We had a set routine, and we loved it. Every Sunday, Missus and I would set out early morning for a romantic stroll, our hands tightly clasped, she would look into my eyes and we would talk for hours.
Ok, let me admit, I was making that up. Well it all sounded so poetically romantic, and catchy enough to rapt readers attention. To be fair to myself, I did not lie in entirety. We used to get up early, every Sunday morning and go for walks, but our walks would always lead us to a local fish shop. Sometimes, foodie like us may seem to be quirky, but then everyone has their own idea of a romantic walk and probably that was ours.
In Pune, getting a decent fish purchase on weekends may prove to be a tough task sometimes. Primarily, Punekars love to eat fish and the supply of fresh water fishes that comes from Pune’s dams and ponds and sea water fishes that arrive from Mumbai, Gujarat, Ratnagiri and Andhra Pradesh prove insufficient to cater to the overwhelming demand that increases every year. Do you feel that the thoughts of Sunday lunch with no fish on the plate dampens your spirits and suppresses your appetite? Then one must be an early riser so that you can line up outside the shop and can get the freshest supply of fish. However, if you thought, being ahead in the queue can get you fresh fish, then think again. You need to have some other skills like being able to perform a verbal duel with queue jumpers and thwart their evil intentions of getting ahead. You need to have haggling skills to be able to get the best price for the best catch. Though my intentions are not to bog you down with the details, but if you are feeling put off, then here is a good news. There is a concept called “Meat on wheels” in Pune now that can eliminate all these irritants. It gives fish eaters a unique opportunity of getting the fresh supply of fish from the confines of their home by placing the online orders. http://meatroot.com/ is one such online meat delivery service that delivers all meat related products including seafood. This eliminates the hassle of procurement that foodies would face earlier, and now one can focus solely on recipes.
Coming back to our story. We continued to purchase our supply of fish from the same mom and pop fish store. Years of shopping from the same shop had fostered a mutual sense of camaraderie with the owner and he would know which fish we wanted, and how it had to be cut. We would shamelessly gawk at all the fishes and he would let us do it unhindered. We would touch and pat the fishes to select the best of the lot and after being happy with the purchase we would head back to home. However, as they say nothing stays forever. One unsuspecting morning, when we went to the stop, it was closed. At first, fish store closed at Sunday seemed to be strange but we did not give it much of thought. It remained closed for next couple of weeks and this bothered us. Until one day, when I saw the usual signboard at his shop was replaced by a new board that said “American Tourister”. I was heartbroken. I tried asking few carpenters who were renovating that shop for any idea about what could have happened with the previous owner but they were ignorant. Later, we figured out that the ex-owner found it economically unviable for him to manage the shop and then he decided to sell it. I wish all the luck for him and pray he comes back someday.
After this we came across this wonderful site http://meatroot.com/ which has now become our routine meat buying portal. We still go for walks on Sundays and do miss our old friend as well as the entire process of buying fish. Sometimes, when we feel too nostalgic, we head to another fish market where we push, haggle, quarrel and finally succeed. Sometimes, it is good to relive those old romantic days, and for other practical days you have the online shops.
Tandoori Prawns is a simple tandoor recipe with very few ingredients required. The stand out point for this recipe is use of mustard. Succulent prawns with its sweet juices cooked till perfection and twist of mustard imparts a slight pungent kick and one that is required to take this recipe to the next level.
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Serves: 2-3
- 250 grams medium sized prawns(cleaned and deveined).
- 30 gram hung curd.
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 and ½ tbsp mustard oil.Mustard oil must be heated till its smoking point and then brought off the flame. Allow it to cool down before using it in marination
- In a large bowl, take hung curd.Add mustard oil,red chili powder,mustard powder,black pepper powder, lime juice and salt.
- Mix all ingredients to form a thick marinade.Consistency of marinade should be thick.
- Coat prawns with this thick marinade.
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let prawns stay marinated for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours of marination, Pre-heat the oven at 160°C
- Prawns will be placed on low rack.Cover low rack with Aluminium foil.Line up prawns on this aluminium foil.
- Prawns are neatly arranged on the rack covered with foil.
- Now take another foil and cover it on top to form a pocket.
- Prawns remain succulent trapped in the pocket.
- Prawns get locked in the pocket.Put them in oven (Pre-heated 160°C) for 15 mins.
- After 15 mins get them out from oven.
- Remove the top foil.Prawns must be juicy and are ready to server.
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