Fish in Tomato Gravy

Fish is the staple food of us Bengalis. My father would talk about the fish he bought from market with same vigor as a warrior would show off his medals won in a war. And if you did not know,most fathers would definitely ensure that their sons-in-laws knew how to identify a fresh fish. This was the first thing my father did when he had visited us in Pune after Shekhar and I got married. Now, when I go to Pasha's Market in Sunnyvale to get Frozen Rohu with 3-4 years expiry, I just keep wondering, if the past was a dream ! Well, I have developed a taste for bass, trout and cat fish and so prefer going to 99 Ranch and get some fresh fish.

Ok, enough of story telling - let us cook now!

Rich Fish Curry - in Tomato Gravy

Step I - Fry the Fish

1. Wash the fish pieces (5-6) well in running water
2. Rub turmeric and salt to all sides of the fish pieces
3. Heat oil in a wok and fry the fish until golden brown
4. Remove the fish and keep aside [You can keep few pieces as it is and enjoy the fried fish]

Step II - Make the Gravy

4. Grind Onion (1), Ginger (1"), 2-3 Red Chillies and Cumin Seeds (1 tsp) in a grinder with a little water
5. In the same oil used to fry the fish, put the onion-ginger paste
6. Stir well and put few drops of water if the paste sticks to the pan
7. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 tsp of turmeric, 1/2 tsp of red chilly powder and 1 tsp of coriander powder with a little water - the idea is to blend all the dry spices together, a trick my father taught me.
8. Put the spice paste in the wok and stir again. Keep adding few drops of water to not let the mixture stick to the surface of the wok. Add 2-3 green chillies split into halves to the wok now
9. The spices and onion-ginger paste should be nicely mixed and fried in 3-4 minutes
10. Now add puree of one tomato to make a gravy of thick consistency
11. Add some water and cover the wok. Leave it for 3-4 minutes, occasionally stirring the gravy
12. Add the fish pieces and simmer for another minute or two. The fish should be immersed in the gravy.
13. Put some fresh cilantro just before serving the fish

Step III - Serve the Fish
This is important to be put in a step of its own because if you are making fish in large quantity, the chances of fish breaking while you serve are high. So, the fish should be served in specific fashion. There are two ways that you can serve the fish, depending on your convenience:
1. Place all the fish pieces gently in one serving tray and pour the gravy in another. The fish and gravy can be taken separately during the meals.
OR
2. First place all the fish pieces in a tray. Next pour the gravy on top of the fish pieces. Then the gravy and fish can be scooped from the tray. I prefer this.

And now, enjoy your fish with steaming plain rice. I did very much. And by the way, if my mom and dad were around, my dad would definitely take credit of the delicious gravy that my mom cooked, because the fish he bought was fresh and just right. After all, its all about the fish !