How To Make Kerala Style Coconut Fish Curry

This Kerala Style Coconut Fish Curry | Thenga Aracha Meen Curry | Fish curry with coconut is cooked in ground coconut paste, ginger, garlic, Kudampuli(Fish Tamarind), and other spices. The garlic and ginger give a nice aroma to the curry.

One of the dishes that captures the essence of Kerala’s culinary heritage is its famous Fish Curry. Bursting with flavors and steeped in tradition, Kerala-style fish curry is a testament to the region’s love affair with seafood and spices.

Each fish curry tastes slightly different because of the unique ingredients and cooking techniques. Even the flavor of the fish curry varies depending on the type of fish used.

Ingredients In Kerala Style Fish Curry

You can find many of these ingredients here.

• Fish: You can use any firm fish for making this curry like mackerel(ayala), tuna (choora), and avoli (pomfret), taste fine.
• Green chilies
• Kashmiri chili powder: The amount can be adjusted to suit your taste, and it has no effect on the taste of the curry. If you like it really hot and spicy, you can replace this with hot chili powder.
• Coconut: The sweetness of the ground coconut, combined with the spices, balances the flavors and thickens the gravy.
• Kudampuli / gamboge: Soak this in hot water for 10-15 minutes.
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Tomato
• Fenugreek seeds

How To Make Thenga Aracha Meen Curry

Kerala Style Coconut Fish Curry

This restaurant-style Thenga Aracha Meen Curry is made with coconut, spices, kudam puli etc. It tastes delicious and is served with Rice and other dishes.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 Kg Fish

For Grinding Coconut Mixture

• 1 tbsp Coconut oil
• 1/2 tbsp Ginger chopped
• 1/2 tbsp Garlic chopped
• 3/4 cup Grated Coconut
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 Teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
• 2 Teaspoon chili powder, Adjust the amount to your taste.
• 1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
• 3 Shallots

For The Curry

• 1 tbsp Coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp Mustard
• 1/4 tsp Fenugreek
• 2 sprigs Curryleaves
• 2 Green chilli slit in the middle
• 1 Tomato
• 2 pieces Kudampulli soaked in 1/2 cup hot water for 5-10 minutes.
• 2 cups Water

Instructions

 

• Heat a pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp coconut oil. When the oil is hot add 1/2 tbsp chopped ginger, 1/2 tbsp chopped garlic, and saute until the raw smell is gone. It does not have to be brown.
• Reduce heat to very low and then add 1/2 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, 1 tsp chili powder, and 1 tsp coriander powder. Stir for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell of spices is gone. Switch off the heat.
• Add 3/4 cup coconut into the pan and mix with all spices. let it cool down. Add coconut mixture into a blender, add 3 shallots, and then ground into a fine smooth paste.
• Heat clay pot on the stove, and add 1 tbsp coconut oil. When the oil is hot add 1/4 tsp mustard and 1/4 tsp fenugreek. When the fenugreek is light brown, add curry leaves and 2 green chilies, and chopped tomatoes. Stir for 2-3 minutes, no need to sautee the tomato.
• Add Kudam puli with water, ground coconut, salt and let it boil. When the gravy is boiling add fish pieces. Cover with a lid and let it comes to boil again. Then reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
• Remove the cover and check spices, salt and consistency of the gravy. If the gravy is too thin then you can simmer for few minutes uncovered. If it is too thick then add little more hot water.
• Add curry leaves and sprinkle 1 tbsp coconut oil on the top of the curry. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 5-6 minutes.

Notes

One crucial step in preparing coconut fish curry is to add the fish only when the gravy is vigorously boiling; otherwise, it may result in an unpleasant taste.

Keyword kerala fish curry, nadan meen curry,

More Fish Curry Recipes

• Easy Kerala Style Fish Curry Without Coconut
• Kerala Style Fish Pickle

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