Traditional Kerala Fish Curry (Meen Curry)

Traditional Kerala Fish Curry

A tasty fish curry, without coconut paste / milk / and less oil. Best combo with Rice /Appam..

Serves: 3

You will need

385 g any good quality fish pieces (net weight after cutting)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

Wash and clean fish pieces. Drain out water thoroughly. In a wide bowl, marinate fish pieces with above ingredients, cover and keep aside for half an hour.

Other ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

8 shallots / chuvannnulli (small onions), finely sliced (or 1 small size onion, finely sliced)

½ - inch piece ginger, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 green chilli, slit lengthwise

6 curry leaves

3 kudampuli

2 ½ teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon uluva podi (fenugreek powder / methi powder)

2 teaspoon rice flour (rice flour will make the curry medium thick in consistency)

¼ cup (50 ml) water

Marinated fish pieces

1 cup (200 ml) water

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Method

Soak kudampuli in ¼ cup water for half an hour. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and stir well. Carefully remove soaked kudampuli after half an hour.

Dilute red chilli powder, turmeric powder, uluva podi and rice flour in ¼ cup water and make a smooth mix. Keep aside (spice mix).

Heat oil in a meen chatty or pan. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add sliced shallots and fry until golden color on a medium to low heat.

Add chopped ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves. Fry till fragrant and crisp.

Add diluted spice mix and stir well on a low heat until the water dries up and raw smell goes.

Add kudampuli pieces, marinated fish pieces, 1 cup water and salt to taste. Gently stir well.

Cover with a lid and cook on a medium heat for 10 - 12 minutes or until done / gravy thickens. Serve with rice or appam …