Sea Food and Spice

There are two gas burners, a hand-pumped washing-up basin and a zinc-topped work table, scarred by the toil of filleting. Well-scoured aluminium pots, pans and strainers and enormous serving platters gleam through a smoke and steam haze. Two light bulbs barely light the way. A brace of blue-backed prawns, the size of lobsters, whistle and jump among baby garlic cloves in a hot pan, their coconut oil-rubbed carapaces chameleoning to brittle pink. A bowl of fresh coconut, mustard seed and chilli chutney beams on the side. A boy rubs a pearl spot fish with a cumin and turmeric chilli paste, another rinses and rattles turquoise-rimmed mussels in the sink, while a third darts about with the orders. Mumthaz works with dexterity, barely moving in her sari, and lets fall crumbled curry leaves, fronds of coral-like mace and shrivelled black grapes into a blackened pot that holds her glorious red snapper pullao (pilaff). The whole shack shimmies in a rainbow of spice.