Meen Peera

One of my favourite seafood dish - Meen Peera, a speciality of Kerala. It is usually made with small fish like anchovies, netholi, chooda or small sardines.

Ingredients:

Anchovies or any other small fish - 500 gms

Curry leaves - a few

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Kudampuli or fish tamarind - 1 or 2 pieces

Salt to taste

To grind

Shredded coconut - 1 cup

Green chillies - 4 or 5

Ginger - a half inch piece

Garlic - 2 or 3 cloves

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Preparation:

1. Soak kudampuli in 1/2 cup warm water for 10-15 mins.

2. Remove the head and tail of the fish and clean it. No need to cut the fish as we use small fish for peera.Keep aside.

3. Grind the ingredients listed above to a coarse mix without adding water. Keep aside.

4. Heat oil in an earthern pot or pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add the ground paste and curry leaves and give it a mix. Now add fish, the tamarind along with the water used for soaking. Add enough salt and cover and cook till fish is done. You may either make it dry or a little runny.

Serve hot with kanji or rice.

Linking to Anyone can cook:Series 34 and  to The Kerala Kitchen hosted by Divya Kudua

Red Hot Fish Curry

A spicy red fish curry that will bowl you over. The recipe was sent by our friend Nadeem who is from Goa. I have made a few changes to suit our taste. It is the simplest fish curry I've ever made and tastes great.

Ingredients:

Fish pieces - 500 gms
Fish Tamarind/Kodampuli - 2
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Oil - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - a sprig(optional)

For the paste
Chilly powder - 2 tsp
Kashmiri Chilly powder or Paprika (Optional. I added it for the colour)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garlic - 6 to 8 cloves
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Methi/Fenugreek powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Preparation
1. Grind all the ingredients for the paste with a little water in a mixer.
2. Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions. When they start browning, add the ground paste and add enough water and salt for the gravy. Bring to boil and simmer for few minutes.
3. Add the fish pieces and curry leaves and cover and cook till fish is done.

Serve with rice or neer dosa or kappa(tapioca).

Linking to Anyone Can Cook: Series 30

Also to Iftar Nights

Fish Biriyani

I am making Fish Biriyani after a long time. I always love to cook with fresh fish. Fish biriyani tastes best with King Fish and we get only frozen ones here. I was a little apprehensive of cooking with frozen fish, but the biriyani turned out very yummy.  We were really hungry by the time it was done, so I just took one click of it, so the picture is not that good. I'm planning to make this again when I go to my home in Kerala and will update a better picture here...

Ingredients:

1. King fish slices - 500 gms

    Kashmiri Chilly powder - 1 tbsp (Adjust the quantity if you are using regular chilly powder)

    Turmeric powder - a pinch

    Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

    Lime Juice - 1/2 tsp

    Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

    Salt

2. Oil - for shallow frying the fish

    Onions - 2, Chopped

    Tomatoes - 2, chopped

     Finely chopped ginger - 2 tsp

     Finely chopped garlic - 2 tsp

     Coriander powder - 1 to 2 tsp

     Chilly powder - to taste

     Biriyani masala powder - 2 tsp (or homemade garam masala)

     Thick Coconut milk - 1/4 cup (optional)

     

3. For the Biriyani Rice

   Oil/Ghee - 2 tbsp

   Green cardamom -4

   Cloves -4

   Cinnamon - 2 inch piece

   Star anise - 1 small broken to pieces

   Onion sliced finely - 1 small

   Basmati Rice - 2 cups

   Lemon juice - 2 tsp

   Salt

4. For garnishing

    Coriander and mint leaves chopped - a handful

    Cashew nuts and raisins - as you like :-)

    Sliced onions deep fried - a handful

Preparation:

1. Wash the kingfish slices and drain. Mix all the ingredients in item 1 and marinate for 30-60 mins.

2. Heat oil in a pan for shallow frying the fish. Fry the fish peices f or a few minutes till it is about half cooked. Drain and keep aside.

3. In the same oil used for frying, add onions, ginger, garlic and salt. Saute till onions are soft. 

Add coriander powder and combine well. Now add the tomatoes and saute till they are mushy. 

