Fried Squid / Calamari

"Tip Tip Barsa Pani, Pani ne aag lagaayi." I cannot imagine how water can set anyone on fire, but Bollywood, with its own strange laws of physics love and chemistry, has always taken full advantage of the monsoons.  Over the years, a large number of Bollywood songs (with suggestive lyrics and women in plain, see through sarees) shot in the rain have captured our senses and made our imagination run wild! Harldy surprising, because monsoons do have a magic of their own. The incessant pitter patter of rain drops against the roof is music in itself. The sudden chill that descends on the earth is welcomed warmly. And what can beat the smell of the earth as the first showers pour down upon it?

Inspite of it all, in a city like Bangalore, the monsoon is a time best spent inside your home, preferably wrapped up in a blanket. The city is just not built for heavy rains, and the monsoon brings with it a plethora of problems. Roads get flooded and there are more traffic blocks than usual, sidewalks are rendered unusable with overflowing drainage water, even underground parking gets flooded. Mounds of waste everywhere, shortage of autos and cars splashing muddy water on you as they zoom past. It brings the city to its chaotic worst, and this is something I would happily pass by any day, unless I am at home on a weekend.

So, while everyone wonders why the monsoons are delayed this year in the city, I am just glad that they are not here yet. But that doesn't mean I am going to pass on any opportunity to make fried snacks that are usually perfect for the rainy season. Take this fried calamari, for eg. Do you really need an excuse to make them?


Recipe:

You will need: 
2 cups sliced and cleaned squid
¼ cup plain flour
2 tablespoons red chili powder (adjust according to tolerance) + ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1½ teaspoon chopped ginger + 1½ teaspoon chopped garlic
A sprig of curry leaves
To deep fry, oil
To taste, salt

Method:

Mix together the plain flour, chili powder, turmeric powder and salt in a Ziploc bag. Add the sliced squid. Toss everything together so that the squid is well coated with the flour mix.

In a wok, heat oil. Add ginger and garlic, and when they start to brown, add the curry leaves. Remove the fried ginger, garlic and curry leaves with a slotted spoon and discard.

Shake off any excess flour on the squid and add it to the wok. Fry for two minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

 

Serve hot with lemon wedges and mayonnaise.

Enjoy!

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