Sunday 'bhaat ghoom' & Pabda Tel Jhal

Would an annual visit to my native home town be complete without a ritualistic visit to the local food market ? Quite unlikely and more so , in my case :) . I always happily volunteer to walk into the buzz to be gladly enraptured by the beauty of the gleaming fish , the quality of the fresh produce , the vibrant display of colors and enjoy the common rugged clamor in general . The last two years ,however , have been contrastingly different . Let alone travelling outside Bangalore , stepping out of the four walls to visit the food market here in Bangalore has been a challenge .

Life has changed drastically for all of us today .

At the moment , everyday starts by being grateful and moving focus on things which reinstate joy . I realized how with every passing day cooking has been largely therapeutic and a substantial part of my solace , bringing a lot of wonderful memories. Balancing this light Pabda Tel Jhal perfectly ( like the one from my mom's kitchen ) was just another one of those moments today...

Pabda Tel Jhal is a delightful concoction which when paired with a plateful of steamed rice is a super hit . Gorgeous fresh delicate butterfish is married beautifully with spluttering spoonful of nigella seeds , green chilli & a heady ginger overtone to yield a perfect harmony onto the palette . Better still , it cooks like a breeze .

Also , am told , this dish is the perfect precursor to wonderful Sunday bhaat ghoom and a peaceful afternoon siesta ...

Take a look & and let me know once you have tried it...

Things you will need :

• 06 pieces of small / medium sized pabda

• 01 whole onion paste

• 01 inch ginger , finely chopped

• 02- 03 whole green chilli , split

• 01 tomato , cut into 4 wedges

• 01 tsp nigella seeds

• 01 tbsp. coriander leaves

• 03 tsp turmeric powder

• 01 tsp red chilli powder

• Salt to taste

• 1/4 cup mustard oil

• 01 cups of water

Steps to follow :

• In a large bowl , rub Pabda pieces with 01 tsp turmeric , salt and 01 tsp mustard oil.

• In a large flat kadai , heat mustard oil and lightly seer the Pabda for 01 second on each side ( Be careful as Pabda is a delicate fish and over frying may sometimes break the fish and make it chewy . Also avoid overcrowding the pan while frying and sauté 02 at a time ) - Once done , remove and set aside.

• In the same oil , add in the nigella seeds followed by the rest of the ingredients (except the coriander leaves )

• Sauté everything for 05 - 06 minutes .

• Once the masala is lightly fried , add in 02 cups of hot water and bring the gravy to a boil. Next , gently place the fish into the gravy and simmer another 2-3 minutes longer

• Serve garnished with chopped coriander and steaming bowl of white rice.