Fish Jeere Meere

The Fish Jeere Meere is usaully prepared as a semi curry with not much Liquid. Its usually served as a side dish along with Rice (In Goan Konkani Language would be called as Tonnak). A Spicy and Tangy Curry.

This dish is quite easy to prepare and usually most Goan homes have a five spice mix called the Jeere Meere Spice Mix just like the Chinese Five spice mix. This five spice Mix has Turmeric, Cinnamon sticks, Cumin, Black Pepper and Cloves. The name of the spice mix comes from the Cumin (Jeere) and Meere (Black Pepper), its a dry spice mix and usually prepared and stored in bottles or air tight containers for future use.

In Goan Hindu cooking there is a similar named Curry (Khadi) but this is not the same as the dish im presenting now, its usually similar to what Goan Catholic prepare as Red Curry. Both the Masalas go with the same name because of the two main ingredients Jeere and Meere but are totally different curries, both are good curries to enjoy with Rice.

The Spice Mix has these 5 spices ground to fine dry paste and in equal measures except cloves (Needs to be half of the pepper portion).

1. Turmeric

2. Cinnamon

3. Cummin
4. Black Pepper
5. Cloves

Ground the spices and store in a air tight container. You can prepare a small batch or a large batch based on your requirement. Ensure to thoroughly dry the spices in sun to ensure a good mix that last longer.

The Curry Preparation.

Marinate fish of choice in Salt (best fish is Sardines, Mullets (Shevte), King Fish, Pomfret or Sea Bass). In this recipe I have used Sea Bass (as called Dorade in European countries). Goes really well in this Jeere Meere recipe.

In a pan fry one finely chopped onion till translucent or golden in Oil and add finely chopped 3 large green chilies (Medium Spice), Fry for a minute and then add chopped tomatoes and continue to fry the mixture. Now add a 2 tsp of ginger Garlic paste and mix thoroughly.

In a small bowl add tamarind in water and let it soften 1/2 cup of water.

Now add at least 4 kokum skins (Kokum Sola) and some 1/2 tsp of turmeric. Mix well, at this stage you should have a thick sauce of spice mixture. To this add 2 tsp of Jeere Meere spice and stir to mix everything. Once mixed add to this half of the tamarind water (after you have mashed the din water). Finally to prepare the sauce ass a tsp of brown sugar and mix well.

Let this sauce come to a boil and then add the Fish marinated in Salt to the thick sauce. Ensure that you lightly place the fish on top of the sauce and do not mix, let it cook with the heat by covering the lid and turning the heat to very low for about 8 minutes.

Turn the fish at this time once to ensure both sides are cooked. If the sauce is too thick add additional tamarind water and let it sizzle for a minute until the oils starting floating on the top and that is when you know the Jeere Meere fish curry is ready.

Garnish with Coriander and Serve with Rice. Enjoy!!!


Note: If you do not have either Kokum or Tamrind. White or Balsamic Vinegar should be a good substitute as savouring agent.

Prawn Curry (Goan Red Curry)

This is one dish that a Goan can eat almost everyday and cant get bored of. Its a Red curry, that is so simple yet so tasty. Goans love it so much that we have umpteen variations on this basic curry. The variations are not to Masala itself but whats added to this Curry during the Preparation

What you see above is the Prawn curry, on another day you can add fish (Kingfish, Mackerel, Sardines and other small fish), the next day eggs, the next day crabs, Clams, Dry salted fish, Dry Prawns, Raw Mango, Raddish, Aubergines, Lady Fingers and on and on......or simply a combination of the ingredients for added taste and when there is nothing you can think, its cooked with nothing, just the Masala and is known as Sourak.,which than becomes just a curry and than you accompany that with rice and some side dish of fish or vegetables, just like the Indian Thali.


To prepare this mouth watering curry you need

3-4 tbs of Red Curry Masala
8-10 Prawns (Cleaned and de-veined)
1 Chili (medium spice, sliced length wise)
1 Onion (Chopped)
1/2 Tomato (Chopped finely)
Salt
Oil

Heat some oil in a vessel and fry the onions until golden then add the chili and tomatoes and stir to mix well and cook for about 3 minutes.  Now add the prawns and cook for a few more minutes so that the prawns release its juices and start to cook.

At this stage add the Red curry Paste and mix well, fry the mixture for a minute and then add 1 and a 1/2 cup of water.

Let the curry simmer in a closed vessel for 10 minutes, check the curry by opening the lid. The oil should start separating and floating on the top. if its got too thick add a little dash of water, mix and let it boil a minute and take off the heat.

Serve with Rice and Enjoy!!! Here I have served my rice curry with a side Dish of Mussel chili fry cooked in grated fresh coconut. This is another common dish but that is for another day.

Sea Bass (Dorade) Cooked Two Ways

Turn this Dorade (Seabass) into these superb fish curries you see above, to be enjoyed with Rice.

Dorade is delectable fish found throughout Europe and readily available in most super markets, goes really well in these Goan fish curries by rendering its rich flavor to the curries. Fish lovers will enjoy this two way cooked Dorade. One Half of the fish was used to make the Jeere Meere (Traditionaly cooked in a thick Curried Sauce). Recipe for Jeere Meere is available here.

and the other half was used to make the Goan Red Fish Curry (Used the middle to head part of the Fish).

For Preparing the Red Curry.

Ingredients

1 Small Onion

1/2 of the Fish 

1/2 Tomato

4-5 Tbs of Red Curry Paste

1 Chili (Slit across)

Coriander for Garnish

Oil

Salt the Fish and marinate for 10 -20 minutes. Mean while in a pan add oil and fry the finely cut onion till golden, to this add tomatoes and continue to fry. Then add chili and curry paste and mix well and fry the mixture a minute or two.

Now add 1 and 1/2 cup of water and bring to boil the curry. Once the curry is boiling slowly add the fish and cover the pan and let cook for 10-15 minutes. At this time the curry will thicken and oil starts to appear on the top. when this happens the curry us ready. If its too thick add a little water and boil a minute and take off the gas. Garnish with Corinder chopped finely.

Goan Prawns Fried with lightly coated Racheado and Semolina

Try this simple yet delicious Prawns. These prawns can be had as an appetiser or along with Rice Curry. The aroma of this dish itself will make your mouth water.







Here I have the scrumptious Goan Prawn curry rice combination along with some classic Chouris chillie fry with potatoes and Fried Fish. This plate of food is heavenly, ask any true blooded Goan.

Goan Red Curry paste

Red Curry Paste Ingredients:

Coconut
Garlic and ginger
Pepper
Coriander seeds
Cummin seeds
Kashmiri chillies
Tamarind
Turmeric


Red Curry Paste Preparation:

Blend together the spices in the plate with a little water. Ensure zou use ware sparingly as you don't the past to be runny. This paste can be used for various curries like Fish, Prawns, plain with Raw mango, dried prawns.

Photo (Masala Ingredients)  courtesy Amey

After grinding them in a blender  with water to form a thick paste it will look like the picture below This Masala can store in the fridge for a few days. Can be frozen and used for over a month. Best to prepare small packets so that you can use only whats needed when frozen.

To cook the curry, Saute onion in Oil in a hot Pan till golden brown, add chilies and Tomatoes and continue to cook for a few minutes. Then add the cleaned prawns and cook a further 5 minutes and add a cup of water and it sizzle for 10 more minutes.

Here you see the curry paste used to make Fish Curry.  For Prawn curry,  see the Prawn Curry Recipe