Remember the film Jaws, where sharks hunted human beings? Well, you may not know that roles are often reversed when human beings also hunt sharks for food. It is rather hard to believe that if sharks relish human beings, we can also eat shark meat, by creating some unusual sea food recipes. In many countries, it is supposed to be a delicacy and even in India, it is made in some southern states. Few years back we had the rare opportunity of tasting shark curry, made with filets of the white cheeked shark. The taste was different and the experience worth repeating. They say, shark filets are cut from the middle of its enormous belly and have a rather rubbery taste. To minimize the rubbery feeling, shark filets are first marinated in vinegar to soften the meat. There are three ways of eating shark meat, fried, curried or made with pieces of sun dried shark, which is powdered and mixed with fried onions, curry leaves, spiced with red chili powder, cooked like a dry chutney and eaten with plain steamed rice. Fried shark is made with slightly larger filets and made like any other fried fish, only after it is marinated in vinegar. While shark curry needs much more finesse in the preparation. To start with, oil is heated in a casserole, onions browned and spiced with turmeric, fresh green chilies, red chili powder and ginger paste, till the masala absorbs the oil, pieces of shark are added along with a thinner second press of coconut milk and cooked on a slow fire, till it softens. At this point, the thicker first press of coconut milk is added, brought to a boil and mixed with a little vinegar, again simmered on a slow fire and then served piping hot with appams or rice, so that your Jaws tingle for more and some more…
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