Taarlyaacha Tikhala: Cooking Fish Karwar-Saraswat Style
Shivani Kulkari shares an heirloom recipe for fish curry from the Karwar coast, featuring triphal, kokum and Byadgi chillies.
Taarlyaacha Tikhala is a lesser-known, but traditional seafood delicacy from Karwar-Saraswat cuisine. My family is from the small coastal town of Karwar on the Goa-Karnataka border, and this recipe has been in our family for 3 generations.
Unlike the region’s more well-known fish curries – thin and runny – this is thick, almost like chutney, to be scooped up with rotis or chapatis, or mushed into rice. Tikhala translates to thick gravy, coating the star ingredient of the dish (typically fish, specifically sardine or mackerel). And like all complex dishes, this one tastes best the next day, when the flavours are allowed to mellow, and the fish fully absorbs every nuance of the spice mix.
Fish features prominently in our community, the North Kanara Gowd Saraswat Brahmins, given our proximity to the ocean. Our fish of choice for Taarlyaacha Tikhala is taarla (sardine) or baangda (mackerel), fish varieties that are abundantly available in Karwar. We sometimes refer to the taarla as ‘baby bangda’ because they closely resemble the bangda, but are smaller in size. The fish is thorny, and the flesh juicy, full of those incredible natural oils. In Karwar, tikhala is made only and only with these two fish. Boneless fish that aren't naturally oil-based will take away from what makes this dish so unique.
Tikhala was traditionally cooked on shegdi or woodfire. Given that our family has made Bombay home these last five decades, woodfire is hard to come by, and we cook on gas. However, despite Bombay’s seafood markets offering a plethora of fish, we have never dared to substitute taarli or bangda with other varieties.
Triphal, Kokum & Byadgi Chili
Though it takes less than 20 minutes to cook this fish curry, it is the nuances of cooking, and ingredients like triphal that make this dish distinctive. Trirphal, a close relative of the Sichuan peppercorn, releases a pungent aroma when crushed in water, and is an essential flavouring in several Karwari dishes. Dry red byadgi chillies are also integral to this recipe. A variety of red chilli popular in coastal parts of India like Goa, Karnataka and the Konkan region of Maharashtra, these chilies are mildly spicy, but lend a bright red colour to our curries. And of course, there is kokum, to lend sourness.
Cook’s Tips
Grinding spices on the Karwar coast is nothing short of an art form. When you grind freshly grated coconut, dry red byadgi chillies, tamarind pulp and turmeric powder in the electric mixer/grinder, you need to know precisely when to stop. Of course, in the old days, this was done on the ammi-kal, with results that are vastly different. The grind shouldn't be too runny or too coarse.
Remember to soak the triphal in water for 20 minutes. Then later, just before adding it into the curry, lightly crush with a pestle and mortar. Do not discard the water; add that into the dish as well. But when eating, the triphal is discarded; it is never consumed.
Spatulas or ladles are never used to toss/turn the dish. Instead, the fish is gently coated with ground masalas, using one’s hands. The dish doesn't require stirring. It cooks on its own in less than 20 minutes.
Before taking the dish off the flame, add a few drops of coconut oil to finish; another step that is signature to our community’s recipes.
RECIPE FOR TAARLYAACHA TIKKHALA
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 dozen pieces of tarli (sardine), cleaned — use the head of the fish as well, iit lends a lot of flavour
1.5 cup freshly grated coconut
1 tsp turmeric powder
10-12 dry red byadgi chillies, stems removed
1.5 tbsp tamarind pulp
4-5 kokum
7-8 tirphal, soaked in water for 20 minutes
3-4 drops coconut oil
1/4th cup water
Salt, to taste
Method
Wash the sardines well under running water.
Soak the tirphal in water.
Grind the freshly grated coconut, together with dry red byadgi chillies, tamarind pulp and turmeric powder, into a fine, smooth paste with water.
In a deep and wide pot, place the sardines. Now gently coat the fish by pouring in the ground masala. Add 1/4th cup water. Add salt as per taste.
Crush the soaked tirphal with the help of a mortar and pestle. Add tirphal to the pot. Gently (with your hands) mix everything. Now, turn on the flame. Cook the tikhala, covered, on low flame for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, add kokum.
Drizzle 3-4 drops of coconut oil.
Now cook the tikhala uncovered on medium-high flame for 7-8 minutes. Once the masala and fish are fully cooked, serve the taarlyaacha tikhala with steamed rice.
Cook’s notes:
1. Do not toss the fish with a ladle, as it may break the fish pieces.
2. Pay attention to the grind; you want a smooth, semi-thick consistency. Do not a lot of water to grind the ingredients for the masala.
3. Preferably use a wide and deep cooking pot/wok.
Shivani Kulkarni is a curious foodie and a passionate cook based in Mumbai who run Authentic Swaad on Instagram, aimed at documenting lesser-known dishes from Saraswat cuisine.
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