4. Add pepper powder or chilly powder to adjust the spiciness. Now add the fish pieces and gently mix the masala without breaking the fish pieces. If you like to add coconut milk, add now and simmer for few minutes till the fish is fully cooked. The gravy becomes very thick now. Add a little coriander leaves and mint leaves and combine well and close it with a lid.

Cooking the Rice

1. Wash the rice well and soak in water for 30 mins and then drain.Heat Oil/Ghee in a vessel and add the cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and star anise. Saute for a minute and add the onions. Saute for few minutes. Do  not let the onions brown.

2. Add the basmati rice and mix well. When the rice starts crackling, add 4 cups of hot water, lemon juice and salt. Note that the salt is only for the rice. We have used salt separately for the masala.

3. Cook till rice is done and the water is dried up.

Layering the Biriyani

1. Grease the bottom of a non stick/thick bottom vessel with some ghee.

2. Make a layer of biriyani rice. After that make a layer of fish masala. Repeat this process till the rice and masala is layered completely. The top layer must be of rice.

4. Deep fry sliced onion in oil/ghee and keep aside. Fry cashew nuts and raisins in ghee. Spread the fried onions, cashews and raisins on the layered biriyani.

5. Also add the chopped coriander and mint leaves.

6. Place the vessel on top of stove and lower the flame. Keep it for 5-10 mins.

7. You may also place a pan of boiling water on top of the biriyani vessel so that the heat is from both the sides.

Microwave option: Do the layering in a large microwave safe dish and cover with  lid. Microwave it for 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot with raitha.

Linking with Iftar Nights at Jabeen's Corner

Sending this to Kerala Kitchen - August 2011 hosted by Vidhya of Sugar N Spice. Visit The Kerala Kitchen page here.

Linking to Joy from Fasting to Feasting-IV at Yummy Food

Also linking to Rice Recipes

Sardine/Mathi Curry

മത്തി കറി 

Sardines, known as Mathi/Chala in malayalam are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular disease. They are also a good source of vitamin D, calcium, B12, and protein. This is one of my personal favourite fish and it tastes great with kappa(tapioca). This is a simple kerala style recipe which you can try with other fish too...

Ingredients:

Mathi / Sardine -  about 700 gms

Shallots/Pearl onions - 4 to 5, sliced

Ginger(Sliced thin) - 1 tbsp

Garlic(Sliced) - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder - 2 tsp or more

Coriander powder - 2 tsp 

Fish tamarind/Kudampuli - 2 to 3 pieces

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds-  1/2 tsp

Salt 

Oil (preferably coconut oil)

Getting ready

1. Clean and cut the sardine to pieces. 

2. Soak the fish tamarind in warm water for 10-15 mins.

3. Make a paste of turmeric powder, chilly powder and coriander powder in little water.

Preparation:

1.Heat oil in pan. An earthern pot or mann chatti is the best to cook this dish. Splutter mustard seeds followed by fenugreek seeds.

2.Saute shallots,curry leaves, ginger and garlic. When they turn light brown, add the masala paste. Saute for a few seconds taking care not to burn the masala.

3.Add tamarind pieces along with the water in which they were soaked. Add enough water for the gravy,salt and bring it to a boil.

4.Add the fish pieces. Swirl the pan or pot to mix the gravy with peices. For any fish curry, it is better to avoid using a spoon to mix.

5.Cover and cook till fish is done. 

Note: This curry tastes better after few hours or the next day. You may check the sourness after a few hours and remove the tamarind pieces if required.

Serve with kappa, rice or even idli :-)

Sending this to The Kerala Kitchen - July 2011 hosted by Magpie.

Fish in roasted coconut gravy

വറുത്തരച്ച മീന്‍ കറി 

I made this fish curry for the first time and it came out much tastier than I expected. The fish is cooked in a gravy of ground roasted coconut which gives a different flavour to this curry. This is commonly known as Varutharacha Meen Curry in malayalam.

