Recipe for Spicy Nethili Meen Varuval, Deep fried Anchovies – நெத்திலி மீன் வறுவல். Anchovies marinated in a Tamil style masala with spices and herbs and deep fried. Crispy and crunchy Nethili Meen Fry recipe.

I love deep fried anchovies. They never made anchovies at my home. We had access to only river water fish when were young. Sea fish was very hard to come by in Coimbatore. The first time I had anchovies was in Chennai when I was young with Babu Uncle. When the deep fried anchovies arrived at the table, I took one and was incessantly trying to remove the tiny bones. He stopped me and told me to just eat it all. I was like “எனக்கு போன் சாப்பிட்டு பழக்கம் இல்லையே” – I am not used to eating bones in a fish (I was actually scared if the bones would poke me). He just casually took an anchovy and enjoyed it. He told that the tiny bones are so soft and so crisp that you will never realize that there were bones to begin with. I had my first deep fried anchovy – It was crispy, crunchy, salty and so full of the flavors of the sea. It has become one of my favorite fishes. I like it deep fried. Here is how to do Nethili varuval, my style.

We will need gutted and cleaned Nethili fish for this fish fry. Clean and wash the Nethili in salt water. Set aside to dry. If the anchovies are small, keep the bones in. If the anchovies are big (More than 2 inches), its easy to remove the bones from the anchovies. Today I had big anchovies. So I removed the bones. Refer to this video in you tube for deboning anchovies.

Take a bowl and add in the cleaned fish. Add in the crushed ginger and garlic. I use a mortar and pestle to crush the ginger and garlic.

Add in the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder and salt. Add in the rice flour and maida.

Add in the vinegar. Plain regular vinegar works just fine. No fancy vinegar is required. Add in finely chopped curry leaves. Curry leaves is what gives that southie flavour to the fish. Do not omit the curry leaves.

Mix everything well to combine. Sprinkle few drops of water while mixing. Let the fish marinate for 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature.

Heat vegetable oil / sunflower oil in a kadai until really hot. The masalas wont separate if fried in really hot oil. When the oil is hot, gently place the marinated anchovies and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add in few sprigs of curry leaves to the oil. Try not to disturb the fish after placing in oil. 

Fry till golden.

Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel.

Squeeze some lemon juice on the fish and serve hot with some sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Nethili Meen Fry, Anchovy Fry

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

 

Recipe for Spicy Nethili Meen Varuval, Deep fried Anchovies – நெத்திலி மீன் வறுவல். Anchovies marinated in a Tamil style masala with spices and herbs and deep fried. Crispy and crunchy Nethili Meen Fry recipe.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

• 250 grams Anchovies, cleaned and gutted, deboned if big
• 2 sprigs curry leaves, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• ½ inch piece ginger
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon plain vinegar
• 2 tablespoon rice flour
• 2 tablespoon maida
• Vegetable oil / Sunflower oil to deep fry
• lemon wedges and sliced onions to serve

Instructions

1. Clean and wash the Nethili in salt water. Set aside to dry.
2. Add in finely chopped curry leaves, crushed ginger and garlic, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder and salt.
3. Add in the vinegar. Add in the rice flour and maida.
4. Mix everything well to combine.
5. Let the fish marinate for 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature.
6. Heat vegetable oil / sunflower oil in a kadai until really hot. The masalas wont separate if fried in really hot oil. When the oil is hot, gently place the marinated anchovies and fry for 2-3 minutes. Try not to disturb the fish after placing in oil.
7. Fry till golden. Serve immediately.

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Kerala style fish curry made with Kodampuli – Malabar Tamarind and Sardines (Mathi Meen). Spicy fish curry made with coconut milk. Recipe with step by step pictures.
I have a long time friend called Linish who is an ultimate foodie. Seafood is his favorite and his eternal love is with Sardines (Mathi Meen). His sense of humor and timing cant be beat. Every time we make Sardines at home, I think about him while cooking. He has had that kind of influence on me. He is into the film industry and the struggle there is so real. On top of all this, I just love the way how he manages to keep his cool. His timeline is filled with jokes on everyday life as it happens. He just makes me laugh instantly almost every single day with his jokes and memes. Here is a sample of Sardine memes!

This Mathi Meen Curry is made with Kodampuli – Malabar Tamarind. Kodambuli – Malabar Tamarind is a dried fruit used in curries as a souring agent. Kodampuli is soaked in water briefly and added to curries. It gives the curries a sweet sourness and its slightly smoky.

