Indian Fish and Sea Food
The seas around India supply a wealth of fish and seafood and hardly surprisingly, fish is on the menu every day in the south and west of the country. Indian cooks are used to preparing whatever looks tastiest and freshest in the day's catch, although portiere and prawns are particular favorites. This flexibility of approach makes it easy to adapt traditional recipes for varieties of fish more widely available in the west.
It is, perhaps, surprising how well fish and seafood go with all kinds of spices, whether in a fragrant mix with coconut milk, yogurt or lime juice or in a sizzling hot chili sauce. Bengal is famous for its fish recipes and its use of pungent mustard oil - so be warmed if you try a Bengali fish dish.
Fish is prepared in many different ways so there is always something interesting on the menu. It may be pan-fried, deep-fried or grilled whole, as fillets or it strips,(often after coating with turmeric or other spices), stewed with mixed vegetables or beans stir-fried, made into a flovoursome curry, cooked on skewers or pickled and served cold.
Seafood dishes are just as varied and delicious, whether a spicy curry of tiger prawns or cooked Goan-style in a delicate coconut sauce.