Meen vevichathu (Kottayam style fish curry)
Kerala Kottayam style fish curry without coconut. This is a tangy spicy fish curry cooked with cocum (also called as fish tamarind/ kudampuli/pot tamrind) Fish tamarind is said to have lots of health benefits and helps in weight loss. It is best pair for the fish. This fish curry is made with catla fish. This can be replaced with any fleshy sea water or fresh water fishes.
I started having fish only after my marriage and after my delivery. I was initially forced to take fishes as it helps lactating. Later on, when i started to explore different fish curries and fishes, am in love with it? My Ds who is just 11 months old also loves steamed fish.
Preparations:
Clean fishes with running water and rock salt. Scrub the skin with salt to remove any scales or dirt from it. Wash it thoroughly three or four times.
Soak the fish tamarind in water atleast 15 min before using it.
Make a masala paste of turmeric powder, corriander powder, kashmiri red chilli powder, chilli powder & fenugreek powder with little bit of water. Need not grind. Just mix everything in a bowl with little water.
Chop the shallots, garlic and ginger very finely.Shallots make a difference in the currys’ taste. Using too much onions in place of shallots will bring a sweetness to the gravy which is not what we want. So I always use shallots in most if the non veg curries.
This curry is best tasted when prepared in clay pot. I have a separate clay pot which is used only to prepare fish curries. Bought it from kerala ottapalam highway.
Directions:
Heat the coconut oil in mud pot. Swirl the pot gently to spread the oil all over the pot. Splutter mustard seeds. Put in chopped shallots, ginger and garlic.fry them until shallots turn brown.
Now add the masala paste. Mix well and add little water. Fry until fresh smell goes off. Now add the cocum along with the water used to soak. Add salt and Give it a boil.
Put in fish pieces into the curry. And close the lid. Let it cook in medium flame for 15 to 20 min until fish is done. Depending upon the type of fish, cook time varies. Certain fish types gets cooked faster. So check if the fish is cooked. Once its cooked, switch of the flame. Put in curry leaves spring and serve hot with steamed rice.
Meen vevichathu (Kottayam style fish curry)
Ingredients
Main Ingredient
- 1/4 kg Fish Catla fish variety is used in this recipe
- 3 medium sized cocum/fish tamarind soaked in water
- 1/4 kg Shallots finely chopped
- 2" inch Ginger finely chopped
- 6-8 large garlic pods finely chopped
- 1 spring curry leaves
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
For Masala paste
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 1/2 tsp corriander powder
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp fenugreek powder
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in mud pot. Swirl the pot gently to spread the oil all over the pot.
- Splutter mustard seeds. Put in chopped shallots, chopped ginger and chopped garlic. fry them until shallots turn brown.
- Now add the masala paste. Mix well and add little water. Fry until fresh smell goes off.
- Now add the cocum along with the water used to soak. Add salt and Give it a boil.
- Put in fish pieces into the curry. And close the lid. Let it cook in medium flame for 15 to 20 min until fish is done.Once its cooked, switch of the flame. Put in curry leaves spring and serve hot with steamed rice.