Here is how to make the curry
Heat coconut oil in a pan (preferably an earthen pot) and add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle.

Crush the ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Add it to the pan along with chopped Indian shallots (Indian small onions) and slit green chillies. Add in the salt. Adding the salt now will help prevent the ginger and garlic from sticking to the pan.

Saute till the onions are soft and starting to brown.

In the mean time, make a paste of turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder. Add few tablespoons of water and make a thick paste. If you want a fiery looking red curry, use Kashmiri red chilli powder.

Add the paste to the curry and saute well for 3-4 minutes until the masala paste is completely cooked. Streaks of oil will start appearing from the mixture. Its a sign that the masalas are cooked.

Once the paste is well cooked, add in half a cup of water.

Soak the Kodampuli in a cup of water for 5 minutes.

Add in the soaked kodampuli along with the water used. Do not squeeze or puree the kodampuli like you would do to tamarind. Just add the soaked kodampuli to the pan.

Close the pan with a lid and let it simmer for five minutes. Add in a cup of second pressed coconut milk.
Here is the recipe for making coconut milk at home.

Also add in the fish to the pan. I have used Mathi Meen – Sardines today.

Close the pan with a lid and let the curry simmer for 6 minutes. Sardines cook very fast.

Remove the curry from heat and allow the curry to rest for at-least a couple of hours so the flavors mature. It tastes better the next day.

Serve with rice.

4.3 from 3 reviews

Kerala Fish Curry Recipe

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Kerala style fish curry made with Kodampuli – Malabar Tamarind and Sardines (Mathi Meen). Spicy fish curry made with coconut milk. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Kerala

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• ½ inch piece ginger
• 6 cloves garlic
• 10 Indian small onions (shallots)
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoon red chilli powder (use more for a spicy curry)
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 3 pieces kodampuli, malabar tamarind
• 1 cup coconut milk (lite milk)
• 8-9 pieces of Sardine / Mathi Meen

Instructions

1. Heat coconut oil in a pan (preferably an earthen pot) and add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
2. Crush the ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Add it to the pan along with chopped Indian shallots (Indian small onions) and slit green chillies. Add in the salt.
3. Saute till the onions are soft and starting to brown.
4. In the mean time, make a paste of turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder. Add few tablespoons of water and make a thick paste.
5. Add the paste to the curry and saute well for 3-4 minutes until the masala paste is completely cooked.
6. Once the paste is well cooked, add in half a cup of water.
7. Soak the Kodampuli in a cup of water for 5 minutes.Add in the kodampuli along with the water used. Close the pan with a lid and let it simmer for five minutes. Add in a cup of second pressed coconut milk.
8. Also add in the fish to the pan.
9. Close the pan with a lid and let the curry simmer for 6 minutes. Sardines cook very fast.
10. Remove the curry from heat and allow the curry to rest for at-least a couple of hours so the flavors mature. It tastes better the next day.
11. Serve with rice.

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Recipe for South Indian style Fish fry made with spicy coconut masala paste. Recipe with step by step pictures.

This recipe for coconut fish fry is a winner. The flavor of the coconut and green chilli really makes this dish very different from the usual south Indian fish fry that is dominated by red chilli powder. Do try it at home and I am sure you all will like it!
For the Masala
Grind these ingredients in a small mixie using few tablespoons of water – Fresh shredded coconut, shallots (small onions), garlic, ginger, green chillies, curry leaves, turmeric powder, black pepper and salt.
Do not add too much water while grinding as the masala will become watery.

Add in a tablespoon each of chickpea flour (besan) and rice flour to the ground masala and mix well. Set aside.
Apply the masala generously on the fish steaks.

Let the fish steaks marinate for 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan for until very hot. The marinade for Coconut Fish Fry will not leave the fish if fried in hot oil. That’s the trick.

Shallow fry the fish for 1.5 – 2 minutes on each side in really hot oil.

Drain the fried fish on a paper towel and serve the Coconut Fish Fry hot!

