Recipe by Rosy Pinto
1/2 kg fish (cleaned and cut into pieces (sardines/mackerels/seer fish or other)
12 Indian sambar onions/pearl onions (8 chopped & 4 whole)
1 tbsp ginger (crushed or finely chopped)
1 tbsp garlic (crushed or finely chopped)
1-2 green chillies (slit) *optional
1- 2 sprigs curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp fenugreek powder
2 big pieces Kadampulli/ Malabar tamarind (called Garcinia Cambogia in English)
salt
3 tbsp coconut oil
Steps:
-
Add little vinegar to the cleaned fish and mix well. Rinse once with water and drain.
-
Mix coriander, chilli and turmeric powder with 4 tbsp of hot water and keep aside (spice mix)
-
Wash and soak tamarind pieces in 1/4 cup of water and keep aside.
- Heat oil, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.
- When mustard starts crackling, add chopped and whole shallots, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Saute until shallots turn translucent.
- Add spice mix and saute till raw smell disappears.
- When oil starts separating, add the tamarind with water (don't squeeze the tamarind) and salt.
- Add 2 cups of water and mix well. Bring the curry to a boil and let it thicken.
- Add the fish, mix and boil.
- Add fenugreek powder, mix well.
- Cover and cook on low flame till the fish is done and gravy is thick.
- ENJOY!
- This curry tastes best when cooked in a clay pot.
- Adjust chilli powder according to your taste.
- Fresh ginger and garlic can be replaced with 2 tsp of ginger garlic paste.
- VARIATIONS:
- You can make it without adding fenugreek powder at the end.
- You can mix both chilli powders or only add Kashmiri chilli powder.