For Narali Purnima, Try This

Pomfret Kalvan

Fish Recipe, Rich In Coconut

Narali Purnima falls on the full moon of Shravan, the day fisherfolk along the Konkan coast ceremonially end the monsoon fishing ban, as per the government mandate, by offering coconuts to the sea before their boats go back out to get fresh fish to land as the monsoon enters its retreating phase. Within days of the festival, pomfret starts turning up in local markets in far greater numbers, and this particular pomfret fish recipe is one of the more underrated fish dishes. The curry is a thin, pale-yellow curry that gets its colour and flavour from the ground coconut and tamarind. This particular pomfret fish recipe hails from the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) community, who routinely use dried seafood, ranging from bombil (Bombay duck) to dried kolambi (prawns). These dried fish fuel many finishing communities along the Konkan coast through the lull period when fishing is prohibited. Fresh pomfret gets saved for moments when it's easy to source, and a festival built around the sea reopening for business is exactly that moment. What separates this kalvan from a Malvani rassa or a Goan fish curry is the wet masala used to make this curry. It has twenty cloves of garlic, whole coriander seeds, ginger, and a portion of tamarind pulp ground and used to marinate the fish, rather than the pomfret fish being fried plain. The flavour has hints of garlic, a sour edge and coconut that balances the pungency of the dish.