100 Simple Indian Fish Curries

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This cookbook lists 100 fish curries, greatly simplified, so that a first time cook can easily cook them. The principle is simple – fish is marinated (the lemon juice in the marinade partially cooks the fish) and this marinated fish is combined with ten different bases and 10 different flavouring techniques to create a hundred different recipes.  The ten different bases are listed below:

0.: Onion - An extra dose of onions is used as a base in the famous Dopyaza ( Double onion curry)

1.: Nuts / Seeds - Using nut paste and yogurt as a base is a hallmark of  the Mogul cuisine. This is usually used to cook the Muglai fish curry.

2.: Herbs -  A variety of herbs are blended with tamarind paste and used as a base for Fish curries from Tamilnadu.

3.: Coconut milk is widely used as a curry base in all the coastal cuisines, especially in Konkan, Goa and Kerala. As coconut milk curdles on cooking, the fish is cooked ( pan fried) first and coconut milk is added at the very end.

4.: Yogurt is used as a base to cook the delicious 'Dahi Maach' in Bengali cuisine.

5.:  Kokum or Fish tamarind  is used as a base to cook up a variety of Keralite and Konkani fish and seafood curries.

6.: Tamarind is used as a base in the southern states of Andhra, Tamilnadu and Karnataka to cook fish kulambu / fish pulusu.

7.:  Onion – garlic - tomato stir fried and pureed with tamarind paste is used to cook the Chettinadu fish curry.

8.: Mustard paste is chiefly used by Bengalis to cook up tangy fish curries. 

Ten different flavouring combinations are listed in this cookbook. You’ll note that each flavouring technique calls for a different type of oil. However, you can safely substitute refined vegetable oil in place of other oils.

0.: Readymade spice mixes are a quick way to flavour the curry.

1.:  Mustard + Red chili  fried in coconut oil is chiefly used in Kerala cuisine.      

2.: Cumin + Ginger- Garlic  is a flavouring common in Muglai cuisine.

3.:  Mustard + Asafetida  fried in sesame oil is commonly used in Tamil cuisine.

4.: Panchphoran, a mixture of spices fried in mustard oil is the standard flavouring used in Bengali / Oriya cuisine.

5.: Mustard + Curry leaves + Fenugreek  is another southern flavouring combination.

6.: Cloves – Cinnamon  with ginger garlic paste and garam masala is commonly used in North Indian cuisine.

7.: The mixture of fried & ground coriander seeds, pepper and cumin is used across India.        

8 .: A special blend of roast & ground spices is used in Goa for the fragrant Fish Xacuti.