Ingredients:

Fish - 1/2 kg 

Onion - 1 small sized, finely chopped 

Crushed or chopped ginger - 1 tsp

Crushed or chopped garlic - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 3 or 4, slit

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Kodampuli/Fish tamarind - 2-3

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - a sprig

Salt

Oil 

For roasted coconut paste

Shallots - 3-4, sliced

Crushed pepper corns - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Shredded coconut - 1 cup

Coriander powder - 1 to 1.5 tsp

Chilly powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp

Preparation:

1. Clean and cut the fish into medium size pieces.Keep aside.

2. Soak Kudampuli in warm water and keep aside.

3. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add  shallots ,pepper corns and fennel seeds. Roast them for a minute and then add shredded coconut.

4. When the coconut starts turning  brown add red chilly powder and coriander powder and saute for a minute and turn off the stove. Add the chilly and coriander powder only in the end , otherwise it will get burnt. Let it cool and grind to a paste by adding a little water. 

5. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.

6. Add curry leaves, green chillies, crushed ginger and garlic and  saute for a minute. Add chopped onion and saute till onion becomes soft . 

7. Add the ground masala, salt and turmeric powder and mix well. Add the soaked kudampuli along with water and bring to boil. 

8. Add fish pieces and cover and cook till fish is done.

Serve with rice..Tastes much better after a few hours. We served it with Neer Dosa, a mangalore delicacy. This combo was finger licking good....

Recipe Source: Vazhayila

Fish in Coconut Gravy

തേങ്ങയരച്ച മീന്‍കറി 

Born and brought up in a coastal area (Calicut), fish was an inseparable part of our lives. This curry was a regular item on our dining table, that I used to find it very boring. It was when I moved out to Coimbatore for my studies, that I started missing all the fish delicacies back home...

This is my amma's recipe and this post is dedicated to her :-)

Ingredients:

1. Fish - 500 gms

2. For the gravy
Shredded coconut - 1 cup
Shallot -1
Red chilly powder - 1.5 tsp or more
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Water
Salt

3. Kudampuli(Gambooge) - 2 pieces (I didn't have it, so I used tamarind pulp)

4. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
    Fenugreek seeds- 1/4 tsp
    Shallots - 5, sliced
    Garlic - 5-6 cloves, sliced
    Ginger- a small piece, sliced
    Green chilly  - 3, slit lengthwise
    Curry leaves - a sprig
    Oil - 2 tbsp (I use coconut oil for this dish)

1. Clean and cut fish into pieces and keep aside.
2. Soak kodampuli in warm water for 10 mins. If using tamarind, soak in warm water and make a pulp.Keep aside
3. Grind the ingredients given as item 2, into a smooth paste.Keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan (clay pot is the best) and splutter mustard seeds. Add fenugreek seeds.
5. Add shallots,garlic,ginger,green chillies and curry leaves and saute for a few minutes.
6. Add   the coconut paste and saute for a minute.
7. Add the tamarind pulp/soaked kodampuli with water. Add more water to adjust the gravy consistency.
8. Bring to boil. Add fish pieces and cover and cook till fish is done.

You may drizzle some more coconut oil, if you like.

Fish Curry

This is a kerala style fish curry made with coconut oil. The curry leaves sauted in coconut oil  gives a distinct aroma to this curry. If you dont like/dont use coconut oil, you may use sunflower oil/any oil of your choice. I like this curry to be spicy, please adjust the green chilly and chilly powder as per your taste.

Ingredients:
Fish pieces - 500 gms
Onion  - 1 chopped
Chopped ginger -1 tsp
Chopped garlic - 1 tsp
Green chilly - 2 slit lengthwise
Curry leaves - a sprig or more
Tomato - 1 chopped
Tamarind - 1 inch square piece
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 2 tsp or more
Coriander powder - 2-3 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coconut oil
Salt

Preparation:
1. Soak tamarind in hot water and make a pulp. Strain and add the spice powders(turmeric, chilly and coriander) to this. Keep this aside.
2. Heat coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard and fenugreek seeds.
3. Add chopped ginger, garlic and green chilly and saute for a few seconds.
4. Add onions,curry leaves and salt and saute till onions are soft.
5. Add the tomatoes and saute till oil starts appearing.
6. Now add the tamarind pulp and bring it to a boil. Add water as required.
7. Lower the flame and cook till the gravy starts getting thick.
8. Add the fish pieces and cover and cook till the fish is done.

Serve hot with rice. Tastes great with red/brown/kerala rice. This curry is much more tastier the next day :-)