My Special Fish Curry
A South Indian delicacy especially from Kerala, made with onion and tomato base. This dish gets its distinct flavors from the spices, tempering and a perfect balance of sweetness and sourness from the coconut milk and tamarind that’ll keep you yearning for more.
It’s special because this was the first dish made by my hubby after our wedding and since then its mostly cooked on every weekend at my home.
Ingredients
1. ½ kg fish with bones, head, and tail (My fav is black pomfret)
2. 2 onions, roughly chopped
3. 2 medium-sized tomatoes, roughly chopped
4. 2 whole green chilies
5. 2 tsp garlic paste
6. 1 tsp cumin seeds
7. A few peppercorns
8. ¼ cup tinned or fresh coconut milk (add more if you like)
9. 1 tsp red chili powder
10. ½ tsp turmeric powder
11. 1 ½ tsp fish curry powder
12. ½ tsp zeera methi powder (cumin fenugreek powder)
13. A few curry leaves
14. ½ tsp tamarind paste
15. Salt to taste
16. Oil or olive oil
Curry Powder
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ¾ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• ½ tbsp fenugreek seeds
• 6-7 peppercorns
• 5-6 white peppercorns or ½ tbsp white pepper powder
• 1 tbsp toor dal
Dry roast coriander, fennel, fenugreek seeds, toor dal and peppercorns. Grind it to a fine powder, add chilli, turmeric and mix well.
Zeera Methi Powder
Dry Roast separately 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, ½ tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp raw rice, a few curry leaves(optional) and grind it into a fine powder
Here We Go
1. Grind the onions and tomatoes separately to a fine paste.
2. In a cooking dish add oil, mustard seeds (allow them to crackle), cumin seeds, peppercorns, curry leaves, garlic paste, onion paste, red chili, turmeric, and curry powder. Cook till the water evaporates and there’s no raw smell.
3. Then, add the tomato paste and cook till the gravy is thick and cooked well. Now, add salt, fish, little water and cook for 7-8 minutes on medium-low. Add the whole green chilies, cook for 2 more minutes and Remove.
4. Serve with plain white rice.
A special thanks to Shiraz Masroor (aunt) for sharing her recipe!
