Meen Moilee

Is it even possible to describe, render into words and approximate the smell of a favourite perfume or the taste of the flavourful food to someone? It may be a long shot, but there are some gourmet experiences that should be let loose from the confines of an individual palate. On our travelling through the south of India, something extraordinary has happened. We ordered the same dish twice during the course of the same dinner. And this is not something we do when we travel, you generally tend to try as much of the new stuff as possible, or if the dish in question is so incredibly delicious, at least you have the decency and eating discipline (well, not me, but other people do, I suppose ) to wait for your next meal.

For this reason, I think that the delicacy that is so utterly irresistible, exotic and sinfully tasty deserves to be shared.  Meet Meen Moilee, a fish curry from Kerala region in India which consists of juicy and tender pieces of white fish that are stewed in coconut milk and local spices. Turmeric powder gives it its peculiar colour that complements its creaminess so well. The dish is a sign of the foreign influence, namely that of the Portuguese, on the cuisine of Kerala, and proof of the excellence of all things hybrid.

One of the reasons for having such an appeal on us might be the fact that Meen Moilee is very mild, without that characteristic Asian spicy feel that makes you want to sneeze, blow fire and continue eating at the same time. All the recipe authors on the Internet agree that this is a stew that is easy to make, but I was not able to recreate it at home. So my memories will have to do for now. We’ll always have Kerala.

Bon Appetit!