Plenty of love and care has gone into preparing this traditional Mangalorean Pomfret fish curry with coconut milk. This is a signature Coelho style fish curry that totally pampers my tastebuds. In this basic recipe, the carefully selected ingredients are blended into a fine paste for that unmistakable smooth texture, colour and flavour. I cook it the way my mother would, and I am proud to bring a true taste of Mangalore into your kitchen.

Mangalore (in English) is officially known as Mangaluru (in Kannada). It is also known as Kodial (in Konkani), Kudla (in Tulu), Maikala (in Beary), Mangalapuram (in Malyalam), Manjarun (in Sanskrit), Kodeyaala (in Havyakka). It is the main port city of the state of Karanataka on the west coast of India and enjoys a tropical climate. I was born in Udupi which is located 55km to the north of Mangalore.

India has a large stretch of coastline and Mangalore being a coastal town, fish forms the staple diet of most people including Mangalorean Catholics. Back in the day, consuming meat was only a Sunday affair. I remember it was a treat to eat either mutton (goat meat), beef or pork curry only on the weekends accompanied by neer dosa (lacy unfermented rice flour pancakes/crepes) or sannas (steamed rice and lentil cakes). Today, it is not uncommon to have meat curries mid-week also.

Fish curry and rice is the most admired meal in any Mangalorean Catholic home - my idea of a perfect meal. In the days gone by, the fish was auctioned at the seashore (Malpe, a beach town and fishing harbour) in the early hours of the morning and was brought straight from the sea into your home. You ask a Mangalorean Catholic who was born in Mangalore or Udupi, and they will tell you that they would have one specified fishmonger (mostly female) coming to their homes a couple of times a week with the freshest catch of the day, straight from the ocean or the river (during monsoons when fishing is banned in India due to rough seas and spawning). I remember the joy on my mother’s face seeing her favourite fishes in the basket. I was almost always standing next to my mother when she would price the fish. You said that right, buying fish was truly an exciting experience for me because I am a foodie and I love seafood! In India nothing is bought without bargaining for the best price and fish is no exception. It is customary to bargain for fish and unless you know the fishmongers, they would not succumb to this custom. After all, their aim is to sell the fish quickly so the fish would not go off in the heat and they did just that.

Oh yes, some of the favourite fishes that were brought home were white pomfrets, seer fish (anjal or King fish), lady fish or sand whiting (Kaane), mackeral (bangude), bream, ray fish, prawns, crabs and many more.

A trip down memory lane, this was the fish curry that my mother taught me to prepare when I was only in junior school. On the "Introduction" page of my cookbook 'Deliciously Indian' many of the readers would recall of my mother asking me to make a spice blend for a kaane fish (lady fish or sand whiting) curry when I was very young. Although relectuant to learn how to prepare a traditional Mangalorean fish curry then, today I am proud to say this is the curry that I have prepared extensively since I left home and this is the curry that makes me nostalgic. Many of my friends and family have tasted this fish curry on many occasions. Prepared correctly, this traditional Mangalorean fish curry has that unmistakable smooth texture, colour and flavour that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but will also pamper your tastebuds. This is the curry that will bring the true taste of Mangalore into your kitchen today and everyday.

Pomfrets are rare in my local fish shop. A couple of weeks ago, I was ecstatic to see silver pomfrets for the first time in 3 decades in my local fish shop. when I saw these, I thought about my mother and her special traditional fish curry spice blend. In the recipe below, I have used silver pomfrets also known as white pomfrets in India (see images below), but you may use any white fish such as, sand whiting or lady fish, golden pomfrets, barramundi, snapper, silver biddies, or bream. If you cannot find any of these fish, then use fish that is locally available and does not have any overpowering fishy taste. I use the whole fish with bone and all because bony fish is much tastier than fish fillets (at least I think so!!) however, you can get your fishmonger to fillet it for you if that's what you want, noting that these fillets do not hold very well in a curry because they are too thin and tender. My family and me are good at navigating through the bones so we always buy whole fish with bone!!

"Pomfret" aka 'butterfish' or 'pompano' is one of the most favourite fishes in India and south-east Asia as it has delicate white flesh with subtle non-fishy flavour. It is a tropical fish found near the coasts from the Persian Gulf to Borneo, and as far north as mid-Japan. It is not found in Australia. They are snap frozen to maintain the highest quality and freshness and imported to Australia from Indonesia.

