After all that I have eaten while I was back home, I’m excited to bring back a few recipes. These recipes will satisfy the cravings for a delicious, spicy seafood fry.

Fish chili paste is made out of the most common spices that are available in almost every local Indian supermarket. It is popular in the coastal regions of South-India prepared differently in different regions. Chili paste is exactly what it sounds like: the spicy tangy flavor. This recipe is always used in my mom’s kitchen and comes in handy for every fish I want to fry.

I used to start by coating my fish with a paste of chili powder, a pinch of turmeric, and salt. This paste had a less intense flavor. It got me thinking there was something missing. I then made up my mind. I prepared this paste which I should have tried long before. Now, every time I fry my fish with this paste, it takes me back home. The aroma of the spices fills the air. It spreads the spicy blend to the olfactory system. The liquid moves across your palate. It’s mouth-watering!

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Appliance required: Blender

Ingredients

Red Kashmiri dry chilies – 32 g / fist full

Black pepper seeds – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds / Jeera seeds – 1/2 tsp

Salt – 1 tsp

Vinegar – 2 tbsp

Turmeric – 1/4 tsp

Directions

1. Prepare the ingredients. Combine all the ingredients in a blender, preferably in a small sized container so as to grind it into a fine paste. Add very little water if its very dry.

2. Grind into a thick fine paste. Transfer it into 200 ml or 200 g glass jar. Store it in the fridge.

3. Marinate 1 tbsp of chili paste on fish, either whole fish or pieces. You can adjust the amount of paste based on your spice level. Sprinkle just a pinch of salt over fish since the paste already contains some amount of salt.