Kerala Fish Curry with Coconut Milk and Mango

I was born and brought up in Pune. Being a city kid, going to Kerala for summer holidays meant small adventures with the native cousins, going back to nature and a lot of delicious traditional food. ?Everyday, there was something new and fun to try out like feeding the goats, cows and chickens, scurrying through the little paddy fields ? balancing ourselves on the narrow mud pathways that criss-cross through the fields, and plucking fresh mangoes and cashew apples from the trees.

I remember going fishing in the canal waters with my cousins. No fancy equipment or fishing rods. The only gear we needed to catch the tiny flitting fish was a thin cotton Kerala towel. Two of us holding the two ends of the traditionally white towel beneath the surface of the water? watching the fish dart against the white background. Waiting patiently for the right moment? until we were confident that here was an easy catch; lifting the towel up in a single coordinated movement only to find it empty. The fish were often faster than us? then repeating the process again determinedly until there was atleast one prized catch. Those unlucky fish were then transferred into a dirty transparent leaky plastic bag with some water and paraded around town excitedly! The games we were upto as kids! The whole world and all our happiness fit into that little plastic bag with the fish.

This fish curry brings so many good memories from childhood and Kerala and especially my mother. Normally, I am a big fan of the red fish curry made in South Kerala, but this one that my mother makes has a treasured place in my heart and in my recipe diary. It was an absolute must at family gatherings and special occasions. Everytime I make this, it makes me nostalgic.

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