A fish curry which any beginner in the kitchen can try out. With very few ingredients this fish curry can be made in minutes yet be very different and unique in taste. The gravy resembles a lot to the traditional Kerala style Varutharacha meen curry but does not involve any of those difficult steps.. try this easy fish curry and impress your loved ones.

Ingredients

• Fish: 500 gms ( i used mackarel)
• Coconut Oil: 4 Tbsp
• Shallots: 6-7 nos chopped
• Chopped ginger : 1 Tsp ( Optional)
• Coriander Powder : 1 Tbsp heaped
• Kashmiri Chilli powder : 1.5 Tbsp heaped
• Turmeric : 1/4 Tsp
• Thick Coconut Milk : 300 ml 
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves
• Pot tamarind / Kudam puli ( cambogia ): 3 small pieces

Method

1. Add oil to a non stick pan or kadai ( preferred not to use earthen pot) and when oil is hot add the shallots and saute until light brown
2. Reduce flame and add all powders and saute till oil separates ( about 2 minutes)
3. Immediately add the fish and coat well with masala and allow to fry in the masala for 2-3 minutes. 
4. Now add the thick coconut milk and pot tamarind and wait for the boil. Once it starts boiling add salt, close and cook for 10-12 minutes on medium flame. Once the fish is cooked add the curry leaves and switch off flame.

Note: You can use fresh coconut milk or powder. I used about 5 tbspn of coconut milk water mixed in 300 ml of lukewarm water to make thick coconut milk. Either way tastes good. 

Easy Cooking!!

Shabana 

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Fish Molly / Fish Molee / Fish Moilee is a traditional fish curry of Kerala which is also seen in Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine. Fish stewed in coconut milk with mild spices gives a fine unique curry which makes your Rotis / Appam / Idiyappam taste better.

The original recipe has Tomatoes to add to the sourness but i tweaked it with Pot tamarind instead to make it taste more like the south indian fish curry but uniquely different.

Ingredients

For Marinade

• Fish : 1/2 Kg ( Any big fish cut into round slices)
• Pepper Powder : 1 Tsp 
• Salt
• Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tsp
• Chicken Masala : 1/2 Tsp (Optional)

For gravy

• Cardamom: 3 nos
• Cinnamon: a small piece
• Cloves: 3 nos
• Pepper corns: 5-6
• Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp
• Onion: 2 medium thinly sliced
• Green chilly: 8 nos Slit length wise
• Ginger and Garlic : 1 tsp each, finely chopped
• Thin Coconut milk : 220 ml
• Thick Coconut milk : 150 ml
• Coriander powder: 1 tsp
• Turmeric: 1/4 tsp
• Pepper: 1/2 - 1 tsp
• Tomato: 1/2
• Pot tamarind: 2-3 small pieces
• Salt
• coconut oil : to shallow fry the fish
• Curry leaves

Method

1. Marinate the fish with salt, pepper, turmeric and chicken masala and after half an hour shallow fry them and keep aside
2. Use the left over oil and little more of oil if needed and splutter the whole spices and fenugreek seeds
3. Add the ginger and garlic followed with the onions and green chillies and saute well until soft.
4. Add the thin coconut milk and boil and then add the coriander powder,turmeric,pepper powder and the fried fish along with the tomato and pot tamarind and boil for another 5 mins
5. Switch off flame and add thick coconut milk and curry leaves. 
6. Serve after 5 minutes. 

Happy Cooking!!

Shabana

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Naadan fish curry

Some recipes needs no tweaks or twists... its best the traditional way... this Kottayam (Kerala) style fish curry is one among those. Do try this spicy fish curry!!

Ingredients

• Any fish: Half kilo cut into chunks ( I used king fish; Neymeen)
• Small onions / shallot: 15-20
• Chopped garlic and chopped ginger: 1 tsp each
• Green chilly: 1-2 nos
• Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds (uluva): 1/2 tsp
• Kashmiri chilly powder: 4 - 5 Tbsp
• Coriander powder: 1 Tsp
• turmeric: 1/4 Tsp
• Pot Tamarind: 3 pieces soaked in 1/4 cup water
• Salt
• curry leaves
• Oil: 3-4 tbsp
• Water: 1-2 Cups

Method

1. Add oil and splutter the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and few curry leaves. Now add the ginger garlic and green chilly
2. Once they are well cooked add in the shallots and add little salt and saute until soft.
3. Meanwhile make a paste chilly powder, turmeric and coriander powder using little water so that they dont get burnt when added to the pan.
4. Add this paste to the cooked shallots and mix really well for 3-4 minutes on medium flame until the oil separates. 
5. Now add the pot tamarind pieces along with the water in which it was soaking, along with one more cup of water and bring it to a boil.
6. Add the fish pieces and allow it to cook on medium flame with lid closed for 10-15 minutes. Rotate the pan during intervals and do not stir or over mix as it may break the fish pieces. 
7. Once done pour a teaspoon of oil on top and also a few curry leaves and close lid and allow to rest till ready to serve.

