Vivek Kewalramani was easily the naughtiest of all the Food Team members of MasterChef India. His sense of humour and his passion for cooking were equally endearing. Completely at ease with life, always in control in the face of any crisis and never afraid to try out something new, he stood out from the rest.
One day, Vivek arrived and announced, ‘I’ve got some home-made food for us today! Sindhi raswali machhli!’
Needless to say, none of us wasted a single moment and descended on the curry like a group of starving kids. Vivek’s raswali machhli was a gift for us. We had been shooting non-stop for the last few months, and missed our home-cooked food. Within five minutes, the curry was gone and we stood there licking our fingers, pure joy on our faces.
Through this recipe, I’m reliving those golden moments of my MasterChef experience and sharing a dish which was not just lip-smacking but also close to my heart.
4 (about 150 g each) sole fish fillets, cut into pieces
1¼ tsp salt or to taste
6 (large) tomatoes, roughly chopped
1¼ cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
6 green chillies, roughly chopped
4" piece ginger, grated
4 tbsp oil
2 (large) bay leaves
6 pods green cardamom
2 pods black cardamom
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
2½ tsp coriander powder
2½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi), lightly roasted
Wash fish and pat dry. Sprinkle salt over fish, mix well and set aside to marinate for 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water and set aside. In a blender, combine tomatoes, coriander leaves, green chillies and ginger, and blend to make a smooth purée. Put oil in a pan over medium heat. When hot, add bay leaves, cardamoms and garlic and sauté till garlic softens. Mix in puréed vegetables and cook till oil floats to the surface. Add spice powders and mix well. Crush the fenugreek leaves between your palms and add to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes and pour in 1 cup of water. Add fish. Reduce heat to low and cook till fish is tender. Serve hot with roti or steamed rice.