Meen Vatichathu (Kerala Special Fish Curry)

Ingredients

1.  Cobia (Nei Meen) or any other boneless fish – ½ Kg
2.  Small onion – 5 nos ( chopped)
3.  Garlic – 1 teaspoon
4.  Ginger – 1 teaspoon
5.  Green Chillies – 4 medium cut lengthwise into two
6.  Curry leaves – 20 leaves
7.  Kudampuli (Garcinia Cambogia/Brindleberry) – 4 pieces
8.  Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoons
9.  Fenugreek seeds (Uluva) – 10 seeds
10.  Corriander powder – 3 teaspoons
11.  Kashmiri Chilli Powder – 2 table spoons
12.  Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
13.  Water – 3 cups
14.  Salt – 1 teaspoon (to taste)
15.  Coconut oil – 2 tablespoons

Preparation

Wash and clean the fish slices very well. Soak Kudampuli (Garcinia Cambogia/Malabar Tamarind) in ¼ or ½ cup water and keep aside. Take a pan add 1 teaspoon oil and saute ginger, garlic and green chilly for 2 minutes on slow fire. Add chilli powder into this and mix well, be careful not to burn, if you like can add 1 table spoon water to it to save from burning; this should be saute well till oil shows up so that the curry will have good color.

Make a paste of coriander and turmeric powder with little water,  add it with the sauted chilli powder stir continuously till oil shows up. Add kudampuli with water and boil. When steam begins to come up add fish, rest of the water, 10 curry leaves and salt, cover it and cook on slow flame. After 10 minutes open the lid and slowly stir the curry, so that the fish slices which are on top also will get proper masala and cook. Be careful not to break the fish pieces. Cover it and cook  till the gravy turns nice and thick. It will look very red in color and mouth watering aroma spreads in the room.  Once ready, remove from fire and keep aside.

Take a deep frying pan add rest of the oil and splutter the mustard seeds as well as fenugreek seeds, then add onion,  saute till golden brown and add rest of the curry leaves, saute well till onion and curry leaves get fried well. Onion should be golden brown and dry. Pour it into the curry and enjoy with hot rice, tapioca puzhuku or jack fruit puzhuku. Though it looks very spicy it won’t be so, because Kashmiri chillies are usually not very hot but gives good colour.  If you use other chilly powder quantity should be less or else it will be too spicy.

My Grandma used to make this curry in earthen pots.  Oh, it tasted awesome in that, you can’t imagine the taste.  We kids used to fight with each other to lick the pot once all the curry was removed. I am missing that nostalgic taste now.

This curry could be kept for days without getting spoiled, have to only heat it in the morning and evening. It taste better the next day or later.  If in refrigerator it remains for weeks without damage because kudampuli is a good preservative and is good for health also.

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