I love kokum kadi. My grandfather would have it with rice at the end of his meal, and I wanted to incorporate the comforting digestive drink into a recipe. The opportunity came with this dish. While marrying Goan and coastal Maharashtrain flavours, it remains quite playful: it has a poha with pesto that we made to give the risotto an Indian twist. In case you can’t get artichokes, omit them from the dish.

  • Serves

    4

  • Cook Time

    01 h 20 m

    Soak the kokum overnight to save time

Ingredients

For Grouper Fillet

  • 4 grouper fillets, around 120-130 gm each with skin on
  • 20 gm butter
  • 20 ml olive oil
  • 20 ml lemon or lime juice
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • Salt and pepper

For Kokum Kadi

  • 300 ml coconut milk
  • 100 gm kokum skins
  • 10 gm sugar
  • 10 gm fresh coriander, chopped
  • 3 green chillis, slit in half and deseeded

For Kadi Tempering

  • 50 ml cooking oil
  • 5 gm black mustard seeds
  • 8-10 curry leaves
  • 1 pinch asafoetida

For Basil Poha

  • 150 gm poha
  • 100 gm potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch chunks
  • 20 gm sundried tomatoes, chopped
  • 5 gm garlic, chopped
  • 5 gm pine nuts, roasted
  • 100 ml olive oil
  • 60 ml cream
  • 1 cup basil leaves
  • Salt and pepper

For Prawn and Squid Balchao

  • 300 gm medium-sized prawns, peeled and deveined
  • 200 gm squid rings, cleaned
  • 10 gm coriander seeds, roasted
  • 10 gm cumin seeds, roasted
  • 200 ml white wine vinegar
  • 50 ml olive oil
  • 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 8-10 whole Kashmiri red chillis
  • 2 large red bell peppers
  • Salt to taste

For Roasted Artichoke Hearts

  • 150 gm artichoke hearts, drained and cut into half, lengthwise
  • 10 gm garlic, chopped
  • 5 gm thyme, chopped
  • 20 ml olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon 
  • Salt and pepper 

Preparation

For Kokum Kadi

  1. Wash the kokum skins to remove any dirt. 
  2. In a nonreactive bowl, soak the kokum, green chillies, sugar and salt in about ½ to 1 cup of water for six to eight hours till the water turns a bright, deep purple or pink colour and is full of flavour. 
  3. Strain and discard the solids. 
  4. Add the coconut milk and refrigerate.
  5. Heat oil in a small pan on high heat, and temper the black mustard seeds and asafoetida till they splutter and pop.
  6. Remove from heat and add the curry leaves to the hot oil, allowing them to release their flavour.
  7. Transfer the tempering pan contents to the kokum kadi and finish with a handful of chopped coriander. 
  8. Refrigerate, but for service, warm it ever so slightly to bring to room temperature.

For Basil Poha

  1. Wash the poha in cold water and drain. 
  2. Blanch the potato chunks and set aside.
  3. Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in cold water to rehydrate them, and when they are soft, drain and cut into ribbons. 
  4. Make a pesto with basil leaves and 60 ml of olive oil in a blender and set aside.
  5. Next, in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, heat olive oil and sauté garlic until light golden. 
  6. Add the blanched potatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and sauté well. 
  7. Toss in the basil purée and fresh cream and simmer for few minutes. Do not overheat or allow the pan’s contents to boil or else it will change colour and lose its freshness. Add in the moistened poha, toasted pine nuts and mix well. 
  8. Remove from heat and check seasoning. Hold warm till service.

For Prawn Balchao

  1. De-seed the red chillis and soak in white vinegar with coriander seeds and cumin seeds for at least 45 minutes. 
  2. Blend this mixture in a food processor to a smooth paste, strain and reserve. 
  3. Roast the red peppers over an open flame till they blister and char. 
  4. Peel and de-seed the peppers and julienne. Save any juices. 
  5. Heat oil in a sauté pan, add the chilli paste, and cook till the oil starts to separate from the paste. 
  6. Add the prawns, squid rings and peppers, and cook till the seafood turns opaque but is still tender.
  7. Adjust seasoning and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

For Roasted Artichoke

  1. In a bowl, marinate artichoke halves in olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. 
  2. Spread artichokes on a roasting tray and roast in an oven at 180°C/350°F for 5-10 minutes till lightly charred.

For Cooking Grouper

  1. Lightly score the skin of the grouper fillets, making sure not to cut too deeply into the flesh. 
  2. Pat dry the fish with a paper towel and rub a little salt, pepper and lemon juice on the flesh side. Keep the skin side dry. 
  3. Heat some oil in a non-stick frying pan and sauté the fillets, skin side down, on low heat. When the edges of the flesh above the skin start turning white, the fish is almost cooked. 
  4. Add butter and a sprig of thyme and with a tablespoon, keep basting the top flesh-side of the fish. The skin should turn crispy. 
  5. Remove from heat, flip the fillet in the pan, and hold while you start plating.

To Serve

  1. Put a spoon of basil poha in the centre of a plate and place some roasted artichoke next to it. 
  2. Gently lay a fillet atop the poha and garnish with a spoonful of prawn balchao.
  3. Spoon the kokum kadi around the fish and serve hot. 
Written by

Rahul Akerkar

Rahul Akerkar, the chef-founder of Qualia in Mumbai, was Scroll Food’s Chef of the Month for June. He started his culinary journey 35 years ago in the US, returning to India in 1989. Since then, he has been busy changing the way we eat. Known for setting industry trends with his creative, ingredient-driven cuisine, and warm attentive hospitality, Rahul’s award-winning restaurants secured his position as one of India’s first successful, chef-restaurateurs. In his career, he has won many accolades – he was featured in Asiaweek’s Survey of “Kitchen Gods” in 2001 and was 28 on San Pellegrino’s List of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2013. More recently, he won Chef of The Year at the Times Food Awards 2016, Mumbai. He has been guest chef in several kitchens around the world, authored numerous articles, and frequently consults to the food and hospitality industry.

See more by Rahul Akerkar