CHETTINADU MEEN KUZHAMBU / FISH CURRY
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • Marinate:
  • Fish – 7
  • Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
  • salt – 1 tbsp
  • Lemon juice – 1 tbsp To grind:
  • Small onions -6 chopped roughly
  • Tomato – 2 Chopped roughly
  • Coconut – ¼ cup
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  • Poppy seeds soaked in water – 1 tsp
  • Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
  • Garlic – 4
  • Ginger – ½ inchTo temper:
  • Oil – 1½ tbsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
  • Fenugreek – 1 tsp
  • Red chilli – 1
  • Asafetida - a pinch
  • Curry leaves - 6
  • Shallots/Small onion – 5
  • Big onion – 1 chopped nicely
  • Garlic – 5 chopped
  • Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
  • Chilli powder – 1 tbsp
  • Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
  • Tamarind – Lemon sized
Instructions
  1. Soak tamarind in warm water (around 1 /2 cup), extract pulp and keep aside.
  2. Clean fish and marinate the fish in turmeric, salt and lemon juice under “marinate” section. Keep aside.
  3. Take the “to grind” ingredients and Sauté the chopped onion, when its translucent, add the chopped tomatoes. Grind the sautéed onions, tomatoes with other ingredients in the “to grind” items. Keep it aside.
  4. Add oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, and allow it to splutter. Then add fenugreek, red chilli, curry leaves, asafoetida, onions and garlic. Sauté for two - three minutes, then add the blended paste, chilli powder and coriander powder. Sauté for a minute.
  5. Now add the tamarind pulp. Add some more water, I added 2 more cups (adjust according to the thickness you want) and add required salt. Allow it to boil for 20-25 minutes.
  6. When oil gets separated, add the marinated fish pieces. Allow it to boil for five minutes.
  7. I usually don’t boil for more than five minutes. You switch off the flame the fifth minute and serve after an hour at least. That will help the fish to get cooked well.
  8. Garnish them with coriander leaves.
Notes
1. The fish usually will cook faster so be careful not to break them into pieces. So make sure you don’t boil them longer.
2. Give resting time for at least an hour or two. It even taste better the next day.
3. Try to use sesame oil as it gives great flavours to this curry in specific.
Recipe by Relish The Bite at https://www.relishthebite.com/chettinadu-meen-kuzhambu-fish-curry/