There’s food at home

How often did we grow up with the saying, “there’s food at home”? Do you ever find yourself repeating this adage of our mothers and aunts?

I prefer to eat at home. During lockdown my darling friend Fritz and I realised just how much money we saved every week without our weekly drink that turned into a full meal. It was astonishing. As inflation rises and we are all left aghast at the ever-increasing price of lettuce, let alone actual staples, eating out becomes even more of a treat than before.

I’ve never been a big fan of ordering in. I prefer to whip up a quick pasta in the time it would take for a take away to arrive. However, the other night fatigue got the better of me and after languishing in a long bath I chose to order a pizza for dinner. I had already taken fish out of the fridge that I’d marinated for two days.

You know those days when you walk into your home well- intentioned to cook a righteous, healthy meal that will last a few days? Well, reality and vice set in and we choose “convenience.”

I lay on my bed finishing my read of the week, I’m in my romance era, courtesy of my friend’s @HeyGoodBooking Instagram page. The thought of starting with pots was least of my wishes for the evening. I checked my app and my delivery was five minutes away. That status remained for the next hour.

After 20 minutes I got up, walked to the kitchen and decided I could not risk poisoning myself by putting the fish back in the fridge and resigned myself to getting the cooking started. I felt accomplished after finishing my book and so I began with gusto, wondering when the delivery would arrive. I wondered if my cooking would be done before the pizza arrived.

The driver messaged to say his bike had given out down the road from me and he was waiting on a friend to complete a trip nearby and then deliver my pizza. I was fast losing enthusiasm for the whole palava. It was my second pizza in less than a week, an indulgence I rarely ever allow myself, so I felt it was a sign to slow down on the Neapolitan style pizzas.

I began warming the spices, I blitzed tomato, onion, ginger, I softened a well sized piece of tamarind, while watching the lack of movement of the stranded bike on the app. While the bike stood stationery, I decided that cooking really was the best course of action and well, we’d see to finish as our aunties used to say.

Thus was born a delicious masala and tamarind fish fry dish. The pizza eventually arrived an hour later, ice cold and a reminder to myself why ordering in has never been favourable and that I do in fact have food at home. 

Ingredients:

1. 500g hake fillet cut into cubes and skinned — marinated overnight in two spoons of plain yoghurt, salt, white pepper, ½ teaspoon of masala, ½ teaspoon ground cumin
2. 1 stalk of curry leaves (6/8)
3. 1 x teaspoon of black mustard seeds
4. 1 x teaspoon of cumin seeds
5. ½ teaspoon of fennel seeds
6. ¼ teaspoon of caraway seeds
7. 1 pinch of nutmeg
8. 1 x teaspoon of ground coriander
9. ½ teaspoon of turmeric
10. 1 x small red onion
11. 1 thumb sized piece of tamarind (put it in boiling water to soften)
12. 500g of very ripe cherry tomatoes
13. 1 x thumbnail sized piece of fresh ginger
14. 5 x cloves of fresh garlic (the more the merrier)
15. A handful of fresh coriander
16. 1 x dried chilli
17. 1 x tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
18. 2 x tablespoons of ghee
19. 1 x tablespoon of avocado oil
20. 1x tablespoon of muscovado sugar
21. Salt and white pepper

Method:

• In a food processor combine the cherry tomatoes, fresh coriander, ginger, garlic,  avocado oil, fennel seeds, tamarind (with water) and a ¾ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of white pepper and blitz until it forms a purée
• On medium heat, heat up the spices and curry leaves for a minute
• Add the ghee and let it melt and mix in the spices
• Follow this with the blitzed tomato mixture and let it boil, reduce heat, simmer and let the flavour develop for 30 minutes
• In a separate pan fry the fish on both sides in a little ghee to seal and give the fish some colour, place directly into the pot with the tomato mixture
• Stir to combine and let it simmer for another 20 minutes.

Serve with jasmine rice and some sliced cucumber for freshness. Sit back and enjoy until your doorbell rings with your takeaway and you chuckle to yourself while tucking into your delicious, fresh food at home.