Coconut Fish Fry Recipe

 

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Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Recipe for South Indian style Fish fry made with spicy coconut masala paste. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: South Indian

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the Masala

• 3 tablespoon Fresh shredded coconut
• 10 shallots (Indian small onions)
• 4 cloves garlic
• ½ inch piece ginger
• 6 green chillies (Use less for a less spicy fry)
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon besan flour
• 1 tablespoon rice flour

Other Ingredients

• ½ kg seer fish steaks
• Coconut oil or Peanut oil to shallow fry

Instructions

For the Masala

1. Grind the ingredients listed under masala to a fine paste. Add a few tablespoons of water while grinding.
2. Add in a tablespoon each of chickpea flour (besan) and rice flour to the ground masala and mix well. Set aside.
3. Apply the masala generously on the fish steaks.
4. Let the fish steaks marinate for 20 minutes.
5. Heat oil in a pan for until very hot.
6. Shallow fry the fish for 1.5 – 2 minutes on each side in really hot oil.

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Recipe for Prawn Pepper fry with Curry Leaves, Karuveppilai Iral milagu varuval. கருவேப்பிலை இறால் மிளகு வறுவல். Recipe with step by step pictures.

This simple recipe of Prawn pepper fry comes together in minutes. This recipe is usually done with small prawns or what we call it as podi Iral in Tamil. Prawns are roasted along with freshly cracked black pepper and finely chopped curry leaves. It is finally finished with a dollop of ghee. It goes so well as a side dish with rice.

Here is how to do it.
First lets clean the prawns. To devein the Prawn, slit in the middle so the veins are exposed. Remove the black veins. Wash it once in water and the Prawns are ready.

Take a bowl and add in quarter teaspoon of salt and turmeric powder to the cleaned prawns. Mix well and let it marinate for ten minutes.

Here is the masala you will need to make this Prawn Pepper Fry.

Make sure that the curry leaves are finely chopped so it will coat the prawns well when cooked.

Roasting the Prawns
Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped small onions (Indian shallots), ginger and garlic (crush the ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle and add) and curry leaves. Add in the remaining salt.

Saute well for 4-5 minutes till the shallots are nice and golden.

Add in the marinated prawns and the black pepper powder.

Saute for 3-4 minutes. Prawns cook real fast. So keep sauteing continuously so the masalas adhere well. Once the Prawns are cooked and nicely roasted, finally add in a teaspoon of ghee. Roast for another minute.

Remove the pan and squeeze half a lemon. Serve immediately.

This goes very well with rice.

Prawn Pepper fry with Curry Leaves, Karuveppilai Iral milagu varuval

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Recipe for Prawn Pepper fry with Curry Leaves, Karuveppilai Iral milagu varuval. கருவேப்பிலை இறால் மிளகு வறுவல். Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

• 250 grams Prawns, preferably small variety
• ¼ teaspoon salt + ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 10 small onion - Indian shallots, finely chopped
• ¼ inch piece ginger
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 sprigs curry leaves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon ghee
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

1. To devein the Prawn, slit in the middle so the veins are exposed. Remove the black veins. Wash it once in water and the Prawns are ready.
2. Take a bowl and add in quarter teaspoon of salt and turmeric powder to the cleaned prawns. Mix well and let it marinate for ten minutes.
3. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped small onions (Indian shallots), ginger and garlic (crush the ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle and add) and curry leaves. Add in the remaining salt.
4. Saute well for 4-5 minutes till the shallots are nice and golden.
5. Add in the marinated prawns and the black pepper powder.
6. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Prawns cook real fast. So keep sauteing continuously so the masalas adhere well. Once the Prawns are cooked and nicely roasted, finally add in a teaspoon of ghee. Roast for another minute.
7. Remove the pan and squeeze half a lemon. Serve immediately.
8. This goes very well with rice.

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Recipe for Goan Fish Curry made with home made goan fish curry paste and spices. Recipe with step by step pictures.

I came across this Goan fish curry from the Instagram handle of Chef Floyd Cardoz. I have been eyeing the recipe for a long time. Finally I made it today. Its a very simple recipe and comes together in no time. A simple goan masala is ground and this paste is what makes for the base of this curry. The bright red color is from the Byadagi chillies / Kashmiri Chillies. The addition of the famed konkani spice “Teppal” makes the curry very aromatic and unique in taste. The fish steaks are slow cooked / poached in the curry and it tastes so divine. Everyday comfort food!!!
I think Teppal / Tirphul / Tripala is the least known spice in South India. It is the most common konkani spice that is used extensively in Coastal Karnataka and Goan cuisine. Teppal is a close cousin of sichuan peppercorn and has a strong biting taste. Very little of this spice is used as its very strong and can make the tongue numb if too much of it is added. The Teppal berries are dried and the seeds are discarded. The outer coating is what is used as a spice to flavor the curries. It is usually not eaten. It is discarded at the end just like the normal spices – cinnamon, clove etc.. It can flare up the tongue when accidentally bitten into just like sichuan peppercorn.
PS: Please note that Teppal / Tirphul spice is very different from the ayurvedic triphala powder.


