Spicy Fish Curry (kerala style fish curry)

This recipe happens to be my husbands favourite fish curry recipe, in Kerala each region has their own version of making  spicy fish curry and when we crave some fish curry and rice this is my go to recipe. Pomfret is the fish I prefer most of the time, but you may try any fish of your choice.

My recipe is very basic and for best results use freshly grated coconut milk and instead of onions use only shallots.

Recipe source : Hubby
You need
Pomfret cut thinly and marinated with turmeric and salt for 15 min
4 garlic + 1 inch ginger crushed
2 green chili slit
10/12 shallots chopped fine
1 small raw mango chopped
1/2 cup tamarind water (tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup hot water)
1/2 cup coconut milk
Spice paste (mix all the spices with little water to make a paste)
2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
1 tsp regular red chili powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
Tempering
5/8 curry leaf
1 tsp mustard seeds
4/6 fenugreek seeds
5 shallots cut thinly

 

Start by lightly frying the marinated fish, just for 2 min on each side. Keep aside.
Traditionally this step is skipped, but I like the fish to be lightly fried before I add it to a gravy.

Add oil in a pan and add in the crushed garlic/ginger, green chili along with half of the shallots.

Sauté till light pink then add in the spice paste ,saute till the oil separate's.
Mixing the dry spice powders in water and then adding it to oil prevents the spices from burning.

Now add in 1/2 cup water and the raw mango slices, also add in the tamarind water.
Boil for 2 min and add in the fish pieces and salt to taste. Allow to cook for 5/7 min.
Then add in the coconut milk and cook for another 2/3 min on low. Switch off the flame.

Temper with mustard, fenugreek seeds, curry leaf and the rest of the shopped shallots.
Lightly brown the shallots, this brings out a nice flavour.
Add this tempering to the gravy and cover with a lid.Serve only after 2/3 hours for best results.

Enjoy with steamed rice.