The Fish Orgasm in Kerala

Meeting Mohanlal was good enough, but shooting with him in his city, meant a food fiesta. Not many know that the superstar from south was a sea food exporter and also ran a restaurant business, The Harbour Market, across cities like Goa, Pondicherry, Chennai, Cochin and Dubai.

Today, he is no longer in the restaurant business, but the man knows his fish. Keeping that in mind, the caterers in Cochin, where we were shooting an ad film, took out a spread that brought out the fishy happiness in me.

Sear fish in Kerela fish curry was served the first day. Succulent pieces of fleshy fish that broke from the bone, was lovingly fed to my palette by hand. Mohanlal's manager explained to me that in reality there is no fixed recipe for Kerela fish curry. The superstar's staff did a culinary survey across the state, tasting the said dish after every 50 kilometres, and the taste differed from each restaurant. Apart from the mind believing that the colour of the preparation is fiery red and has mustard seeds, chilli powder and curry leaves, the prerequisite is met and the tongue happily feeds on the grub.

On the second day, the spread got bold and ambitious. Crab

Chettinad, sear fish in spicy Malabar curry and baked Telapia in a spicy raw mango and red chutney paste... were the seafood highlights of the meal. The baked fish was wrapped in banana leaves after it was smeared with a cooked paste of onions, ginger, red and green chillies, raw mango, curry leaves and turmeric. Had with steamed rice, the tender flesh of the fish just melted in the mouth.

I died a fishy death. Tummy full and stretched to astonishing elastic capacity, I paid the ultimate penalty... I had to finish my shoot. Burp... what a meal...I think I can just about manage to think and ask a few questions...