Day 1

The project started in full swing. Yesterday was Day 1, packed with ingredient shopping, cooking and eating!

Bought fish from Vijay Fish Stall, which brings in fresh catch straight from Mangalore every morning. 

Unlike many people (some fish eaters included) I’m not repulsed at all at fish markets. Fresh fish looks quite pleasant and it was fascinating to see the speed and precision with which the fishmongers gut and cut, gut and cut.

Then came home to cook seafood from the cuisine of my maternal heritage – Konkani! My great-aunt, Shyamalpachchi, is one of the best cooks of Konkani food I know, (apart from my Ammama), and her mind is a treasure trove of traditional recipes! She is visiting us from Mumbai and I saw this as the perfect chance to learn how to make some of my favorite Konkani dishes! We made Bhangda Amshe-Tikshe (mackerel hot and sour) for lunch, pomphret steamed in green masala, and my favorite Prawn Ghashi

Bhangda Amshe-Tikshe with daal-rice

Pomphret with green masala steamed in banana leaves

Dinner was a feast of traditional Konkani fare! There was prawn ghashi and rice, gazar-a-kosombari, and the steamed pomphret. The food was accompanied by coriander stalk rasam, originating from the old practice of not wasting any edible portion of bought vegetables.

Prawn ghashi with rice, and gazar-a-kosombari

Almost every waking hour of yesterday was full-on food immersion! A fish-tastic first day!