Indian Fish & Chili Curry: Meen Mulakittathu

This dish is from the state of Kerala in southwestern India. Kerala is a state with a substantial coastline, and thus, plenty of fresh fish, including what is called "kingfish" (one word) in India, which is a type of mackerel typically used in Kerala for this dish. This fish is also known as "king mackerel" in some other parts of the world, including in parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, depending upon the time of year, as these fish prefer fairly warm water temperatures. If you can't find kingfish/king mackerel, you can easily substitute tilapia (which is what I used), cod or halibut. India is a land of hundreds of languages and dialects, and in Kerala the main language is Malayalam, from the Dravidian language family. Just as a point of comparison, English is a Germanic language from the Indo European language family.

This is a spicy dish (with some mild tartness), but much of the "heat" will depend upon the chili powder/ground cayenne pepper you use, as the heat level can vary tremendously, just as with hot chili peppers themselves, when used fresh or dried. I often grind my own dried hot chilies, and usually it is quite potent, but when I used it in this dish, the cooking did mellow the heat level to some extent, and it was not as hot as I had anticipated. As I have mentioned in other Indian food articles, the people of the Indian subcontinent have lots of spices and seasonings, including hot chilies, and they are not sparing in their use, as "hot" spicy food is common there, but not every dish produces a blowtorch feeling in your mouth, and some are quite mild. Another thing I noticed about this dish, and I actually had read this somewhere before I ever made this, the dish is noticeably better, if you cook it, then refrigerate it for a number of hours, preferably overnight. I had fixed the recipe and served it, but placed the remainder in the refrigerator simply to keep it from going bad. The next day when I took it out for lunch, WOW! The taste was so incredible, and again, it was NOT unbearably hot for me, and although I like hot spicy food, a few adjustments as I've noted in the recipe, and even many folks who do not like "heat" will find this dish to be great. You can find tamarind paste in many supermarkets or most certainly in Indian/Pakistani shops, or online. It has a somewhat tart taste, and you could skip using it, or perhaps use a little lime juice instead. Tamarind paste is pretty concentrated, so you don't want to use too much, as it can overwhelm other flavors. As a point of information, tamarind is one of the components of Worcestershire sauce.    

Ingredients (about 6 servings):

1 1/2 pounds white fish fillets (king mackerel, halibut, tilapia or cod)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (you can add a fourth tablespoon later, if needed)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 cup chopped onion
1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped or grated
5 garlic cloves, chopped
about 12 curry leaves *
1 1/2 cups water (a little more, if needed)
2 whole dried red chilies
2/3 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons red chili powder (or 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper + 1 tablespoon mild red chili powder, like ancho, or for milder, 1 tablespoon cayenne and 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder**)
2 teaspoons tamarind paste
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and let them pop, then add the onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaves. Let cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, then add 1/3 cup of the water, the dried red chilies, the turmeric, the red chili powder (or cayenne and chili powder), the ground fenugreek and the tamarind paste. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the fish pieces and the remainder of the water. Let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce the heat to produce a gentle simmer and add the salt. Cook 12 to 15 minutes. The liquid will cook down some, but this is not meant to be a thickened sauce. Serve with rice and/or chapati (roti) bread. ***

* Curry leaves have a combination of a citrusy and basil like taste. You can find frozen curry leaves in Indian/Pakistani grocery stores, or you can substitute basil leaves along with some grated lime peel.

** When people from the Indian subcontinent talk about "chili powder," they mean "hot" chili powder. In the U.S., and presumably Canada, "chili powder" has far less, if any, notion of "heat," as it is mild. When "heat" is desired for foods, Americans (and presumably Canadians) most commonly use cayenne pepper, chili pepper flakes, hot sauce, or fresh hot chilies. I'm not sure what the term "chili powder" (more likely spelled "chilli powder") means in Britain; that is, "hot" or "mild," since influences from the former British colonies of the Indian subcontinent may have prevailed.   

*** For chapati/roti bread, here is the link, but actually in the Kerala region, roti is usually made with rice flour, but  : https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2018/10/easy-flatbread-of-indian-subcontinent.html

WORD HISTORY:
Key-English has more than one word of this spelling, but this is the noun for "small island," likely with its best known form being in the plural and used for the U.S. archipelago, "the Florida Keys." It goes back to Taino, a language from the Caribbean islands, and a part of the Arawakan language family of Central and South America.^ Taino had "cayo" (meaning, "small low level island") and this was borrowed by Spanish as "cayo," with the additional meaning of "reef." English borrowed the word circa 1700, but the word's spelling seems to have been influenced by the then fairly common spellings of "quay," which were "key(e)" and "caye."   

^ Arawakan languages have declined over the centuries, largely at the expense of Spanish and other European languages that came to the New World.

Honey-Paprika Salmon

This is easy to make and it is delicious. If you give it a try, I think you'll find yourself making it again.... and again. Good served with rice or a salad, or both. 

Ingredients (4 to 6 servings):

1 1/2 to 2 pounds salmon fillets, rinsed and cut into pieces (leave the salmon pieces wet)
2 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Spanish paprika (it's smoked)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground white pepper (you can use black pepper)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
cornstarch mixed with water to thicken the sauce

In a large skillet or sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat, add the honey, the teriyaki sauce and the lemon juice, stir to mix. Do not brown the butter, so remove the pan from the heat and reduce the heat if necessary. Add the salmon pieces and mix them into the sauce to coat all of the pieces (as I've noted for other recipes, the wide surface of a skillet makes it easier to maneuver). Sprinkle on the salt, pepper and Spanish paprika, then mix in the seasonings. Cook until the salmon is cooked through. If you'd like to thicken the sauce (the juice from the salmon will also add to the liquid component), mix together a teaspoon or two of cornstarch in a couple of tablespoons of water, then carefully mix the cornstarch into the sauce a little at a time, or you can remove the salmon pieces and then thicken the sauce. Garnish with a slice or wedge of lemon for those who like a squeeze or two of lemon juice on their fish.

Honey-Paprika Salmon with a tomato and green onion salad ...

WORD HISTORY:
Canny/Uncanny-This adjective, closely related to "cunning," is derived from the verb "can" (meaning: "to be able to do, to have the knowledge to do something"). The meaning of "canny" tends toward, "shrewdly, but often warily, knowing how to do something, often, but not necessarily, in financial matters." In northern England and southern Scotland it tends to mean, "nice or pleasant." The derived form "uncanny," which means, "weird, mysterious," came from the notion of "beyond knowledge;" thus, "mysterious," and it was originally used in reference to the supernatural and magic. For the history of its close relative "cunning," here is the link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2015/05/is-it-rumania-or-romania-part-6final.html