South Indian style meen kulambu fish curry

How Make South Indian style meen kulambu fish curry:

Basic method :

South Indian cuisine is as vast as the geographical areas it includes. The five southern states of India that comprise the southern region are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. Varied and influenced by different cultures, from British to Portuguese, southern Indian cuisine is so diverse that what a fish curry looks like in one state is very different from what it can be somewhere else not too many miles apart. Our take on a fish curry coming from this part of the world incorporates the key ingredients, steps, and flavors to bring to your table a delicious and rich curry that can easily be made outside of India.

Each family has a secret mix of spices that they use in curries, and although the ingredients are different in their amounts, they all have common elements. What makes them special for a household is the addition of an extra touch of one spice, or taking one out altogether. Our recipe aims at bringing the best and most truthful flavor of what a fish curry in Southern India can be, but we know that this dish can take on so many forms that it'd be impossible to summarize it in just one recipe.

Also called meen kulambu, this fish curry is a delicately flavored dish infused with tangy tamarind that can be served with idlis, dosas, flatbread, or plain steamed basmati rice to soak up all the flavorful sauce. Use any white firm fish of your liking, like cod or halibut, although tilapia, snapper, cod, mahi-mahi, or mackerel are also great choices.

Ingredients:

2 dried red chile peppers, plus 1 teaspoon of water

1 golf-ball sized tamarind pulp

2 cups hot water

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Salt, to taste

1 small coconut, flesh grated

2 cups coconut milk, divided

For the Fish:

16 ounces firm white fish, cut into 2-inch pieces.

For the Curry:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 curry leaves

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 green chili pepper

2 medium onions, ground into a paste, divided

1 large tomato, finely chopped

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Make the Marinade :

Gather the ingredients.

Use a mortar and pestle to pound the dry red chilies into a coarse paste using a teaspoon of water.

Add the tamarind to the hot water and, with your hands, squeeze the fruit well to release all the pulp from it. Strain the thick tamarind juice and discard the pith and seeds.

Mix the red chili paste and tamarind juice with the ground coriander and turmeric. Add salt to taste. Add the grated coconut and 1 cup of coconut milk. Mix well.

Marinate the Fish

Place the pieces of fish in a large, flat dish and pour the marinade mixture over. Make sure all the pieces are coated and marinate for 3 hours.

Make the Curry

Heat the cooking oil in a deep pan over medium heat until hot. Add the curry leaves, fenugreek seeds, and green chili. Sauté for roughly 2 minutes, or until the oil stops splattering.

Add half of the onion paste and sauté until the onion begins to slightly brown .

Add the chopped tomato.

Sauté till the spices start to release their oil and tomato turns darker. Stir frequently.

Remove the fish from the marinade and set aside. Add marinade liquid into the pan and stir.

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the garlic paste, cumin, pepper, and the remaining onion paste. Stir and add the remaining cup of coconut milk.