Kerala Fish Curry
This fiery fish curry is my favorite souvenir from my last trip to Kerala. It exemplifies the cuisine of this state perfectly. You will find all the quintessential ingredients of Kerala cooking in this creation: Fish, Coconut, Curry leaves, Spices (in abundance!) and Kudampuli (a dried fruit similar to tamarind). I ate this heavenly curry at Grand Hotel in Cochin and since then I couldn’t stop fantasizing about the moment when I would actually be in my kitchen creating this magical burst of flavors. In fact, I was so inspired and eager to make this recipe as authentic as possible that I even carried the traditional pot called mannchatti (translation – mud pot) all the way from Kerala to NJ to cook this fish curry. This cookware supposedly imparts a distinct flavor to the food. However, a regular nonstick pan would do just fine if you don’t have the mannchatti. Do keep some dessert or yoghurt or beer (or whatever is that cools you off) handy coz this dish is not meant for the faint of heart!
What do you need:
3 King Fish Steaks cut into halves
1 1/2 Tablespoon Red Chilli Powder (I like to use Kashmiri or Deghi Chilli powder because it gives a bright red color without too much heat. Most Indian grocery stores carry it)
1 Tablespoon Coriander Powder
1 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
5- 6 Fresh Curry leaves
1 Medium Onion thinly sliced
1 Inch piece of Ginger julienned
3 Small Green Chillies slit in the center
3 pieces of kudampuli soaked and softened in warm water (you can use one teaspoon of tamarind extract instead but it will change the flavor)
3/4 cup Coconut Milk
Salt to taste
How to make:
• Wash the fish steaks in cold water.
• Season both sides with salt
• Make a thick paste with red chilli, coriander, turmeric and a little bit of water.
• Coat the fish evenly using some of the paste. Reserve the rest for later.
• Heat the pot on a medium heat.
• Add the coconut oil to the pot.
• Add the curry leaves, onions, ginger and green chillies to the oil.
• Fry till the mixture softens.
• Add the remaining spice paste and mix well. Continue stirring for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the fish steaks to the mixture and the kudampuli along with the water it was soaked in.
• Gently stir the liquid to blend well.
• Let the fish cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add the coconut milk and salt and allow it to simmer till the fish is completely cooked.
• Serve with white rice. This dish is best enjoyed a few hours or even a day after it is cooked.
This sound delicious! Looks Yummy. I will have to try this thie weekend!
Where will i get kudampuli???
i guess i will have to settle with tamarind.
Enjoy Natasha! You can try Indian grocery stores but beware, you might end up getting kokum instead which looks a lot like kudampuli but tastes completely different. But what the heck, cooking is all about having fun! So go on….experimeent. I’m sure the dish will taste great if you add enough love!
I thoroughly enjoyed this fish curry which tasted better two days later. How about trying shrimp instead of fish?
I’m glad you enjoyed it Maya. Shrimp would not withstand the strong spices in this dish. You need a hearty fleshy fish for something like this. Do checkout the mango cocnut shrimp curry recipe!
Hi priyu, you have a great blog with wonderful recipes. I love the way you write and the awesome pictures.
naala ruji undu.nanne
WOW – a compliment written in Malayalam from a fellow mallu (I’m guessing)! Thats awesome! What more can I ask for. Thanks SHIVA!!
Priyu, Looks absolutely delicious!! I would suggest using shallots instead of onions to get a more authentic kerala taste.
and may be you could use 1-2 sprigs of curry leaves, it gives out a great aroma.. add few leaves just before you turn off the heat.
And about shrimp, trust me, it can withstand even stronger spices. This is one of my favourite blogs, do check out the shrimp recipe, trust me, its awesome!http://kitchenmishmash.blogspot.com/2007/10/chemmen-varattiyathu-spicy-prawn-roast.html