Easy Kerala Style Fish Curry |മീൻ കറി
The wonderful combination of spice and sour tastes in this Kerala fish curry is well-known. The fish curry has a vibrant red color that comes from Kashmiri chili powder and turmeric.
It’s simple to make for beginners and bachelors because there’s no need to grind any masala or require any other special types of equipment.
Fish Curry is prepared in a variety of ways in Kerala, including Fish Mulakittathu, Fish Molly, and Fish Curry with coconut milk.
The fish used in Spicy Kerala Fish Curry can be anything from seer fish to meaty fish.
What is special about this Recipe
We use a special ingredient for added taste, called “kudampuli”, a type of tamarind.
According to Ayurveda, Malabar tamarind (kudampulli/cambogia/Garcinia) offers a wide range of therapeutic properties, including aiding digestion. Before cooking, the kokum must be rinsed and soaked in warm water for at least 10 minutes. If you can’t find kokum, try tamarind or use tomatoes instead.
Roast the masala well…
Bhuno (boo-na) is an Indian slow-frying method that simply means “to roast or fry the masala nicely,” and it usually refers to the spices.
Cook the ingredients over medium heat, stirring often, until the masala is ‘bhuno’ before moving on to the next stage. If the masala begins to stick to the pan as the water evaporates, add a few tablespoons of water, wait for the water to evaporate, and repeat. After 5 to 10 minutes of roasting, oil drops will begin to separate from the rest of the mixture. This indicates that the bhooning process has started and masala is roasted well.
Make sure not to brown the spices too much otherwise, it will lose its vibrant color and flavor. It is traditionally prepared in a clay pot, as it is thought that the clay pot enhances the flavor of the dish.
Ingredients Needed For Fish Curry…
Most of the spices are available in supermarkets or Indian grocery stores.
- 1 kg fish, cut in to medium pieces
- Mustard seed
- Fenugreek Seeds
- Shallots/Kunjulli/Chumannulli
- whole red chilies
- curry leaves
- gamboge
- Kashmiri chili powder
- Turmeric powder
- Coriander powder
- Fenugreek powder
- Garlic crushed
- Ginger crushed
- Green chilies
How To Serve Fish Curry
The ideal way to have fish curry is with hot rice or boiled tapioca. Let the curry rest for some time before serving. It tastes better when the flavours have time to soak in, next day after preparation.
To make the ideal fish curry, follow these steps…
Kerala Style Nadan Fish Curry
Ingredients
- 1 kg fish, cut in to medium pieces
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 cup shallots, sliced
- 3 whole red chilies
- 2 sprig curry leaves
- 4 kudampuli/gamboge
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 4½ tbsp Kashmiri chili powder Adjust to your taste
- ½ tbsp chili powder Adjust to your taste, if you like less heat, replace this with Kashmiri chili powder.
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp fenugreek powder
- 3 green chilies
- 2 tbsp ginger crushed
- 2 tbsp garlic crushed
Instructions
- Keep Cocum/Kudampuli soaked in 1/2 cup warm water
Clean and Cut Fish
- Clean and cut fish in to medium pieces.
- Mix 2 tbsp vinegar/lemon juice with water and soak the cleaned fish for 10 minutes. Then rinse again 2-3 times to remove the raw odor and any remaining vinegar from the fish.
Prepare Dry Spices in to Paste
- In a small bowl mix dry spices: 4½ tbsp Kashmiri chili, ½ tbsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp coriander powder,½ tsp fenugreek powder. Add just enough water to make a paste. Set aside
Make Gravy
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, reduce heat to medium and add mustard seed and let it splutter. Add 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds, whole red chilies, and curry leaves. Saute for 10-15 seconds
- Add crushed ginger, crushed garlic and chopped green chilies. Saute over medium heat until raw smell is gone(does not need to be brown)
- Add sliced shallots and salt. Saute until shallot is translucent.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and then add Spice mix prepared earlier in to paste. This is to make sure the dry spices don't get burnt when adding to hot oil. Saute for few minutes until the raw smell of the spice is gone and oil start separating (bhuno/roast the masala well without burning).
- Add soaked kudampuli with water, 1/2 cup water, and salt. Cover with a lid and let the gravy boil over medium-high heat.
- Add fish pieces carefully and cover with a lid again. Make sure there is enough water to cover the fish pieces, otherwise add 1/2 cup or more water. Let it boil over medium-high heat.
- Once the gravy is boiled reduce heat to medium. Rotate the pan occasionally to make sure nothing sticks on the bottom of the pan and fish is covered with water and spices. Cook fish for 8-10 minutes covered.
- Open the lid and check for salt and spices, add salt if needed. Rotate the pan to mix fish with spices and cover with lid and cook for another 5 minutes.
- When the gravy is thick to your preference, turn off the heat. Sprinkle 1 tsp fresh coconut oil on the top and add fresh curry leaves. Cover with a lid until ready to serve with rice, chapati, or boiled tapioca.
