Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Tikshe Amshe (Spicy and Sour Curry)


Having moved out of Singapore, one of the things I miss most about the city is the wet market that I used to frequent - the Tekka Wet Market in Little India. Bursting with fruits, vegetables, herbs, meat and fish of almost every kind, a visit to the market would leave me feeling envigorated and energised.


















To me, the appeal of the market lay more in the experience - elbowing my way through the crowds, watching my step on the wet floor, chatting with the vendors, haggling on the price - just for the sake of it, sometimes sampling the fare....the entire experience of shopping there was magical!
Come to think of it, the sights and sounds of a bustling market can never be matched by the quiet and sometimes, antiseptic aisles in a supermarket.







  
                                                       fish heads*


Of course, the fact that I could find many things in the market that the more popular supermarkets didn't sell made the trip to the wet market even more worthwhile! One of the things that I would buy exclusively from Tekka was fish. Not only was it fresher and cheaper, the variety was mind boggling. And once I discovered Tikshe Amshe on Manisha's blog, my trips to the market became even more frequent. For, that was the only place where I could find the tongue - tickling mackerel.








Tikshe Amshe ( recipe from Indian Food Rocks)


Ideally, make tikshe amshe with bangda or mackerel. If you don't get mackerel, substitute with any other (oily) fish of your choice. The last time I made this, I used kingklip which was very nice too.


If you don't eat fish but the gravy appeals to you, substitute with boiled eggs or baby potatoes. If using potatoes, boil them till they are cooked but firm. Peel and cut into two. Heat oil in a pan and fry the potatoes till they are browned and crisp on one side. I regularly make this gravy with potatoes for my husband who is allergic to fish. I will always remain biased to fish, but believe me, tikshe amshe with potatoes is very delicious too.


The colour of the gravy will depend on the variety of dried chillies you use. Byagdi mirchi gives the gravy that beautiful and inviting fiery red colour. I got the fiery red colour you see in the pictures the first couple of times I made tikshe amshe but lately, the colour isn't quite what I'd like it to be, all thanks to the dried red chillies I am stuck with at the moment.






Ingredients

Mackarel - 4 nos
Dried red chillies -  20-25
Tamarind -  1 small ball, about the size of a small lemon
Sichuan peppercorns - 10-12 nos (original recipe uses 6-8 nos of tirphal)
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Grated coconut, optional - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 2 large cloves
Ginger - 1/2" piece
Curry leaves - 5-6 nos
Coconut oil - 2 tsps (or use any other cooking oil of your choice)
Coriander - for garnishing
Salt to taste



Method:


Soak the chillies in warm water for about 30 minutes to soften their skin.
Soak the tamarind in warm water for about 15 minutes and extract the pulp. Use very little water when soaking the tamarind in order to get a thick pulp.


Marinate the fish with the turmeric powder and a pinch of salt.


Coarsely crush the sichuan pepper and then soak them in 1/4 cup of water for about 15minutes.


Drain the chillies (don't throw away the water) and grind them together with the tamarind pulp, garlic cloves, ginger and grated coconut to get a smooth paste. Avoid using too much water; normally, the moisture from the grated coconut and the tamarind pulp should be enough.


Heat a tsp of oil in a wok and toss the marinated fish for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.


In the same wok, add another tsp of oil. When hot, add the curry leaves followed by the masala paste, salt and sichuan peppercorns alongwith the water they were soaking in. Also add the reserved water from the drained red chillies. Bring to a boil.


Add the fish and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, or until the fish is cooked.


Serve hot with steamed rice. This is a fiery and spicy gravy that is best washed down with some sol kadhi.



* Fish head curry is a very popular curry and is unique to Singapore. The origin of the dish is an ode to the multi cultural and multi ethnic country that Singapore is. Fish heads are not prized by Indians, but to the Chinese, they are a delicacy. An ingenuous cook made a South Indian style curry with the fish head and a culinary delicacy was created! The picture of the fish heads is my entry to Susan's culinary photo event, Black and White Wednesday.



13 comments:

  1. Omg, seriously fish curry looks stunning and makes me hungry..s

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  2. You are killing me with those pics!

    So you feel that 10-12 sichuan peppers make a reasonably good substitute for 6-8 tirphal? I find the former has a more floral fragrance. I should try this with sichuan peppers soon.

    I also need to try your version with coconut, ginger and kadipatta. I smiled when I saw that you rub the fish with turmeric powder and salt - very traditional touch, that!

    Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fabulous fish curry...Yummoooo.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Fish curry looks awesome, great pics.

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  5. Loved looking at your market pictures.

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  6. your blog made my mouth water, its been a year since I ate fish. Yes like what you have described - fresh from the market, made with our style not the bland fish and chips we get here in London. So looking forward to visit the 'wet market' and eat freshly homecooked fish curry and rice :)))

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  7. I like those markets pics Aqua. Brings the whole hustle bustle of market alive. As to the fiery curry, I will take your word for it and not even make a weak attempt to cook it. I am chicken when it comes to that hot stuff. But I love the pics and now I am craving bangra.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Being from the Konkan coast, this recipe simply made me drool. Will make this soon to satiate the cravinf. Thanks for sharing. Pics are too tempting to resist.

    Regards,
    Seema
    amchi-bong-konnexion.blogspot.com
    seemabbas.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. mmmmmarvelous!!! I'm nuts about fish curry and this recipe sounds divine.

    By the way, Bengalis prize the fish head and make a delicacy called Muri Ghanto using it to serve the new groom at weddings. It is an honoured treat, not that modern guys agree ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Loved all the lively market pics and the fish curry...I need to try this curry ASAP..

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  11. Very dramatic shot, Aqua. Fish always lend themselves to wonderful, shining captures in grayscale. Thanks for your BWW photo!

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  12. Thanks, Priya, Tina, Poornima, Sewa

    Manisha, thanks for a fabulous recipe. I am not too sure if the no of sichuan peppers I used are appropriate, but it works for me. And haldi and salt is something I grew up watching my mom do, it just comes almost sub-consciously when I cook fish :)

    Mina, it is a fabulous market and one you must visit if you are ever in Singapore.

    Randomthoughts, I know exactly what you mean about bland fish and chips vs spicy curry. I, too, will take the spicy curry any day.

    DSM, do you remember the conversation Manisha, you and I had on twitter? That was the day I ran to market and got bangda. You could make the curry with dried red chillies that are not too spicy but still give the fiery red colour.

    Seema, you are lucky - the best fish I ever ate was at the Konkan coast!

    Rhea, I didn't know about Bengalis and fish head, eventhough I lived in Calcutta for a couple of years. All I ate there was hilsa.

    Sangeeta, do try it, you won't be disappointed. You will, in all likelihood, get teerphal and I am sure it will be better with it.

    Susan, I wonder how you manage to leave a comment on every picture you get for BWW and I really appreciate your effort.

    ReplyDelete

It is not just about the ingredients or the recipe, good food happens when it is served with love!!

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