Kerala Fish Molee / Kerala Meen Molee (Meen Moilee)

Ingredients Used:-

1. Fish - 1lbs(I used Tilapia Fillet)
2. Salt - 1 tsp + 1 tsp + more as required
3. Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp
4. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
5. Onion - 3 Med size very thinly sliced
6. Tomatoes - 3 thinly sliced in round shapes
7. Green Chilly - 8 to 10 count slit into halves
8. Finely chopped fresh Ginger - 2 tbsp
9. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
10. Coconut Oil/Oil - 2 tbsp
11. Mustard Seeds - 1tsp
12. Thin Coconut milk - 2 Cup
13. Medium thick Coconut Milk - 1 Cup
14. Thick Coconut Milk - 1 Cup

Preparation Method:-

• Cut the fish into medium bite size pieces. Wash them clean and pat dry.
• Marinate the fish with salt, turmeric powder and chilly powder for at-least 30 minutes
• Heat up an earthen ware/Clay pot/Manchatti and add coconut oil. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
• Add few curry leaves, chopped ginger, onion and saute well till translucent.
• Add turmeric powder and a tsp of salt, stir well to mix. Add the thin coconut extract(moonnam paal) and let it boil.
• Add the marinated fish pieces and stir gently with a spatula. Keep in medium heat and bring to boiling point. 
• Add the Medium thick coconut milk and give a quick and gentle stir. Top the gravy with tomato rings and green chilies.

• Cover with a lid and let it cook. Let the gravy boil for three-five mins till the tomatoes become soft
• Now pour the thick milk and stir gently so that gravy mix up evenly. 
• When the curry starts to boil from the edges of the pan, put off the stove. Add more curry leaves and keep it covered until ready to Serve.
• Serve with boiled rice/Appam/Dosa/Fried Rice or anything of your choice

                    

Cooks Note:-

1. This Curry tastes better kept for couple of hours before serving.
2. You can shallow fry the fish pieces in coconut oil before adding to the curry which will not let the fish to break. This will add more taste as well.

Kerala Meen Curry(Kannur Style) - Fish Curry in Coconut Gravy

As I mentioned in my earlier fish recipe posts, Fish is a kind of staple food for Keralites especially in the coastal area of Kerala like Kannur(Malabar). I remember our Meenkaran(fisherman) who brings fresh fish daily to our door steps. Our grandma makes fish curry or fry almost every day and I always feel she makes the best fish curry ever. We were quite happy even with the simple fishes like Mackerel and Sardines if we  get to eat it daily. King fish(Ayakkoora) and Pomfret(Avoli) were our favorite fish and I still continue to buy these fishes here in US even though I feel it do not taste as great as the fresh fish we get in India. This recipe is my grandma's way of making Fish Curry which I absolutely love to have with Boiled Rice and this tastes great after 6-8 hours of preparation.  

Now that since I have mentioned Kannur Style I'm sure many of you might be wondering as to why since the ethnic Kerala Meen(Fish) Curry should be made just one way. Not at all, Fish Curry have a lot of variations even in the uniqueness of flavor and I found difference with in Kannur(A city in Northern part of Kerala) even though the ingredients are almost the same. Kannur Fish curry is made with mild spices taking care not to overpower the flavor of fish and another significant difference is the usage of tamarind(Valan puli) over Gambooge used in most Kerala Fish Curry recipes. 

Another important factor that uplift the taste of any fish curry is the Earthenware/Clay-pot commonly known as Manchatti/Chatti. Every Kerala house have at-least one of this Clay-pot which brings the taste of Fish curry to perfection and I have grown up seeing my granny, mom and aunts making fish curry in Manchatti. So when I was heading back after my first vacation I brought back a reasonably big Manchatti with me and I'm so happy I did that. 

Before using a new Earthenware/Manchatti for cooking you have to soak it overnight with few cups of Kanji Vellam(Rice stock got while cooking rice) or water. Then Manchatti is kept on top of Aduppu(Fireplace-A square herth used in olden days instead of stove/oven) and the rice soup or water is boiled for sometime swirling the water by picking the vessel(Chuzhattuka) and this process is called 'Chatti Mayakkal' which helps to make them strong and open up the pores. I did this process on the stove top and started using this for cooking all kinds of fish but with utmost care not to break my golden treasure. So let me post this fish curry recipe for all my readers, Try this simplest fish recipe and let me know how it turned out buddies :)

Ingredients: -

1. King Fish - 1 lb(can use fish of your choice)
2. Onion or Shallots - 1 finely sliced
3. Tomato - 1 Finely sliced
4. Ginger finely chopped - 1 tbsp
5. Green chilly - 4 split into halves
6. Curry leaves a sprig or more
7. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
8. Chilly powder - 2 tbsp
9. Salt to taste
10. Grated coconut - 1 1/2 cups
11. Jeera/Cumin - 1tsp
12. Dry Red Chilli - 3
13. Tamarind/Vaalan Puli - a lemon size ball
14. Water - 2 cups or more
15. Oil - 2tbsp(optional, to slightly fry the fish- u can make it without frying the fish as well)

