Day 10: Ghashi's Long Lost Sibling? Part 2

As part of my quest to find the connection between Konkani Ghashi and what I’ve been calling Malaysian yellow curry, (it’s called Masak Lamek Cili Padi in Malay), I made the latter today to evaluate its flavors.

(Correction: I mistakenly compared the recipe for ghashi with that of Thai yellow curry in my last post, instead of the Malay curry I was thinking of. Apologies. The recipe for the Malay curry is given below.)

Regarding these two curries, I had a hypothesis: they taste suspiciously similar. After having made and tasted the Malaysian Masak Lamek Cili Padi I can safely say that this hypothesis has been proved correct. The similarities in flavor profiles it shows to Ghashi are striking!

Even without tasting them, if you look at the ingredients of both the curries, you can spot the similarities. Most ingredients are the same!

Ghashi paste ingredients and Malay curry paste ingredients

Surely it is no coincidence that two curries from two so geographically distant locations can be SO similar. And neither can it be attributed solely to the fact that they are both similar tropical coastal regions. There must be more to it.

So my investigation for a clear explanation has officially begun. Theories, explanations and historical connections will follow in a subsequent post. I would love it if you could contribute any speculations, knowledge or insights to my search. But for now, recipes for both curries are given below. Enjoy!

Masak Lamek Cili Padi

Note: The original recipe is from here. I altered it wherever I had absolutely no choice in terms of ingredients, but have tried to stick to the given recipe so that I could achieve a taste as close to the original as possible and make an objective comparison to Ghashi.

Ingredients
(Serves: 6)

For Curry Paste:

• 2 cm ginger
• 2 cm turmeric root
• 20 bird's eyes chilies
  (My normally very well-stocked veggie vendor -- who did have turmeric root -- didn’t have these, so I used regular spicy red chilies, and I only used 6 or 7 because I don’t like my food too spicy)
• 8 shallots
  (Forgot to buy shallots or “sambar onions” so I used 2 medium red onions instead)
• 3 cloves garlic

For Curry:

• 500 gms prawns, fish or chicken, cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt for meat
• 2 pieces dried tamarind slices (about 1 tablespoon pure tamarind paste, more if required)
• 2 cups thin coconut milk
• 1 cup thick coconut milk
  (I didn’t have the time to fresh-squeeze coconut milk, and since you don’t get “thin” and “thick” varieties in tetra packs I bought a packet of coconut milk powder which I could add less or more of to make “thin” and “thick” milk. I also found the powder very useful to adjust flavors while finishing the curry off.)
• 1 turmeric leaf
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Rub the chicken pieces with salt and let marinate for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, blend all the curry paste ingredients into a fine paste. I did this in the mixer and because it was a small quantity. I had to thin it out a little with a tablespoon or two of oil and water so it would move around and grind more easily. It would probably work better in a stone mortar pestle – the kind with a rough surface.

3. Stir the curry paste, the dry tamarind, and torn turmeric leaf into the thin coconut milk in a pot and bring to a slow boil.

3. Add prawn, fish or chicken and simmer until the meat has cooked and the gravy thickens. Add thick coconut milk and season with salt to taste.

(Don’t add salt till the very end because as the curry thickens the flavors get a little concentrated. In case it becomes too salty or spicy for your taste add coconut milk powder, little by little, tasting each time. You can also increase sourness at this point if required by removing a little of the warm curry, soaking and squeezing a little dry tamarind in it and then adding it back to the whole pot of curry.)

4. Spoon the hot curry over rice and go nuts!

And here’s the family recipe for Konkani Ghashi.

Seafood Ghashi

Note: I was taught this recipe using andaaz or approximate, eyeballed quantities of ingredients. I tried to put them down into the quantifiable measures written below, so they may not be accurate to the T. Please feel free to alter the recipe by taste wherever desired.

Ingredients:
(Serves: 6)

For Curry Paste:

• 1 ¼ cup grated coconut
• 6 – 7 red (dry) chilies, soaked in water
• 2 pieces dried tamarind slices (about 1 tablespoon pure tamarind paste, more if required)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 ½ tablespoon chopped red onions
• 2-3 tablespoons water to thin out the paste for easy grinding

For curry:

• 3 cups water
• 500 grams prawns or sea fish
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder, to marinate
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, to marinate
• 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil to cook in
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 1 or more green chilies, slit, seeds removed
• ½ inch piece ginger, sliced or julienned
• Coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish

Directions:

1. Rub the turmeric powder and coconut oil required for marination onto the seafood and keep aside.

2. Grind the curry paste ingredients in a mixer or mortar pestle till it is a fine paste, adding water if required.

3. Fry onions in the coconut oil till they begin to brown slightly. Add the green chilies and marinated seafood and cook partially.

4. Add curry paste and 3 cups of water, and bring to a soft boil.

5. Simmer till the gravy thickens a little. Season with salt, to taste, and adjust flavors, adding extra soaked tamarind, or chilies if desired.

6. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves, stir and serve hot on steamed rice.

Accompany it with crisp fried fish on the side. What a meal!