Chennai

My friend and chef Pandyan took great pleasure in taking me around the busy, bustling market, which, early in the morning, was more awake than it would ever be for the rest of the day. Shopping for seafood is an art, the nuances of which I am still trying to understand. Choosing the fish, bargaining, visualising and mental-cooking, as one holds a fresh tuna or prawn, is a joy, unique to people who love cooking. And finally, when the right raw materials are on the table, one cannot refrain from donning the apron and picking the cooking knife. 

The wide variety of south Indian fish cuisine has different urban legends associated with each one of them, which tells us a great deal about a dish’s adaptation to the terrain and the story behind its evolution to its final form. And unlike the fish curries from the rest of India, which contain no coconut milk or fresh coconut, the curries of south India uses all the locally available flavours. They have been greatly influenced by the cuisines of ancient invaders, trading countries and labour brought from neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, who also brought in their local cuisines to Tamil Nadu.

And as you’d expect from an island situated in the heart of the Indian Ocean, seafood plays an important role in the Sri Lankan cuisine and when the bridge of Rameshwaram was being built with the help of the labour force from Sri Lanka, the famous, fish ambul thiyal (sour fish curry), also made its entry. This is one of the most beloved varieties of the many fish curries introduced to the Indian palette. And with the available raw ingredients, ambul thiyal soon became a standard dish in Tamil Nadu. 

For the ambul thiyal fish curry, usually, something large and firm, such as tuna, is cut into cubes, then sautéed in a blend of spices including black pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, garlic, pandan leaves and curry leaves. The most important ingredient is dried goraka, a small fruit that gives the fish a sour flavour. 

Ambul thiyal is a dry curry dish, meaning all the ingredients are simmered with a small amount of water and cooked until the liquid reduces. This allows the spice mixture to coat each cube of fish. The only addition is the coconut milk, which is optional, as the original recipe does not have any. According to me, it gives the curry that zing factor and is totally flavorful.

THE AMBUL THIYAL FISH CURRY 

• PREP TIME: 30 MINS
• COOKING TIME: 35 MINS
• SERVES: 4-5
• CALORIES PER SERVE (A SMALL BOWL) - 240 CAL
• TYPE OF DISH - HERITAGE CURRY

INGREDIENTS:

Fish fillets: Tuna or any good fish - 650gms 

Tamarind pulp: 1/4 cup or 3 goraka fruit soaked in water 

Onion: 2 medium 

Garlic: 6 cloves 

Ginger: 1 tsp. grated 

Cinnamon: 1 stick 

Curry leaves: 8-10 leaves 

Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp. 

Black pepper powder: 1/4 tsp. 

Red chilli powder: 1/4 tsp. 

Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp. 

Fresh coconut milk: 1/2 cup 

Water: 1 cup 

Coconut oil: 1/4 cup

METHOD:

• Wash and dry fish, cut into serving pieces.
• Soak tamarind or goraka fruit, until it is soft. (If tamarind is very dry, heat in a thick saucepan for a few minutes adding some water). 
• When cool enough to handle, squeeze the tamarind to dissolve the pulp, strain through a fine nylon sieve and discard seeds and fibres. Do the same with the fruit. (Tamarind is a good substitute as it’s difficult to get the fruit).
• Mix all the ingredients — onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, fenugreek seeds (powdered), red chilli powder, turmeric powder, curry leaves, tamarind, salt and coconut oil, into a pan (preferably a mud or heavy bottom pan) and bring to boil. 
• Reduce heat, add coconut milk, oil and simmer uncovered until fish is cooked and gravy is thick. 
• Shake pan or turn fish pieces carefully once or twice during cooking.
• Serve with white rice or boiled rice.

TIPS

1. Use only big, firm fresh fish. 

2. Goraka may not be easily available, so use tamarind. 

3. Coconut milk is optional. 

4. Use a mud pot to cook, if possible.

— The writer is a chef and author of Festive Offerings to the Gods 

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