IT'S all to do with the fish, really. And if you want to have a real good Amritsari Fish at home, then you must buy the fish from Banarsi Lal Arora in the old city. It is the oldest and biggest shop in Amritsar, some 40 years in business, and with roots that are in Pakistan.

The fish is Sole, and it comes fresh from the Harikepatan River, and the Beas, near Amritsar. Banarsi Lal does not do the fishing himself. He sits in his shop and sells the fish. It comes from seafood contractors who buy the Sole in bulk from fishermen through auctions.

The Sole is a fairly expensive fish. It costs Rs. 200 per kg. when sold boneless by Banarsi Lal. With the bones it costs Rs. 110. You get four or five fish per kg. "People buy the fish like they buy meat, by the weight," says Banarsi Lal.

He also sells the Amritsari Singhada, which is a river fish too, and caught in the same rivers as the Sole. And from Gujarat and Bombay, Banarsi Lal gets prawns and pomfret. But the Sole is the best-selling item in Amritsar today.

It is available from the start of September to end of June. July and August is the breeding season for the fish. The government bans fishing during these months. You get the best fish during the winter months, says Banarsi Lal, which is from November to February. And it is bought from him by all the hotels, restaurants, clubs and caterers of Amritsar.

There is not much retail sale of the Sole as you might have expected because Punjabi families in Amritsar prefer to have their Amritsari Fish outside. The city has several little streetside shops that do a roaring business after sunset by selling the signature dish of the city.

Like Ashok Fish Shop outside Hall Gate on Gajjarmal Road in Amritsar. They buy some 500, 600 kg of Sole every day and fry it in mustard oil. That is how Amritsar's signature dish is cooked and served. It is consumed as a starter or snack. But there are variations to the Amritsari Fish. It is sometimes had as a main course in a curry.

When served fried, fillets of the Sole are marinated in a gram flour and garam masala batter. Ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder are also added. With this batter, it is is deep-fried in mustard oil and served hot with pudhina chutney and onions. In streetside stalls, Amritsari Fish sells cheap, for Rs. 10 a fillet.

A curry is also made of the Amritsari Fish. For this preparation, there is no marination in garam masala. Instead, it is rubbed with lemon juice, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste and deep-fried. The curry is made of an onion and tomato base in which ginger-garlic, green and red chilli powders, turmeric and garam masala is cooked to make a thickish gravy. The fried fish is served with this gravy.