry the day for her.

Fish Fingers 

Ingredients:
10 pieces any boneless fish cut in finger shape
1.5 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp white pepper powder
2 tbsp bread crumbs
1 egg (for wash)
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method:
Douse fish fingers with salt, pepper powder and lemon juice, and keep then aside well covered in fridge for around 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan. Now prepare the fish by dipping them in beaten egg and roll in your palm to coat the crumbs uniformly.

Heat oil and deep fry the fingers until fish fingers are light golden and cooked. Alternatively, you can shallow fry them and serve with your choice of sauce.I served mine with creamy mustard sauce.

Of weddings, Family, Food and some Fish in Mustard Sauce.

Today while browsing an old album, I came across this picture of a prized wedding fish on its way to the bride to be’s family . It was a part of the Gai Holud ceremony.I can still almost taste the delicious lunch that followed the ceremony. Oh dear Fish.

Growing up in a lose knit Bengali family, weddings were a cause of major celebrations, for me it meant: Phamily and Phood , especially Pheesh (Bong babu’s way of pronouncing things, pun intended) ! It meant waking up to the robust smell of fish slices being friend in sharp mustard oil. Fried fish is definitely not a breakfast food, now even for us bongs. The early preparation was perhaps the cooks way of ensuring that the food is done in time for lunch. You see, we bongs have a huge appetite for food, especially on festive gatherings like wedding.

Actually the food or more importantly the fish fetish has a lot bigger role to play during weddings than just being the family favorite dish. In traditional Bengali wedding’s the bride walks in to her new home with a live fish in hand. As the folklore goes, it signifies harmony and healthy children.

Nowadays people make is easier on the new bride by making her carry a dead fish but, that’s only if you allow the bending of rituals and traditions. I  generally don’t , and perhaps it’s not me speaking but my grandmother’s spirit who is peeping at my post from the heaven above is  making me write it. She was so focused on these traditions, right from the symbolism of these rituals to how these fishes should be cooked and served in a correct order, that I now feel it’s my personal responsibility to see that the traditional lineage continues. Afterall they come with a promise of good fortune and prosperity. Greedy me! 

Who can deny.

Now that we are in the topic of traditions, presenting a traditional dish of Fish in Mustard sauce or Sorse Maach.  I have tried to be as authentic as possible, but feel free reason out what proportions will actually make for the best Sorse Maach, which suits your family's taste buds.

Fish in Bengali Mustard Sauce or Sorse Mach

Ingredients

Fish pieces/fillets around 4-5 pieces

Yellow mustard seeds (soaked for a few hours in water) 4-5 tbsp

Green chilies as per taste

Ginger paste 1 ½ tsp

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

Salt and sugar to taste

Mustard oil 2-3 tbsp (Plus 1 tbsp more for drizzling) (you can substitute with other oils if you want)

Cilantro for garnish

Method:

Clean the fish pieces and rub the turmeric and salt over it. Keep it aside for 15 minutes.

Now grind the soaked mustard seeds with a few green chilies in mortar and pestle, or a mixer to a smooth and creamy paste.

In a deep bottomed pan, heat the mustard oil and fry the fish pieces till they are golden brown in color. Keep the fish pieces aside. Now temper the oil with ginger paste and a little salt. Now add the mustard paste and fry on low heat. Add the whole green chilies along with salt and sugar. Adjust according to taste. Add the fish pieces along with half a cup of water and let it cook for few more minutes. The consistency is creamy and thick, not runny. So adjust the liquid accordingly.

Once done, garnish with cilantro and drizzle fresh mustard oil on top.

Serve the fish in mustard sauce over bed of rice.

Microwave Paturi - For the City Dwellers

Have you tried the Bengali parceled fish, the Paturi yet?

The mustardy and juicy meat gently trapped inside a banana leaf, is divine….  I was craving for a comfort food to get over the post-holiday lull. It’s almost irritating when the flavors call your name while you are already recuperating from the post festival frenzy.   Last night I slept thinking about the food?…. Of course, the morning sun saw me standing in the fish market with my mom and shopping bag in hand!

We were lucky to get a fresh Hilsa. The banana leaf eluded us this time. Durga Puja seems to have eaten into the limited banana leaf stock of my Northy Indian state.. So microwave became my only source of hope. Nevertheless, I have to admit that I was disappointed.

For all you lesser mortals who plan to cook, without the banana leaf at hand – let me assure you that the humble homely microwave promises the same (well almost) taste as its banana leaf wrapped steamed and pan fried cousin, only the romance of unwrapping is lost. In any case we city dwellers outside of Bengal have to settle in for the former – much easier version.

So, come on Ilish/Hilsa Fish of Bangladesh on my plate!  Let’s devour you.

Let’s prepare the Ilish Maacher Paturi

Ingredients

5-6 pieces of Ilish

1 tsp turmeric powder (+ ½ tsp turmeric)

5 tsps yellow mustard seeds

1 tbsp posto/poppy seeds

21/2 tbsp plain yogurt

Green chilies to taste(more the merrier)

6 tbsp  mustard oil

Salt

Make a smooth paste of the poppy seeds, mustard seeds, half teaspoon turmeric powder and few green chilies. It’s best to dry grind and gradually add water before the green chilies, to get the smooth consistency.

I use a microwaveable pie dish for this preparation.

Start with arranging the fish.

Coat the fishes with the half of the spice mixture, and being generous is the trick. I find hand the best bet. Now  whip the yogurt with salt and add on top. Top it with the remaining green chilies. Add the remaining spice mixture. Top the fish pieces up with a teaspoon of turmeric Now add salt  and drizzle the mustard oil. Mustard is what creates the magic in the recipe. Ensure that all is covered nicely.

Cling wrap the microwaveable pie dish and keep for at least 10 minutes. Microwave on high power for atleast  10 minutes.

Serve with steaming plain white rice. Bon appetit!

Sending this event to Anu's Healthy Kitchen