Now back in Sri Lanka to our beach house, it’s a diet of fish, fish and more fish. Not that I’m complaining, mind you: we get some of the freshest fish possible to buy anywhere.

Also, the local meat is tough and badly cut. But some of our guests, especially those from Pakistan, do miss their meat. My son Shakir, a typical desi carnivore, memorably said after a week with us: “I would kill for a cheeseburger”.

The other evening there were 12 of us around the dinner table, and Nandi, our marvellous housekeeper and cook, had prepared a five-kilo parau. This is a firm-fleshed fish that can grow to around 15 kilos or more.

A large dish won’t fit into our oven, so Nandi fills the cavity with a mixture of cumin, chilli, curry leaves, olive oil, lime juice, salt and garlic. Some of this goes on the skin as well as into a few deep cuts.

The fish is then wrapped and sealed in foil and placed on the barbecue where it cooks to the perfect degree of doneness. This spectacular fish is then placed on the table and unwrapped, and guests help themselves. The juices from the dish are collected into a jug and served as a sauce.

Thus far, I have not encountered any pomfret in Sri Lanka, and frankly, given the diversity of the other seafood on offer, I haven’t much missed the familiar, flat fish from the waters off Karachi.

However, on a recent visit, Zain, my brother’s wonderful cook, prepared a Goan treat for me. It was absolutely delicious, with tamarind and vinegar giving the fish a tart flavour.

Here is Zain’s recipe:

Forget meat, there are other delicious dishes to satiate your palate

For a kilo of pomfret, you will need tamarind, vinegar, 5 red chillies, 1½ teaspoons of cumin, 6 cloves of garlic, salt and cooking oil.

Soak a pod of tamarind in a quarter cup of vinegar; pound the cumin, red chillies and garlic in a pestle with a mortar. Squeeze the softened tamarind into the mixture, and add a little vinegar.

Make a couple of cuts into both sides of the pomfrets, and place some of it inside the cavity.

Now fry in hot oil, taking care not to overcook. Around three minutes on each side.

Serve hot after scattering some chopped parsley on top.

Another intriguing dish Zain prepared was Goan rice. The rice had turned red from the tomatoes cooked into it.

Here’s the recipe: For half a kilo of rice, you will need: 1½ kilos of ripe tomatoes, one onion, a heaped teaspoon of cumin seeds, six cloves, some curry leaves and salt.

Place the tomatoes into a pan of boiling water for a couple of minutes, drain and allow to cool.

Slice the onion and sauté, adding the cumin seeds, salt, cloves and curry leaves before the onions have softened.

Now squeeze the boiled tomatoes into the mixture, add rice and cook. Top up with a bit of water if necessary.

Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves on the red rice for contrast and fragrance.

Finally, here’s a recipe for a stuffed green chilli that my mother would often have cooked as an accompaniment for daal-chawal (lentils and rice). These three items alone, properly prepared, would be a meal fit for the gods.

Get half a pound (or pao) of longish green chillies; 2 teaspoons of aniseed (saunf); 3 teaspoons of coriander powder; 1 teaspoon of kalonji seeds.

Cook these ingredients (minus the chillies) on a dry frying pan, and then grind.

Mix salt and add the juice of 2 limes, and stuff this mixture into the sliced green chillies, place into a frying pan with some oil, and fry.

Add a little water and cook gently until the chillies are soft.

These keep for several days if placed in a sealed jar and refrigerated.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, December 14th, 2014