Alleppey Fish Curry

Tangy, delicious, spicy fish curry with coconut milk. This curry is from the coastal region, a place called 'Alleppey' in Kerala. Fish is cooked in coconut oil with onions, tomatoes, ginger , garlic , spices and with thin coconut milk. Best served with steamed rice or dosa.

 

Ingredients

• 500 Grams Fish sliced / cut into pieces
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves
• 1 Medium Onion chopped finely
• 1 Large tomato chopped finely
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped ginger
• 1 Tablespoon crushed and chopped garlic
• 1 Teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 and 1/2 Teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 Cup thin coconut milk ( If you are using canned coconut milk, add 1/2 cup water to 1/2 cup coconut milk to dilute it)
• 1/4 Cup thick coconut milk (I used first extract of coconut milk from fresh coconut)
• 5 or 6 pieces of Kudampuli ( if you do not have kudampuli, use about a small  lemon sized ball of tamarind )
• Salt to taste
• 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

Preparation

1. Soak kudampuli in 1/2 cup of warm water for 10 minutes and then extract pulp/juice out of it
2. In a small bowl, add coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder. Add 1/4 cup water to the bowl and mix all the masala into a paste

Directions

1. In a pan/ wok heat coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add fenugreek seeds and fry until they are nice golden
2. Then add curry leaves and fry until they are crispy
3. Add onions are fry until onions are translucent
4. Add chopped ginger and garlic and fry until the garlic turns light golden. Do not burn garlic
5. Add chopped tomatoes and fry for 5 minutes until the tomatoes are mushy and oil starts separating from the mixture
6. Add the masala paste we prepared at step number 2 of the 'preparation' and fry until all water evaporates and the mixture comes together as thick mass
7. Switch off the flame. Let the mixture cool completely
8. Then add the mixture to a food processor / mixie and grind it to fine paste
9. Add the ground paste to the wok / pan, add thin coconut milk, season with salt
10. At this stage add the kodumpuli pulp to the pan and bring the gravy to boil
11. Gently slide in the fish pieces in the gravy and simmer it for 15 minutes until it reaches the required consistency
12. Finally stir in the thick coconut milk and switch off the flame
12. Garnish with cilantro leaves
13. Serve hot with steamed rice