The bright red color of the fish curry comes from bydagi chillies. Byadagi Chillies come from the Haveri district in Karnataka. The chilli is long and wrinkled and deeply red. Its not very hot but imparts a dark color and aroma. Its not a very spicy variety of chilli. So if you can get Byadagi chillies, its good. Else you can use Kashmiri chillies.

Here is how to do Goan Fish Curry.
Homemade masala paste
We need to make a raw paste. Here is what you will need. If you do not have Teppal, just omit it.

Grind all the ingredients for the masala paste with half a cup of water. Grind to a very smooth paste. Set aside.

Salt the fish steaks. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt on both sides of the fish. Set aside. I have used sea salt. I have used the fish variety called Indian Salmon (Rawas Fish) today.

Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the sliced onions. Saute for a few minutes till the onions are soft.

Add in the ground paste. Add in the turmeric powder and the salt. (The fish is already salted. So go easy on the salt). Saute for 4-5 minutes till the masala is cooked and the mixture looks dry.

Add a cup of water to the empty mixie jar and wash off all the leftover masala paste and add it back to the pan.

Soak half a lime size tamarind in one cup of water for 20 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind in the water to extract all the juices. Strain the juice and set aside the tamarind pulp / juice. Discard the tamarind seeds and the pith.

One of the main ingredients for the Goan Fish Curry is Kodampuli – Malabar Tamarind. Kodambuli – Malabar Tamarind is a dried fruit used in curries as a souring agent. It gives the curries a sweet sourness and its slightly smoky. Do not use a lot of it. Add three pieces of kodampuli to the pan. Also add the tamarind pulp to the pan.

Add in one more cup of water to the pan.

Cover the pan and let the curry simmer for 20 minutes on a medium flame. Mix the curry once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom of the pan.

Add in the salted fish pieces. Cover the pan and let it simmer on a very LOW flame for 20 minutes. Let the fish poach on a low flame.

The fish curry is ready after 20 minutes. Check for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. Discard the kodampuli.

Serve hot with rice.

Goan Fish Curry

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Recipe for Goan Fish Curry made with home made goan fish curry paste and spices. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Goan

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Masala Paste

• ½ cup coconut
• 5 cloves garlic
• 4 teppal berries
• 7 bydagi chillies
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds

Other Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 onion, sliced (1/2 cup)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• half a lime size tamarind
• 3 pieces kodampuli

For salting the fish

• 500 grams fish steaks
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Grind all the ingredients for the masala paste with half a cup of water. Grind to a very smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Salt the fish steaks. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt on both sides of the fish. Set aside.
3. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the sliced onions. Saute for a few minutes till the onions are soft.
4. Add in the ground paste. Add in the turmeric powder and the salt.
5. Saute for 4-5 minutes till the masala is cooked and the mixture looks dry.
6. Add a cup of water to the empty mixie jar and wash off all the leftover masala paste and add it back to the pan.
7. Soak half a lime size tamarind one cup of water for 20 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind in the water to extract all the juices. Strain the juice and set aside the tamarind pulp / juice. Discard the tamarind seeds and the pith.
8. Add three pieces of kodampuli to the pan. Also add the tamarind pulp to the pan.
9. Add in one more cup of water to the pan. Cover the pan and let the curry simmer for 20 minutes on a medium flame. Mix the curry once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom of the pan.
10. Add in the salted fish pieces. Cover the pan and let it simmer on a very LOW flame for 20 minutes. Let the fish poach on a low flame.
11. The fish curry is ready after 20 minutes. Check for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. Discard the kodampuli.
12. Serve hot with rice.

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Sura Puttu Recipe. Fish Puttu – stir fried sura meen (shark fish) with veggies and spices. Steamed sura meen shredded and made into a stir-fry. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Sura Puttu or meen puttu is made with a variety of fish called paal sura or milk shark. It is widely available in Tamilnadu and is prescribed as a folk medicine for cold and cough. Its also popularly served to lactating mothers in the coastal regions of Tamilnadu. Its a very soft and flaky fish that is often steamed and made into a stir fry. The first time I had this was in Chennai at Manju aunties place. I first thought that it was muttai poriyal (masala scrambled eggs). One bite and the texture was so different. I had never had anything like that before. In Coimbatore (my home town), sea fish was very hard to come by those days. I had never even heard of this fish till then. This is a staple at her place and I started liking it ever since. This recipe makes for an excellent side dish for lunch along with rice. If you cannot get this fish, any flaky fish like Sea Bass, Halibut, Tilapia, Barracuda will work too!

