Some tastes makes us nostalgic, this is one such taste for me- the dry fish chutney taste. It reaffirms the fact that at the bottom of my heart , I am a Malayalee by taste. I would always go for this chutney over a pizza or steak. It brings back fond memories of my mamma's kitchen, watching her savour the taste of dry fish, narrating stories of her childhood. And though we hardly remembered the faces of any relatives she spoke about, the dry fish was sort of a bond between the unfamiliar faces and us. Ever since I got married, my mom keeps supplying me with my stock of dry fish and to me these transactions are so nostalgic and sacred. I still remember her carrying little packets of this dry fish she called 'mullan' all the way from India to Kuwait and how she cherished them.
This time when she was down here in Bangalore on her short visit she recreated the same nostalgia in my kitchen and it was bliss.
Ingredients for Dry fish chutney
Dry fish- 10-12
Shallots- 10-12
Green chillies ( we use the typical kanthari - small chillies shown in the pic)
Tamarind- small ball
Salt
Coconut oil
Directions
Try removing the saltiness from the dry fish by soaking it in water for 15 minutes. Dry the fish to get rid of the water content. Heat oil in a pan and fry the fish till golden brown.
Grind the fish with shallots and chillies.
Add the tamarind and salt to the ground paste in the grinder and grind again.
Before serving add a tsp of coconut oil.
Labels: Chutneys, Fish, From Mom's collection, Kerala dishes, Seafood