• 'White pomfrets' or 'silver pomfrets'. With a light texture, they are wonderful in a curry or fried with Indian masala. With a delicate flavour and sweet tasting flesh, they are one of the most sought after fish in India. They are very difficult to find in Australia. I just found them in my local Asian fish market for the first time in decades. They are however available fresh or frozen in the western suburbs of Sydney.
• Then there is the 'black pomfret' (halva), a brown grey diamond shaped fish but not related to the pomfrets of south-east Asia. In Konkani we call them 'surngul' (prounced soor-n-gool). Not as tasty as white pomfrets but make a good substitute to white pomfrets.
• 'Golden pomfrets' or 'palmburo' are wild caught and available in plenty in all Asian fish markets throughout Australia. Although flavoursome and delicious, it is a fatty fish and tastes different from white pomfret. They taste good in curries and also good for frying with Indian masala.
• 'Pampus Chinensis' (Chinese silver pomfret) is very similar to pomfret but smaller in size with the tail not so deeply forked.

White Pomfret fish with tiny scales marked in pencil

Cleaned White Pomfrets without scales, gut and fins

Pomfret cut into 3 slices. If the fish is small, cut into two slices

To start a truly authentic Mangalorean fish curry from scratch, a few ingredients are involved. The taste of this curry is incomparable to any store bought fish curry powders and there are no canned pastes available for this curry paste! In fact, I cannot recommend any store bought curry powders or pastes that match this Mangalorean fish curry paste.

Ingredients for the Mangalorean Curry Paste

Kashmiri chillies - use 6 dried Kashmiri chillies if you are not using chilli powder

Shredded coconut used in this curry

KASHMIRI CHILLI POWDER OR DRIED RED KASHMIRI CHILLIES

Kashmiri chillies are vibrant dried red chillies (pepper) from the region of Kashmir and come with seeds inside them. They have a very crinkly and deep red appearance (see centre image above). Most Indian/Mangalorean curries call for these chillies or ground chilli powder as they add a mellow heat and flavour without adding too much spice. You will have a mild curry if you add Kashmiri chillies however, if you want to tone down the spice, deeseed all or some of the chillies.

If you are using dried red Kashmiri chillies, cover them in hot water for 30 minutes to rehydrate. Add them to the blender along with other ingredients.

TURMERIC POWDER

An important spice that gives this curry the essential yellow colour is the turmeric powder. There is no need to use any specific brand. I buy my turmeric powder at my local Indian supermarket but you can also buy it at Coles or Woolworths supermarkets, sold either in small bottles or in small clear packets.

SHREDDED COCONUT

Most Mangalorean traditional curries are prepared with freshly grated coconut. Although freshly grated coconut is my first choice, shredded coconut also makes a good substitute. I use the Woolworths shredded coconut that comes in 250g packs (see image above). Add the coconut directly to the blender and blend it along with other ingredients to a smooth paste. The paste should be very smooth to get a truly authentic curry paste. Some people prefer to soak the shredded coconut in a little hot water for 20 minutes before they add it to the blender. If you have a good blender there is no need to soak the coconut.

Use freshly grated coconut if you have some handy at home. Use ½ to ¾ cup of freshly grated coconut in place of shredded coconut. You may need to add more water to the blender if you are adding fresh coconut. Add just enough water to rotate the blade comfortably.

OTHER INGREDIENTS

• Garlic, onion, tamarind, green chilli and curry leaves - Garlic and onion are added for flavour. Tamarind is a souring agent (dried exterior of a fruit) that is added to most Mangalorean fish curries to add a little tart sourness to curries. Souring agents added to curries differ from region to region. Usually when a Mangalorean talks about tamarind, they will relate to it either in the size of a marble or a lemon. Tamarind without seeds or fibre can be added in its solid form directly to the blender along with other ingredients. Having said this, some Indian supermarkets may also sell tamarind along with seeds and fibre. If your tamarind has seeds and fibre, it is best to soak the tamarind (as called for in the recipe) in ¼ cup hot water for 20 minutes. Squeeze the pulp from the tamarind and add the pulp only to the blender and discard the seeds and fibre. Tamarind is also sold in bottles and you may use one teaspoon of tamarind paste for this curry as a substitute to solid tamarind. Green chilli is added for a slight chilli kick and it also plays a part in the flavour profile of this curry. Curry leaves are optional but make the curry slightly favourful without overpowering it. Just add curry leaves as called for in the recipe. Too many leaves will overpower the curry and we do not want that for this fish curry!!
• Spices - Cumin powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, black peppercorns, mustard seeds and turmeric powder are typical ingredients in a Mangalorean fish curry. Every South Indian curry starts with a specific masala and they appear in different combinations for different curries. Although some spices are common, there are definite regional variations in the flavours used. The ingredients listed in the recipe below are unique to this Mangalorean fish curry. The same ingredients can be used to prepare other locally available white fish that do not have any overpowering fishy taste such as lady fish (sand whiting), snapper, bream or cod.