Here is how to do Sura Meen Puttu:
Salt the fish pieces for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Steam the fish for 10 minutes on a medium flame. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Flake the fish with a fork and set aside. Get rid off the bones if any.

For the stir-fry:
Crush the ginger and garlic using a mortar and pestle into a coarse paste.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the urad dal and mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the curry leaves, crushed ginger and garlic mixture, chopped green chillies. Up the green chillies if you want a spicy puttu. Saute for a minute.

Add in the chopped onions and saute for 4-5 minutes on a medium flame till the onions are soft and starting to brown.
Note: If you are adding 250 grams of fish, use about 250 grams of onions for this recipe. The taste of onions goes very well in this recipe.

Add in the turmeric powder and pepper powder. Saute for a minute.

Now add in the fish flakes and mix well to combine. Let the fish slowly heat up in the pan so the spices adhere better. Check for seasoning. If salt is required, add a little at this stage. Remember that we already salted the fish while steaming. So go easy on the salt.

Sura puttu is ready. Serve with rice and curry.

Sura Puttu, Fish Puttu Recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Sura Puttu Recipe. Fish Puttu – stir fried sura meen (shark fish) with veggies and spices. Steamed sura meen shredded and made into a stir-fry. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 250 grams sura fish or any flaky fish
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• ¼ teaspoon urad dal
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• ½ inch piece ginger
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 green chillies, chopped
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder

Instructions

1. Salt the fish pieces for 10 minutes. Set aside.
2. Steam the fish for 10 minutes on a medium flame. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Flake the fish with a fork and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add in the urad dal and mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the curry leaves, crushed ginger and garlic mixture, chopped green chillies. Saute for a minute.
4. Add in the chopped onions and saute for 4-5 minutes on a medium flame till the onions are soft and starting to brown.
5. Add in the turmeric powder and pepper powder. Saute for a minute.
6. Now add in the fish flakes and mix well to combine. Let the fish slowly heat up in the pan so the spices adhere better. Check for seasoning. If salt is required, add a little at this stage. Remember that we already salted the fish while steaming. So go easy on the salt.
7. Sura puttu is ready. Serve with rice and curry.

3.5.3251

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Recipe for Kerala Malabar style Varutharacha Meen Curry with coconut. Varutharacha Meen Kulambu Recipe with step by step pictures.

A simple Kerala style Varutharacha Meen Curry which has a robust heat from the spices and is balanced with a rich coconut sauce. One of our house staples! Here is how to do it.

Salt the fish
Salt the fish steaks. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt on both sides of the fish. Set aside.I have used the fish variety called Milk Shark (paal sura) today.

For the masala paste
Heat coconut oil in a pan (preferably an earthen pot) and add in the ginger and garlic along with chopped Indian shallots (Indian small onions). Add in the salt. Adding the salt now will help prevent the ginger and garlic from sticking to the pan. Saute till the onions are soft and starting to brown. Add in the fresh shredded coconut and saute for a few minutes.

Remove from heat and let the mixture briefly cool. Grind the mixture in a mixie with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Making the curry
Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the curry leaves and chopped Indian shallots (Indian small onions).

Spice paste – In the mean time, make a paste of turmeric powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder and red chilli powder.

Add few tablespoons of water and make a paste. If you want a fiery looking red curry, use Kashmiri red chilli powder.

Add a chopped tomato to the pan. Also add the spice paste to the curry and saute well for 3-4 minutes until the masala paste is completely cooked.

Streaks of oil will start appearing from the mixture. Its a sign that the masalas are cooked.

Soak the tamarind in a cup of water and squeeze the tamarind to extract the pulp. Discard the seeds and the pith. Add the tamarind pulp to the pan.

Let the mixture simmer for five minutes. Now add in the ground paste.

Add in the fish steaks.

Cover the pan and let the curry simmer for 10-12 minutes on a medium flame. Mix the curry once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom of the pan.