                                                  

Preparation Method :- 

• Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of water for atleast 10-15 minutes. Squeeze out all the tamarind pulp juice out of it and set aside.
• Wash and clean the fish gently and marinate it with Turmeric powder, Chilly powder and Salt. Keep it for 30 minutes if possible.
• Grind grated coconut, jeera/cumin and dry red chilies by adding few dr.ops of water to a very smooth paste. Set aside
• Drizzle some oil in a pan and fry both sides of the fish till they turn light brown color and set aside. This is optional, frying helps the fish not to break the fish while cooking. You can use the fish without frying as well :)
• Put the sliced onion, green chilies, tomatoes, ginger, few curry leaves and tamarind water preferably in an Earthen vessel/Manchatti. Cover and cook it till it get to boil and Onion-tomatoes  are tender.
• Add the fried fish and ground coconut paste and mix gently with a spoon. Cook it lid open till everything reaches boiling point. Now simmer the flame to medium and let it boil for four-five minutes.
• Switch off the flame and add some generous amount of curry leaves. This curry tastes better after five-six hours of cooking. Serve with boiled Rice/Puttu/Dosa or anything of your favorite choice.

Note:-

1. Instead of Tamarind/Vaalan Puli you can use Gambooge/Kudam Puli, it is your personal choice. I feel mostly Northern Keralites use Tamarind and I'm used to that taste and prefer Tamarind over Gambooge where as many of my friends from Southern Kerala was surprised about me using Tamarind in Fish Curry.

2. Like wise you can use Shallots instead of Onion, my mom always used Shallots where as my granny uses Onion. Both tastes good, maybe Shallots tastes a bit better. If using Onion try to slice them very finely, I believe the way you cut/chop veggies definitely makes a difference in the taste.

Sending this to The Kerala Kitchen event hosted by Kaveri @Palakkad Chamayal

Fish Curry(Meen Mulakittathu-Malabar style)

I think fish is a kind of staple food for Keralites (I am not sure about all parts of Kerala, but Malabar is known for fish foodies). Back in my home town I remember women and men waiting for the guy who brings fish on his bicycle. Most of them are in a hurry to get the fish and comes in a hurry thinking they are late and the fisherman might have left. You can clearly make out these confusions from their face and the glowy smile comes up on their face when someone says the fisherman had not come yet and they are also waiting for the fish.

I believe my grandma makes the best fish curry ever and again this recipe of mine has evolved out of her cooking. There are lots of recipes for fish but this is a simple one, anyone can make this curry with the basic ingredients found in every kitchen.

Ingredients: -

King fish – 6 to 8 pieces
Shallots thinly sliced – 3 big or 6 small
Green chilly sliced - 4
Tomato chopped  – 1
Ginger finely chopped – 2 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp
Kashmiri chilly powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric pwdr – 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice - 2tsp + 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Tamarind – a lemon size ball(can use 1 tbsp tamarind paste instead, depends on the sourness u need adjust the amount)
Curry leaves few
Coconut oil - 2 to 3 tsp
Water - 1 cup(to soak the tamarind)

Cooking Instructions: -

1. Cut the fish into med size pieces if the fish pieces are big. In an earthen ware(man chatti) put the fish pieces, some salt(rock salt preferably) and 1 tsp lemon juice and mix with the fishes. Wash and clean the fish gently without breaking the fish and set aside.
2. In a bowl add 2 tsp of lemon juice, 2 tsp chilly powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder and salt and make a paste for marinade. Marinate the fish with this paste and keep for an hour(if possible)
3. Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup water for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the maximum tamarind paste out of it and set the tamarind water aside. Pour 1/2 cup water to the same tamarind and squeeze out the rest of the tamarind water from it and trash the tamarind. 
4. Heat some oil in a pan and crackle mustard seeds, add fenugreek seeds and saute for a minute. Add shallots, ginger, green chillies and some curry leaves and saute till light brown.
5. Add the tomato and saute till it is soft.
6. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt and saute until it mix well. Add the squeezed tamarind water and let it cook well for 5 mins till onion and tomatoes are slightly cooked.
7. Add the fish pieces(u can lightly fry this fish with very little oil if desired, frying helps the fish not to break while you cook) and let it again cook for another 5 mins or till the fish is cooked properly.

8. Remove from stove,add some more curry leaves and a tsp coconut oil on top and serve with Rice or Kappa(Cassava) or anything of your choice. 

Tip: - Fish curry tastes better after four to six hours of preparation or on the next day.