Cooking in Clay Pots
Did you know that the vessel or pot that you use for cooking can affect the flavour of the dish?
In India, the vessels for cooking particular dishes are often dependent on what the vessel is made of.
For example, pots made of soapstone, known as Kalchatti are known for improving the flavour of specific dishes, such as rasam, a South Indian traditional soup made of tomato, tamarind, aromatic herbs and spices.
While the Kalchatti is known for its delicious rasam, my signature dish, a South Indian Fish Curry is best cooked in a pot made of clay. The clay pot or "Manchatti" retains heat well and intensify the flavour of the curry. I find that it not only increases the flavour of the dish but adds its own particular flavour to the curry as a fish curry made in a clay pot has a very different taste from one made in a steel pot.
This is my version of a South Indian Fish Curry Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 2 kg fish (preferable a firm fish that will keep its shape), cut into pieces
- 4 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 4 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 inch piece ginger, peeled and crushed into a paste
- 12 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 golden shallots, peeled and sliced
- 4 green chillies, sliced.
- 2 tomatoes, cut into small pieces
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 4 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder (use more for a spicy curry)
- 4 teaspoon coriander powder
- 6 pieces Kodampoli, also known as Malabar tamarind
- 500 ml coconut milk
Cooking Instructions
Soak Kodampoli in hot water while you prepare the other ingredients.
Heat coconut oil in a heavy based pan (fish curry is traditionally made in a clay pot), add mustard seeds and allow to pop. Once mustard seeds pop, add curry leaves and fenugreek seeds and stir well. Add shallots, ginger and garlic and green chillies.
Add tomatoes and salt and cook until tomatoes have softened. Add turmeric powder, stir well. Add Kodampoli along with soaking water.
Add coriander powder and Kashmiri chilli powder and stir well, then add coconut milk. Simmer for about 2 minutes making sure that spices have been well combined with the coconut milk, they sometimes get lumpy.
Add fish and simmer until cooked through. Enjoy!