Final tempering
Heat ghee in a pan and add in mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add in the the curry leaves and sliced small onions. Saute the small onions until golden. Add in the black pepper powder to the pan.

Immediately add the tempering to the stew.

Varutharacha meen curry, Kerala style is ready. Serve with appam, idli or dosa.

Varutharacha Meen Curry , Fish Curry in Coconut Sauce

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Recipe for Kerala Malabar style Varutharacha Meen Curry with coconut. Varutharacha Meen Kulambu Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Kerala

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

Salt the fish

• 300 grams fish steaks
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Masala paste

• 2 teaspoon coconut oil
• ½ inch piece ginger
• 5 cloves garlic
• 10 Indian shallots (small onions)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup fresh shredded coconut

Making the curry

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 5 Indian shallots (small onions)
• 2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ black pepper powder
• 1 tomato, chopped
• ½ inch piece tamarind

Final tempering

• 1 teaspoon ghee
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 5 Indian shallots (small onions)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder

Instructions

Salt the fish

1. Salt the fish steaks. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt on both sides of the fish. Set aside.I have used the fish variety called Milk Shark (paal sura) today.

For the Masala paste

1. Heat coconut oil in a pan (preferably an earthen pot) and add in the ginger and garlic along with chopped Indian shallots (Indian small onions). Add in the salt. Adding the salt now will help prevent the ginger and garlic from sticking to the pan. Saute till the onions are soft and starting to brown. Add in the fresh shredded coconut and saute for a few minutes.
2. Remove from heat and let the mixture briefly cool. Grind the mixture in a mixie with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Making the curry

1. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the curry leaves and chopped Indian shallots (Indian small onions).
2. Make a paste of turmeric powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder and red chilli powder with water. Add a chopped tomato to the pan. Also add the spice paste to the curry and saute well for 3-4 minutes until the masala paste is completely cooked. Streaks of oil will start appearing from the mixture. Its a sign that the masalas are cooked.
3. Soak the tamarind in a cup of water and squeeze the tamarind to extract the pulp. Discard the seeds and the pith. Add the tamarind pulp to the pan.
4. Let the mixture simmer for five minutes. Now add in the ground paste. Add in the fish steaks. Cover the pan and let the curry simmer for 10-12 minutes on a medium flame. Mix the curry once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom of the pan.

Final tempering

1. Heat ghee in a pan and add in mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add in the the curry leaves and sliced small onions. Saute the small onions until golden. Add in the black pepper powder to the pan. Immediately add the tempering to the stew.
2. Varutharacha meen curry, Kerala style is ready. Serve with appam, idli or dosa.

3.5.3251

The post Varutharacha Meen Curry , Fish Curry in Coconut Sauce appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for Thengai Paal Meen Kuzhambu, Tamil style Fish Curry in Coconut Milk. Fish poached in home ground masala and coconut milk. Perfect side dish for appam, idiyappam, and dosa. It goes well with ghee rice too!

There is a funny saying about people owning a coconut farm in Kongunad. “அவருக்கு என்னங்க! தொப்புனு சத்தம் கேட்டுச்சுன்னா காசு. நமக்கு அப்பிடிங்களா” meaning if you hear a sound of a falling coconut in the farm, its immediate money in the pocket!!!
Anything made with coconut / coconut milk is more than welcome at my place. Every day after coffee in the morning, shredding coconut for the day will be one of the main things that will happen in the kitchen. This fish curry is very simple to make and fish is poached in a coconut milk based curry sauce. I have used homemade coconut milk for the recipe. If you are in a hurry or do not have access to fresh coconut, canned coconut milk just works fine.

Here is how to do Thengai Paal Meen Kuzhambu, Tamil style Fish Curry in Coconut Milk
We will make a simple masala paste for the curry. In a small mixie jar, add in the cardamom, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, coriander powder, red chilli powder, pepper powder and turmeric powder. Add a little water and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat coconut oil in a pan and when its hot, add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Be careful not to add too many fenugreek seeds (vendhayam / methi seeds) as the curry will become bitter.

Add in the green chillies and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds till the green chillies blister. The smell of curry leaves when roasted in coconut oil is something that I sooooo love, love, love!!!

Add in the finely chopped onions. Also add in the salt. I have used unrefined sea salt today.

Saute till the onions are nicely brown.

Add in the ground masala paste. Saute for a good ten minutes on medium flame. Remember that the masala paste is ground raw. So take time to cook the paste so the flavours of ginger, garlic, spice powders and tomatoes are well cooked.

