Chickpea battered squid with lemon and coriander vinaigrette

The definition, I must admit, is not very appetising. After all, who would believe that a seafood that’s described as one of the many species of the 10-armed cephalopods with a long tapered body, hemmed in by a caudal fin on each side, would be so delicious to eat?

I am talking about the squid. I love these slippery creatures. I have eaten them in all ways possible — fried, steamed, grilled and cooked in gravy. I have eaten stuffed squid, enjoyed it in a Thai curry, in a Chinese sauce and cooked in the spicy Mangalorean way.

A squid’s looks are intriguing, to say the least. Let’s put it this way: a squid is not cute. Forget the big ones that seem to form a part of all horror sea flicks, even the baby ones are not very endearing. The colour is pale pink and it has streaks of white on it. It has a tube-like body, with the two fins and a head with 10 small tentacles attached to it. But as the sages say, never judge a book by its cover. The squid is scrumptious.

Squid filled with prawn mousse in saffron thyme veloute

There are different kinds of squids, but they vary mostly in size and shape, with not much of a difference in taste and texture. What one should know is how to clean a squid, though some would argue that catching it is even trickier for it squirts a black ink towards anyone it sees as a foe. The ink sac is inside the body and should be removed carefully.

If the squid is fresh, you can use the ink to colour a dish. I once had a memorable Risotto Nero at The Imperial Hotel. The rice had been wonderfully flavoured, and looked a dramatic black after some squid ink had gone into it.

To clean a squid, first remove the pale pink skin, which comes off easily when you rub it with your fingers. Then remove the transparent quill inside the squid and chuck it away. Pull the tentacles and head from the tail, and discard the head along with the inner organs. Now you keep it whole or cut it into rings — and then cook it the way you want to.

Chefs Sujit Sinha and Subhas Basu of Tangerine in Calcutta do squid dishes in all kinds of innovative ways. They make a Malaysian squid curry with shrimp paste and coconut, and a Malvani squid sukka with Indian masalas (see recipes). They can prepare for you a braised squid with spaghetti and bisque, or a prawn mousse stuffed with squid.

Braised squid, spaghetti bisque

If you like your squid simple, you can poach it whole and then serve it in a salad with olive oil and lemon. Italian master chef Antonio Carluccio points out that people in Apulia in southeast Italy use a little sea water to make the broth with the squid and drink it as a tonic after the squid’s been cooked. You can also bake your squid after stuffing it with bread crumbs, chopped tentacles, garlic and parsley or pine nuts.

For an interesting Mediterranean squid dish, you could try out the chefs’ chickpea battered squid with lime and coriander vinaigrette. You cut the squid into rings and then put them in a batter of chickpea puree, lemon juice, tahini, garlic paste, paprika, cumin powder and soda water. Make a lime and coriander vinaigrette with peanut oil, lime zest and juice, and chopped red pepper and coriander leaves. Season the squid with salt and pepper, dip it in the batter, roll it in flour and fry it. The chefs serve it with salad leaves tossed in the vinaigrette.

I think one of the best ways to eat a squid is to have it dusted with flour and then fried crisp. The small squid can be fried whole, the bigger ones can be cut into small rings. Truly, the squid has enormous potential. It may not win a beauty pageant but it can sure stir up a table.   

Malaysian squid curry

Ingredients (to serve 4-6)

• 650g squid • 50 ml oil • 3tbsp desiccated coconut • 50g thinly sliced galangal • 3 chopped fresh red chillies • 2 cloves crushed garlic • 2 shredded lemon grass stalk • 1tbs shrimp paste • 300gm coconut milk • 600ml chicken stock • 1tsp turmeric powder • 1tbs sugar • Juice of ½ a lemon • Salt to taste

Method:

Cut the fish into chunks. Season with salt and set aside. Dry roast the coconut until evenly brown. Add oil, galangal, chillies and lemon grass and fry briefly. Stir in the shrimp paste. Add coconut milk, chicken stock, turmeric, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken. Add squid and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Garnish with coriander and lemon slices. Serve with steamed rice. 

Malvani squid Sukka

Ingredients (to serve 6)

• 500gm squid • 100ml oil • 60g chopped onion • 80g chopped tomatoes • 5g chopped ginger • 10g chopped garlic • 2g curry leaves • 1tsp mustard seeds • Salt to taste • 2 grated and roasted coconuts

For masala paste:
• 50g dry red chillies • 1tbs cumin seeds • 1tbs coriander seeds • ½tsp Fenugreek seeds • A pinch of carom seeds • 1 tbs black pepper • ½ tsp turmeric powder • 4 cloves garlic • 10g ginger

Method:

For the masala, dry roast all the ingredients. Make a smooth paste and keep aside. Clean and cut the squid into rings. Heat oil, add mustard seeds, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, chopped onion and chopped tomato. Fry well. Add the masala paste. Add a little water and cook. Add the squid. Cook for a minute, add roasted coconut and salt. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve with hot rice.