- 1 kg fresh Squids
- 8 dry Kashmiri Chillies (discard stalks & seeds)
- 2 Onions (peeled & chopped)
- 2 fresh red Tomatoes (chopped)
- 2 tbsps. fresh Tamarind Paste
- 1 tbsps. fresh Ginger paste
- 2 tbsps. fresh Garlic paste
- 3 tbsps. Coriander pwd.
- 4 Peppercorns
- 6 Cloves
- ½ inch Cinnamon Stick
- ½ tsp. Cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp. Turmeric pwd.
- ½ tsp. Sugar
- ¼ cup Sugarcane Vinegar
- 3 tbsps. Vegetable Oil
- Salt to taste
- Water as required
To prepare Ambot Tik Masala Paste:
Break the chillies into small pieces. Soak in vinegar chillies, one onion, coriander pwd., peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, turmeric pwd.,sugar, ginger-garlic pastes, tamarind paste, tomatoes & a little salt for about 20 mins.
Grind in a blender/grinder to a fine, thick paste without using any water. Keep aside for further use.
Method :
Clean the squids thoroughly. (I get it cleaned from the fishmonger).
Apply a little salt & keep aside for about 5 mins.
Wash the squids well especially the pockets.
Slice it into rings or into squares or strips & chop the tentacles. Keep aside in a bowl. Heat oil in a pressure cooker till hot.
Reduce heat & saute the chopped onions till soft & translucent.
Then add the ambot tik masala paste & saute till the rawness disappears for about 2-3 mins.
Add the squids & saute for another 2 mins.
Add about 2 cups of water & pressure cook upto 2 whistles.
Let the cooker cool down & then open the pressure cooker.
Adjust sourness, salt to taste & desired thickness of gravy.
Serve hot with steamed rice/sannas/rice roti or bread.
Tips & Variations :
- You may cook the squids in a pan/wok or dekchi. But make sure you check that the squids are cooked well by piercing a knife through the squid piece. It should be soft & not rubbery.
- You may use any vinegar of your choice depending on your preference.
- You can use only tomatoes or tamarind as per your preference but check for sourness as this preparation calls for extra sourness.
- In case you want it extra spicy then eliminate the sugar or retain the seeds from the chillies if you are comfortable with extra spiciness.
