Squid Paratel

I loved my mother's squid paratel, but cooking squid can be daunting to the uninitiated. I am glad that I first made it while amma was still around to supervise the preparation and pass down some of her wisdom on how to achieve the perfect dry squid.

Here's what you need to do. Clean the squid thoroughly (I get the fishmonger to do this for me) then cut into rings (about 1cm thickness) but leave the tentacles intact. To remove maximum surface moisture on the squid, first drain any excess water in a colander. Then place the squid in a muslin cloth (you can use a cotton baby napkin for this) and twist it into a tight ball to squeeze out as much water as you can; return it to a dry colander and leave it out while you prepare all the ingredients. Just be aware that you will have to cook the squid longer so that it is not so chewy.

The same recipe can be used for Prawn Paratel.

Ingredients:

9-10 medium size fresh squids (look for those about the size of your palm)

1 medium size onion

6 pips garlic

1 thumb size ginger

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp chilli powder

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp black pepper powder

salt to taste

1 tbsp fried onions optional

a bunch of fresh coriander- chopped

1 tbsp coconut oil

Method:

1. Once your squid has been cleaned and cut with the excess water removed, m arinate the squid with turmeric and sugar, while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

2. Roughly pound onion, ginger and garlic (you can give it a quick blitz in the grinder but we don't want a watery mixture).

3. In heated oil, saute the pounded mixture till fragrant.

4. Add spice powders.

5. Lower the heat and fry the spice powders to remove the rawness in the taste. You can add 1-2 tsp of water to prevent the mixture from burning, but try to maintain a dry mixture as the squid will release water during cooking.

6. Add the squid and mix well.

7. Salt to taste.

8. On medium heat, cook the squid until done and no longer chewy and paratel is slightly dry.

9. Stir in the fried onion, if available.

10. Sprinkle with chopped coriander.

Note: For Prawn Paratel, use 3 cups of medium size prawns that are shelled and deveined. be sure to drain well in a colander and use kitchen towels to pat dry the prawns to remove surface moisture. Once the prawn is cooked and to avoid overcooking if there is too much water, remove the prawns to a bowl and cook the gravy till it thickens. Then return the prawn to the wok and mix through before adding the fried onions.