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Happy Cooking!!

Shabana

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Tuna cutlets

Ever wondered what more you could make with the canned tunas? I always used to make tuna in one particular way and found it boring until I found this recipe. This is a very tasty and quick snack using tuna in tins. It can be served as an appetizer or snack. A good supplement for those who don't take meat.

Makes 10-12 cutlets

Ingredients

• Onion: 1 small finely chopped
• Green chilly: 1 finely chopped
• Potato cooked and smashed: 1 big
• Ginger garlic paste: 1 tsp
• Pepper powder: according to taste
• Garam masala powder: 1/2 tsp
• Tuna in water or oil: 250 gms tin 
• Coriander leaves: few
• Oil for sautéing
• Oil for shallow frying the cutlets
• Salt
• Egg: 1 beaten
• Bread crumbs

Method

1. To a pan add the oil and saute the onions until soft. To this add the green chilli and cook. Then add the ginger garlic paste and mix well. 
2. Once its all cooked well add the pepper powder, salt and Garam masala and cook until raw flavour goes. 
3. Add smashed potatoes and mix well until all spices coat the potatoes. Add the chopped coriander leaves
4. To this add the drained tuna chunks and give a good mix. Do not over mix and break all the chunks. 
5. Once cooled to handle make patties of preferred size.
6. Beat an egg in a bowl 
7. Powder 2-3 slices of bread and make fine bread crumbs 
8. Dip the patties in the egg and the roll it over the bread crumbs until well coated
9. Shallow fry the patties on a flat tawa by occasionally flipping over until its golden brown all over.
10. Enjoy this with ketchup or as it is.

Happy munching!

Shabana

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Biriyani is a mixed rice dish from the Indian sub continent and is an all time favourite for the Indians. It can be made with vegetables, fish or meat of any type. I would love to share my way of making Fish biriyani which is too much inclined to the Kerala cuisine. If you love to get indulged in the spices of Gods own Country do try this recipe and tell me how it tickled your taste buds. The preparation mainly include three stages, one is to marinate the fishes and fry them, then prepare the masala for the biriyani and finally cook the rice.

Ingredients

For the rice

• Basmati rice: 2.5 cups
• Water: 4.5 Cups
• Ghee: 2 Tbspn
• Cardamom: 3-4
• Cinnamon Stick: 1” piece
• Cloves: 3-4
• Bay leaf: 1
• Pepper corns: 8-10

For the fish Marinade

• Fish cut into round slices: ½ Kg
• Red chilli powder: 1 Tsp
• Turmeric powder: ½ Tsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 Tbsp
• Lemon Juice: 1 Tsp
• Salt to taste

For the masala

• Onions: 4
• Green Chillies: 6-8
• Ginger garlic paste: 1 Tbsp
• Redchilli powder: 1 -2 Tsp
• Turmeric Powder: ½ Tsp
• Fresh coriander and pudina (mint) leaves: 1 handful
• Yogurt: 3-4 Tbsp
• Salt to taste
• ghee: 2 Tbsp
• Oil: To fry fish and the left over oil can be used for masala along with the ghee
• Garam Masala: ½ Tsp

Method

Preparing the masala

1. Using the ingredients mentioned in the marinade, marinate the fish for half to one hour

2. Shallow fry the fishes in oil and keep aside

3. Using the same left over oil and 2 tbspn of ghee sauté the onion and green chillies until soft

4. Add the ginger garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes.

5. Now add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and needed salt and sauté well

6. Add the fried fish pieces and coat it well with the masala taking care that the pieces don’t break.

7. Finally add the garam masala powder and mix well

Preparing the rice

1. Add ghee to a pressure cooker and once it is hot enough add all the whole spices mentioned in the ingredients and cook for a minute on medium flame.
2. After that add the measured 4.5 cups of water and while the water is boiling wash and drain the rice and add it to the water. Close lid with the whistle on.
3. Switch off flame on one whistle and allow to cool.

Assembling the rice and the masala

1. Take a wide pan with lid and assemble 1/3 rd of the cooked rice to the bottom of the vessel
2. On top of the first layer of rice assemble half of the masala prepared and spread well to almost cover the rice
3. On top of the masala add rice and then again followed by masala and finally the rice on top.
4. Heat a tawa on high flame and once it is hot then reduce the heat to minimum and place the assembled pan on top of the tawa and switch off flame after 5-7 minutes.
5. Serve it hot by mixing rice and masala from one side of the dish.

Note: If you prefer serving the rice and masala separately then you can omit the assembling part.

Happy Cooking!

Shabana

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