Malabar fish curry with coconut or as we call it varutharacha Meen curry is one of the authentic cuisine of kerala. Simple and easy to prepare. One special ingredient in this recipe is cocum/Kokum/Fish tamarind. It has numerous health benefits and the combination with fish gives an exotic flavor which is why it is suggested to go with fish tamarind for any fish curries.
You can replace with normal tamarind if you do not have kokum but taste will differ. With respect to any fish curry, the longer it stays, the tastier it is. It tastes awesome the next day, the reason being tamarinds essence slowly gets into the curry and enhances the taste.
Malabar fish curry with coconut Pictorial description:
Soak the kokum in 1 cup water for 15 min.
To Roast and Grind: Heat oil, Put in Shallots, Ginger, Garlic, Coriander seeds, Red chilli and coconut. Fry everything until the shallots turn brown and grind them to a fine paste.
Heat coconut oil in an earthen pot (cooking fish curry in earthen pot gives an awesome taste and flavor). crackle mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add in chopped onions and fry well. add broken green chilli and fry well.
Now to this, add the ground masala and mix well. Soaked kokum added along with the water used for soaking. Add turmeric powder, salt and mix well. close and cook for 5 min.
Open and put in fish pieces and cook in simmer while giving a gentle swirl in between. close and cook for 5 more minutes or until the fish is cooked and let it sit in pot for at least an hour before you serve. Oil oozes out and tamarind gets soaked and releases its flavor and enhances the flavor of fish. Color of the curry in itself changes with time.
Malabar fish curry with coconut- Video recipe:
Malabar fish curry with coconut recipe:
Malabar fish curry with coconut
Ingredients
- 4-5 small dried kokum
- 6-7 medium sized fish pieces - sliced
- 1 cup shallots
- 5-6 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 1/8 cup coriander seeds
- 6-7 dry red chilli
- 1/8 cup coocnut pieces
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 2 medium long green chilli - broken
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak the kokum in 1 cup water for 15 min.
- Heat oil, Put in Shallots, Ginger, Garlic, Coriander seeds, Red chilli and coconut. Fry everything until the shallots turn brown and grind them to a fine paste.
- crackle mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add in chopped onions and fry well. add broken green chilli and fry well.
- Now to this, add the ground masala and mix well.
- Soaked kokum added along with the water used for soaking.
- Add turmeric powder, salt and mix well. close and cook for 5 min.
- Open and put in fish pieces and cook in simmer while giving a gentle swirl in between.
- close and cook for 5 more minutes or until the fish is cooked and let it sit in pot for at least an hour before you serve.
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