Just Walking Around

Kokani Cuisine ------Fish Fry and Kalvan Bhat…….

For a person like me who’s a Karwari with roots in Ankola fish curry and rice is as staple as say a batata bhaji and chapatti to Maharashtrian or Butter Chicken and Tandoori Roti to a Punjabi. Even little Bhakti has inculcated this taste in her DNA. When see’s fry fish in her dinner plate like a pandit she tells “aaj phakta bombil and prawns ahe ka…. Paplet nahi ka”  , meaning “There is only fried Bombay duck (bombil) and fried prawns , no fried Ponfret”… We all have a hearty laugh and continue gorging on the fish in the plate. My wife Kashmira also with roots in Goa can’t resist making her best ever recipe of Fish Kalvan either with soft & succulent Kolambi (prawns) or with Paplet (Pomfret)  , that spicy and tangy fish curry in red gravy best had with piping hot steamed  and accompanied by fried Bombil or Bangda (Mackerel) fry .And top it up with a glass of Sol Kadi ---To Sone pe Suhaga….Have this on a Sunday afternoon and snooze till evening . A great way to relax.

We Karwari’s given a choice will have fish and rice every day of the week , but then it would be too taxing for the bechara stomach. So as ritual we eat fish twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays sometime even on a Sunday that makes it thrice. The journey of a great fish pakwan starts with visit to the local fish market to pick up fresh stock or as it is called in Marathi and Konkani ---Bazaar. I still remember going to the Wadala fish market with my dad and pick up the fish on a Sunday morning. He was an expert in pick up fresh fish , he would know from which fish vendor or Kolin to pick up which fish. Some had the best pomfret, Surmai and Halwa (black pomfret). Others kept a good stock of Kolambi (prawns) and Karandi (Shrims). He would lift up the gills to see if they were blood red , which would indicate its freshness. Then he would go on to gently press the fish to check whether it was soft or hard . If soft it would indicate the fish catch was fresh and not from refrigerated stock from ice cold storage. Having satisfied himself of the freshness next part was to bargain for a good price. Usually if the Kolin knew you as a loyal or returning customer she would herself offer a discount , else it was an art to haggle and get a good price. Sometimes bored of the usual fish we would pick mussels (Kalva) or Shell fish (tisrya) , exotic in todays terms but natural to us fish lovers. And if the Sunday was on or close to Amvasya (New Moon day) , then it was time to pick up the Crabs. You would have to ask the fish vendor to give you Madi (female crabs) with stripped under belly , as they had better meat than the male crabs. The crabs claws would be declawed by the fish vendor and then put into the cloth bag taken to pick them.

There would be several funny incidents at home when Crabs were brought home along with the usual masala – nimbu (lemon) , mirchi (green chillies) , onion and garlic required for making a fiery curry. Unknowingly once Mom upturned the entire cloth bag and the crabs went scurrying across our home running for their lives . Me and my brother would have to literally fish them out from under the table and chairs in the kitchen. We would then have a hearty laugh. Once cooked the Crabs are a real delicacy . To eat them is a long drawn affair. The claws would be broken with your molars and the juice oozing would be devoured before polishing off the crab meat. Sometimes the Claws would be so big we would have to be split open by a small stone usually kept in our kitchens for this very purpose. Next would be the complex task of taking out crab meat from its Peti ( or in Konkani Pendo) . The taste was heavenly and would linger on in the mouth and more in the mind until the next time that you had the lip smacking Crabs….

If you want to have the fish and are tired of all that work in the kitchen , then you can always go to the several resturants in Mumbai specializing in Coastal cuisine. Some of my favorite ones and where you get a scrumptious fish , chicken and mutton are located in the Dadar – Shivaji Park and Bandra. One of the best known and favourite of fish lovers is the Gomantak Resturant opposite to Shivaji Mandir. On fish eating days like a Wednesday or a Friday you will find an long queue outside this eatery from its doorstep right up to the next 2-3 shops down the line. The foodies not minding waiting to have their favourite meal. You have variety of options . Go for their regular fish thali with Surmai or Bangda with 1 portion of Fry fish , a curry , 2 chapati’s and 1 portion of rice. Top up this with other fish which you want to try , Pomfret fry or the Gomantak specialty  stuffed Pomfret , or the golden fried prawns or bombil fry. Stuffed pomfret fry has stuffing of coconut and all the spices along and deep fried adding a savoury to the complete dish.The Prawns are fresh well marinated and thus they give you the perfect satisfaction to your mouth. Simply Luscious. All the other fried dishes presented here are appetising and fills your soul. All in all a perfect restaurant for sea food lovers. But try it on some odd day of the week when it is least crowded for better taste and service. 

But my personal favorite one in Dadar is the Malvan kata situated in a by lane just opposite from Gomatak. In the leading to the Swami Samarth Math , this small but simple eatery serves authentic Malvani cuisine. You can get the usual fish fry thali and fish curry & rice but to taste the authentic food go for their Kombdi Vade a special Malvani dish  with Chicken rassa and deep fried golden brown puri shaped vade. Or even the dry variety of Chicken Sukka or Mutton Sukka that spicy and masaledar dish . Another mouth water dish is the Beja Masala that soft and tender lamb brain recipe –Stir fried to perfection with sauted onion , garlic and crushed ginger. With added crushed cumin seeds, tomato, coriander seeds, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, red chili and cooked .Garnished with cut green chillies and coriander to give it a mouthwatering taste.

Take a cab further just ahead of Portuguese Church and opposite the Parel Depot , to Jai Hind Lunch Home another specialist in Gaon and Malvani food. My personal favorite for fish cuisine. If you land up here on a weekend be prepared to wait atleast for minimum half an hour at the seating area put up right outside the restaurant. You can entertain yourself by watching the fish kept in a tank . Or watch the crabs crawl in another tank. Register yourself at the counter and wait for your turn. Earlier this restaurant was a simple non AC Khanaval (local fish eatery) with wooden benches and friendly waiter with who gave good advice on what to eat. The ambience is still the same but insides are made to suit the newer family crowds it attaracts now also its turned into a AC restaurant and even a chain with branches in Lower Parel opposite to Kamala Mill Compound and one appealing to the upmarket crowd on Hill Road Bandra near the erstwhile Globus Mall.

But the one at Dadar West just opposite the Parel Depot is their best restaurant. Once inside you can literally smell the fish in the air which would make your mouths start watering and make you eager to try everything that is there on the menu. For starters besides the usual Surmai (King Fish) fry and Paplet (Pomfret ) fry , try there delicacy Bharlele Bombil (Stuffed Bombil). Its their specialty , with the stuffing of karandi (shrimps) made to the perfect mix of tangy and spicy taste . Filled in the Bombil which is crispily fried. Eat this and you will come back for more. Another unique dish is the Mackle fry or Squid marinated in Ginger Garlic paste and with special masala which tastes awesome. For the Chicken lovers they have the Goan Chicken Xacuti in coconut based gravy made to authentic taste , can be had with hot chapattis or those small puri type Vade. Or better still order the Chicken sukka or mutton sukka and devour ot with the Neer Dosa a white fluffy dosa made of rice flour . The taste is so good you would lick your ginger dry once its polished off from your plate.

To finish off ask for a glass of cool Sol Kadi to help you digest that heavy meal you just ate…

So next time you want to have a heart meal do try the simple but staple diet of the Kokni manus ---Fish Fry and Kalvan Bhaat . Nothing tastes as heavenly…..