Shark Ambotik/Authentic Goan spicy and sour seafood cuisine
By: Sonali Pradhan
Published: Friday, April 27, 2012 - 8:55am

Ingredients




a little more than a lb. of Shark meat, cut into 2" cubes
7 to 8 shallots, chopped lengthwise
8 to 10 kokum petals
A handful of grated coconut and 1tsp of coriander seeds , dry roasted to a golden brown color and made into a fine paste.
Salt, to taste
Oil, as required
Ingredients for the masala:
1/2 of a medium sized onion, coarsely chopped
6 to 7 whole Kashmiri Red chilies or 1 and 1/2 tbsp of Kashmiri chili powder( increase or decrease the spice level according to your taste)
5 to 6 whole peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 to 5 cloves of  garlic
1, 1" piece of ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp sugar
4 tbsp of vinegar

Preparation

1 Marinade the Shark meat with a pinch of salt, keep aside for 5 to 10 minutes. 2 In the mean time, make a paste of all the ingredients for the masala. 3 Heat a tbsp of oil in a wide bottomed skillet, add the shallots , fry till translucent, next add the ground masala along with the paste of roasted coconut and coriander seeds. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes on a medium heat by constant stirring or until the raw smell of the spices vanish. 4 Next, add 2 cups of water, salt and the kokum petals, cover and cook on medium heat until it comes to a boil. 5 Lastly add the shark meat, cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes on medium low. 6 Serve hot with Rice.

About

"Ambot" meaning TANGY and "tik" meaning SPICY is a Popular Goan cuisine which goes extremely well with  SHARK  meat because of it's strong flavor. There are a lot of variations to prepare a Ambotik curry with fish like Pomfret, Mackerel, Sardines , but I felt this version to be the best as the strong flavors of Shark meat compliments the tangy and spicy taste of the gravy. I have improvised the recipe adding a little  sugar to enhance the flavors of the dish, also used kokum petals instead of tamarind.