Mango fish and a cook's heart

The kitchen coming alive is half the fun in cooking

Have you ever felt the joy of being able to cook up something delicious? If you have, then you are no stranger to the alluring sizzle and warmth of your kitchen.

There are hundreds of no-cook recipes that let you sit at your dinner table with all the ingredients and munch on. But then you would be missing out on the heady aromas and tantalising sounds coming from a busy kitchen.

I was craving the warmth of mine the other day and decided to go with ‘Mango Fish’.

My native cuisine is Indian, and its spice history is no secret. But what I love the most is how it celebrates the ingredients. Contrary to popular belief, it is not about the curry powder, a colonial concoction alien to its custodians.

In this recipe, unripe green mangoes, plucked before they turn into their sweet avatars, lend it their tang and name. Pomfret, a flat-bodied sea-fish, is ideal. But you could use catfish or prawns in its stead.

At the end of it, as you sit dow…