Fish Curry

Fish curry!

My husband is a big seafood lover…homemade fish fry and fish curry top his list. So, we make sure that we make seafood at least twice a month. The first time I made fish curry was when I was newly married. It was a complete flop show 🙈. How much tamarind, how much spice, how much salt to put in the curry, I didn’t know! 🤷‍♀️ I still remember how disappointed my husband was when I killed his favourite dish. But he was sweet enough to eat without complaining. Now when I look back, it brings back so much laughter 😂.  

Back to the dish. This is a family recipe I learnt from my co sister Viji akka. The dish is a perfect balance of spices and tanginess. It is ready in almost no time. Also, not much grinding work, except for extracting the coconut milk. From personal experience, the curry tastes better on the next day of preparation, when the fish completely absorbs the flavor. So, I always prepare a little extra curry so that we can enjoy it the next day too. Make some fish fry to go along with this curry and have an amazing lunch!

Preparation time: 10 to 15 minutes| Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutesCourse: Main| Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients:

Seer fish- ½ kg

Onion shallots- a handful

Garlic- 8 to 10 pearls

Tomatoes-2

Green chilies-2 (slit into halves)

Red chili powder- 1tsp

Kashmiri chili powder- 1tblsp

Coriander powder- 1tblsp

Salt- as needed

Tamarind- size of a small lemon (soak in warm water and extract the juice)

Coconut milk- ¼ cup

Gingely oil- 2tblsp

Mustard seeds- ¼ tsp

Cumin seeds- ¼ tsp

Curry leaves- a few

 Method:

1.      Heat gingely oil in a kadai. Now add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When it splutters add curry leaves and slit green chilies. Fry for a minute and add onion shallots and garlic pearls. Fry everything well.

2.      Now add the tomatoes and stir well.

3.      Once tomatoes are mashed well add the chili powder, Kashmiri chili powder and coriander powder and salt. Fry until raw smell goes away.

4.      Now add the extracted tamarind juice. Add a cup of water. (adjust water quantity according to the consistency you want for the gravy). Boil for 5 to 10 minutes so that the gravy thickens a little.

5.      Let the gravy boil in high flame and add the fish pieces. Now turn the flame to low and cook for 5 to 10 minutes so that the fish pieces are fully cooked.

6.      Finally add ¼ cup of coconut milk and let it boil for two minutes. Switch off flame.

7.       Serve it with hot rice.

Notes: 

·        Gingley oil gives a nice flavor to the curry.

·        Onion shallots can be replaced by big onion, but I always prefer onion shallots for fish curry.

·        I have just added 1 tsp of chili powder as we prefer medium spiced gravy. You can increase the spice level according to your taste buds. Please do keep in mind that we are adding ¼ cup of coconut milk at the end, which will further reduce the spice level. So, decide accordingly.

·        Adding Kashmiri chili powder gives a nice colour to the curry. Don’t miss adding it.

·        After adding coconut milk, don’t boil the gravy for too long. Just two of boiling is fine.

·        Though I have prepared this curry with seer fish, you can replace it with fish of your choice.

Step by step pictures

 heat oil in a kadai.

add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.

when it splutters add curry leaves and green chilies

then add onion shallots and garlic pearls.

fry well.

 add the choppped tomatoes 

fry well until it completely mashed

 add red chili powder, kashmiri chili powder, 

coriander powder and salt. fry well

until raw smell goes away.

add the extracted tamarind juice. 

 add a cup of water and let it boil 

so that it thickens a little.

 keep the flame in high and let the gravy boil

add the fish pieces and turn to low flame

cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until 

the fish is completely cooked

add 1/4 cup of coconut milk

give a boil for two minutes and switch off

serve with hot rice.