In this recipe, I have used two optional extras. Optional extras are great for adding extra flavour, taste and body to the curry. You may use either of the two optional extras or you may prefer to use both the optional extras. My personal preference is to do both as the curry tastes really mouthwatering with both the optional extras. Feel free to omit these optional extras as this curry is delicious even without the tempering and coconut milk.

Optional Step 1. Seasoning of fried onions (baghaar, phon or tempering) - A baghaar, phon or tempering is a heat based flavour infusion technique, that relies on oil to extract the flavour from the onions. The fried onion seasoning that is added at the end adds extra flavour and taste to the curry. Here the onions are fried in oil (coconut oil gives the best flavour but you may use any vegetable oil) over medium heat until they become golden in colour and then added to the curry at the end of cooking as a garnish along with the oil as shown in the image on the top of the page.

Optional Step 2. Coconut milk - This optional step is unique to a Mangalorean fish curry and gives the curry an extra special touch. Coconut milk adds richness and body to the curry. It also adds mild sweetness to counteract the spice creating a lovely balance. Here, the coconut milk powder is mixed with hot water to form a thick liquid and then added to the curry. It is important to get the timing right. You must add the coconut milk at the end of cooking and this means, you must add it when the fish is nearly cooked or looks just firm from the exterior. Once you add the coconut milk, you must bring the curry to the boil and boil for one minute only. If you overcook the fish, it will render the fish to split in the curry. Watch the curry closely once you add the coconut milk and remove from heat as soon as the curry comes to the boil after adding the coconut milk.

Optional Step No. 1 - a seasoning of fried onions

Optional Step No. 2 - Coconut milk made with coconut milk powder. Ayam brand is my choice.

• The essence of authentic Indian cooking is in the blending of spices and creating the right texture for each dish. To create this texture, you must have a good blender which will blend the ingredients to a smooth paste, creating the necessary texture suitable for this curry. Not all of-the-shelf blenders can blend whole Indian spices and coconut to a smooth paste. I use my Indian blender called "Preethi Popular" which is manufactured by the top blender brand in India. This blender is powerful to blend spices and it is literally made for the Indian kitchen. Equally a good alternative is "Preethi Eco Twin Jar Mixer Grinder" which is durable and has a convenient compact design most suitable for the kitchen counter. Then there are the others such as Vitamix 5200 blender professional grade (High-end pick) and Nutribullet Rx N17-1001 Blender. If you are into cooking Indian food regularly, then I would recommend buying one of these blenders, as it is really worth it. I have a "Preethi Popular" for the last 5 years and I am very happy with it.
• Have all the ingredients under the heading "for the masala" ready on the benchtop before you decide to cook.
• Place all the masala ingredients into the blender and blend to a smooth paste with the amount of water as called for in the recipe. The blending will take approximately 3 or 4 minutes but you must blend in one minute intervals to avoid the motor from overheating.
• Once the masala is ground to a fine paste, empty contents of the blender into a deep saucepan enough to hold the fish and the curry. Wash the blender with the amount of water called for in the recipe, to thin down the curry. The curry should be not too thick or not too thin (the image at the top of the page should give you a pretty good idea of the thickness of the curry).
• Place the saucepan on medium heat and bring to the boil. At this point, you must season the curry with salt. Boil the curry for 3 minutes. Then add the fish and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until fish is just cooked. You know the fish is cooked if it looks white in the centre in between the skin (see image at the top of the page). Remove from heat and your curry is ready to eat if you are not adding the optional extras.
• If you are including the Optional Step 1 (fried onion seasoning) then proceed to NOTES below - Optional Step 1 and follow instructions.
• If you are inlcuding the Optional Step 2 (coconut milk) then proceed to NOTES below - Optional Step 2 and follow instructions.

To experience a mildly spiced Mangalorean Pomfret fish curry the way it is meant to be, better to make it yourself. It is easy to prepare and you know it will hit the mark!