best fish curry from my childhood

My Aapa ji (grandmother from my mother’s side) was the best cook and I’ve never tasted fish (nor anything else) the way she made it. ‘Aapa’ is a form of address for elder sister. Not sure how this title is appropriate for one’s grandmother, but Aapa ji she was to us. She passed away when I was very young, but I can still recall the sweet scent of henna she used to dye her palms and of the paan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paan she enjoyed on lazy afternoons. My grandparents lived in the Lahore Cantonment, where sometimes the odd street vendor would hawk his wares from atop his squeaky bicycle; Cook would be sent scurrying after him, big bowl and a couple of crisp hundred rupee notes in hand. His return was greeted by a loud cacophony from the numerous pet cats, in anticipation of their favourite fish parts. She would have preferred sweet water fish from the river Ravi and cooked it in an earthen vessel using a wooden spoon but I am told salmon or any fish that can withstand a bit of cooking and does not flake too easily will do for this recipe as well.

Fish ½ kg; onion 1 Ginger paste 1 tbsp

Garlic paste 1 tbsp Cumin seeds ½ tsp

Coriander seeds ¼ tsp Yogurt ½ cup

Spinach 1 cup, Chopped Green chilies 3-4

Ajwain (caraway/carom seed) 1 pinch Salt to taste

Fresh coriander for garnish Oil for frying

Heat oil in a pot. Add finely sliced onion and fry till translucent. Add garlic paste, ginger paste and continue frying. Add cumin, coriander, and ajwain, and fry till aroma evolves. Add spinach, and fry, adding a splash of water now and then, to keep the masala sticking to the bottom. Keep frying until the spinach reduces and oil separates. Now turn the heat to a simmer and add the yogurt. When the yogurt begins to boil, gently arrange fish pieces in the pot, and shake slightly so that the yogurt mixture covers the fish. Add the whole green chilies, cover the pot and leave to simmer. When the gravy is thickened and fish is tender, remove from heat. Add salt at the end. Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve with plain boiled rice and dal, or naan.

on foot

following some foot troubles i have been recommended sensible flat shoes fitted with an 'orthotic device'. i hope this situation is temporary and i can go back to wearing un-sensible shoes by next spring.

the last time i was pre-occupied with my foot ailments was years ago. it was my first winter at boarding school and my first snowfall, i must've been 5-6 years old. after running around with my tongue stuck out, catching snowflakes like a puppy, i remember noticing how soft and easy the snow was under my feet.

the novelty wore off speedily. one afternoon i was walking around the compound and sticking my foot into any mound of snow i saw, stomping it into submission, rejoicing in its scrunchy protestations. verily i espied an undisturbed patch along the periphery and ran to make my personal mark on the territory. i stuck my foot in, anticipating to meet concrete under what i guessed would be 6 inches of snow. in my excitement i had failed to notice this was roughly where an open drain was located. as it turned out, the snow was only a couple of inches deep, my foot (and leg) went right into the drain...and the freezing water under the snow. so now my shoes (completely girly and unpractical) and standard-issue 'knee-length gray woolen socks' were completely drenched. i didn't know what to do. i was convinced i would get severely reprimanded if not spanked by the resident dragon lady (masquerading as mrs graham, head matron) that i did not tell anybody. i felt like an infantry soldier from world war I, so was my utter misery. when we were sent up to our dorms to change after supper i breathed a sigh of relief; my foot was a most ominous shade of purple.

sometime the next morning our school 'shoe man' came by with a special package for me to deliver an order that had been placed some weeks prior. he unpacked the most plain and ugly black lace ups you ever saw. but the new leather scent along with that of shoe polish was a heady mix indeed! plus they were so warm and comfy. and dry. and how they shone! and squeaked when i walked...i was in a very different kind of shoe heaven.