Meen Nirapori (Stuffed Fish Fry) 

Ingredients

1. Kari meen (Pearl Spot), Thilapia or Mackerel (Aila) – ½ kg
2. Kashmiri Chilli – 4 or 5
3. Turmeric Powder – 1 Teaspoon
4. Pepper -1 teaspoon
5. Ginger – 1/ 2 inch piece
6. Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
7. Mustard seeds – ¼ teaspoon
8. Garlic – 5 cloves
9. Curry leaves – 10 leaves
10. Small Onion – 10 or Big Onion – 2 or 3
11. Salt – 1 teaspoon
12. Tomato – 1
13. Coconut Oil – 1 Table spoon
14. Thick coconut Milk – 1 Cup

Preparation

Clean and wash the fish well.  I have used a big Thilapia here. Grind all the above ingredients except the onion and 5 curry leaves, into a smooth paste; take a portion of the ground masala and apply nicely over both sides of the fish and keep it for 10 minutes; Pour oil in a frying pan, add the chopped onions and fry well, add finely chopped tomato and curry leaves,stir continuously till oil shows up then add the remaining masala, stir nicely till it stops sticking to the pan, remove half of the masala into another dish, (Those who don’t want it to be very spicy can reduce the quantity of chilli powder and can remove the seeds from  green chilli).

Most of the people in Kerala like fish to be very spicy. Add 2 tablespoons water to the remaining masala in the pan, stir well and add coconut milk; meantime fill the fish with the cooked masala which was removed earlier, then place the fish into the gravy in frying pan cover the pan with a lid; Let it cook on slow fire. Once all the water dries up the fish will begin to fry, when one side is fried properly turn the other side and fry till all the water dries and oil shows up.  Be careful not to burn it. Since this fish was bigger than my frying pan, I had to cut it into 2.  When the fish is fried well on both the sides, switch off the stove. Now you can have a delicious and healthy fish fry with rice or any other dish.

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