Meen curry (fish curry) is a quintessential dish of Kerala with its unique taste, it uses kodam puli (malabar tamrind), which has unique medicinal properties.
Ingredients for Kerala fish Curry Recipe
- Fish (Surmai/Kingfish) – 1 kg
- Garlic – 4 (big cloves)
- Kashmiri mirch powder – 3 tsp
- Chilli powder – 1 tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
- Mustard – 8 seeds
- Ginger – 1″ inch (sliced)
- Green chillies – 2-3 (slit)
- Curry leaves – 2 strands.
- Coconut milk – ½ coconut’s milk
- Mustard seeds – a few (for garnishing)
- Malabar/Fish tamarind (kodam puli/gambodge) – 2 pieces (slit length wise)
Procedure for preparing Kerala fish Curry Recipe
Make a paste of kashmiri mirch powder, chilli powder, coriander powder turmeric powder and mustard. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan/kadhai and add garlic to it. Saute till it turns golden brown. Switch off the flame and add the masala paste to it. If the heat is more the masala will get burned , so I switch the flame off) mix well. Now add a little warm water and then grin this masala to a smooth paste.
In the vessel in which you want to cook the fish take enough water to cook the fish and add ginger and green chillies and fish tamarind to it. Add the masala paste and mix well in the water.
Put this vessel on flame, let the water boil and then add the fish pieces and salt to it. Allow the fish to cook on low flame and then once the fish is done just circle the vessel with your hand so that it mixes well.Do not use a spatula to mix or the fish will break.
Finally when the gravy is done Add the thick coconut milk and again circle the vessel with your hands and remove from fire (do not let it boil after adding the coconut milk).
Now heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and let some mustard seeds splutter and add curry leaves and then immediately pour this on the fish curry.
Your delicious fish curry is ready. Serve it with hot steamed rice.