Dried Black Pomfret Flakes Salad.

Dried Black Pomfret Flakes Kismuri / Salad ............

This one is exclusively for fish eaters and that too only for those who can withstand the strong dried fish aroma. Many a people are skeptical of the taste as the dried fish is usually strong in smell and very salty too. But for those who love the dried fish this one is a great dish to be served along with Dal-Chawal. Fishes are dried in Hot Sunlight after curing them with some turmeric and salt on sand. 

These are available almost everywhere in India and are stored for use during monsoon months, as during that time fresh fish is usually not available, nor are people sometimes able to venture outside their house. In olden days the dried fish such as dried small shark was fried dry on chula ie. on fire prepared by wood or charcoal. Nowadays however we do not have such facilities in metro cities or for the matter in modern kitchens. I have used my fav. Microwave Oven Method here to fry the dried fish. My obsession with Microwave continues. 

Wash about 200-300 gms of Black Pomfret in plenty of water and soak it in some lukewarm water for 10-20 minutes. Some people do not follow the method and fry dry on fire as it is. However, I am a bit skeptical about where and how these fishes are dried. The hygienic conditions etc. So as to not have any doubts I use the method of soaking it in lukewarm water to remove any dirt etc. if any. Now strain off the water properly. Let as much water drain off as possible. Make flakes out of the flesh part and allow it to dry properly spreading it on a thick towel or absorbent tissues. I use the paper method. Press out as much excess water as possible. 

Now put the fish flakes in a microwave glass dish, add one large tablespoon of coconut oil (you can add any oil you prefer, but I find coconut oil aroma with kismuri the best) and mix well. Microwave on high till crispy, stopping at 5 minutes interval initially and then at 2 minutes. Keep stirring and continue the process till they are crispy and done. It will take about 18-20 minutes. However, the timings differ from machine to machine. So once you cross the 18 minutes be careful as to not burn the fish. Remove and let cool completely.

Now peel off the outer skin and chop finely 4-5 large onions. 

Add ½ cup of freshly grated coconut to this. Add in 4-5 green chillies chopped into rounds, 1-2 tsp of coconut oil and mix well. Lastly add in the microwaved fish just before serving. 

This is to avoid the fish going limp / damp if added before hand. Also do not add salt before checking by tasting the dish. The fish contains a lot of salt and when mixed the dish usually remains saltier. So adding of more salt will make a disaster of the dish. Just check and if you find that you can add in a bit of salt, which is very rare, do so. 

Mix well and serve with Dal-Chawal as an accompaniment. This Kismuri is best combined with Rice and Dal as its a sort of salad and not curry to be served with other items. Try out the dish if you have tasted dry fish before for the strong aroma may not be appealing. You may also try a very small piece before you make it in larger scale.