The masala paste would have become thick.

Soak half an inch piece of tamarind in a cup of water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind well to extract the pulp. Discard the seeds and the pith. Add in the tamarind pulp to the curry.

Add in a cup of second pressed coconut milk. ( I used about half a medium sized coconut for extracting coconut milk today. The recipe for making coconut milk can be found here.)
Note: If using canned coconut milk, add in half a cup of canned milk and half a cup of water.

Let it simmer for a few minutes. Add in the fish pieces and let it simmer covered on a low flame for 15 minutes. Always poach the fish on a low flame so the fish cooks to a very soft texture.

Now add in half cup of first pressed coconut milk (thick milk) to the curry. Simmer just for a minute and remove from heat.
Note: If using canned coconut milk, add half a cup of canned milk.

Final Tempering
Heat ghee in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the curry leaves and the sliced shallots (small onions). Saute for a few minutes till the shallots are nicely brown.

Add it to the curry.

Thengai Paal Meen Kuzhambu, Tamil style Fish Curry in Coconut Milk is ready.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Thengai Paal Meen Kuzhambu, Tamil style Fish Curry in Coconut Milk

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Recipe for Thengai Paal Meen Kuzhambu, Tamil style Fish Curry in Coconut Milk. Fish poached in home ground masala and coconut milk. Perfect side dish for appam, idiyappam, and dosa. It goes well with ghee rice too!

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the masala paste

• 2 cardamom pods
• 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 6 cloves garlic
• ½ inch piece ginger
• 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon pepper powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

For the curry

• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (vandhayam)
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ inch piece of tamarind
• 1 cup second pressed coconut milk
• ½ cup first pressed coconut milk
• 500 grams fish steaks

Final Tempering

• 1 teaspoon ghee
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 5-6 Indian small onions. shallots, sliced
• 1 sprig curry leaves

Instructions

1. In a small mixie jar, add in the cardamom, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, coriander powder, red chilli powder, pepper powder and turmeric powder. Add a little water and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
2. Heat coconut oil in a pan and when its hot, add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
3. Add in the green chillies and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds till the green chillies blister.
4. Add in the finely chopped onions. Also add in the salt. I have used unrefined sea salt today.
5. Saute till the onions are nicely brown.
6. Add in the ground masala paste. Saute for a good ten minutes on medium flame.
7. Soak half an inch piece of tamarind in a cup of water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind well to extract the pulp. Discard the seeds and the pith. Add in the tamarind pulp to the curry.
8. Add in a cup of second pressed coconut milk.
9. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Add in the fish pieces and let it simmer covered on a low flame for 15 minutes.
10. Now add in half cup of first pressed coconut milk (thick milk) to the curry. Simmer just for a minute and remove from heat.
11. Heat ghee in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the curry leaves and the sliced shallots. Saute for a few minutes till the shallots are nicely brown.
12. Add it to the curry.

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Recipe for simple and spicy South Indian style prawn fry with black pepper and curry leaves. Recipe with step by step pictures.

This is a very simple recipe for prawn fry seasoned with lots of black pepper and curry leaves. The batter for coating the prawns is made with regular idli-dosa batter mixed with spices and seasoning. The dosa batter is our very own tempura batter The dosa batter coating holds the seasoning well. It crisps up fantastically when fried in oil. The only thing to make sure is that the batter needs to be a little thick so it adheres to the prawns well.
Here is the recipe for idli dosa batter.

How to make Soft Idli Recipe

Here is how to do Eral Fry, Spicy prawn fry recipe:

Wash, clean and devein the prawns. Take a toothpick and insert into the tail end of the prawn. Insert completely till the tip. The tooth pick will help the prawn hold its shape when fried in oil. Prawns have a tendency to curl when cooked.
Note: I soak the toothpick in water for an hour and then use it to skewer the prawns. Otherwise the prawns will not release easily after deep fried in oil.

Take a bowl and add in a cup of thick idli-dosa batter. To the batter add in the salt, black pepper powder, chopped curry leaves, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and a teaspoon of thick ginger garlic paste. Mix well to combine.

Heat oil in a kadai until hot. Dip the prawns toothpick skewer in the dosa batter and gently shake off any excess. Add in the prawns to the hot oil. Its important to shake off excess dosa batter. Otherwise the prawns will be very oily and very doughy too!

Fry till the prawns are golden.

Serve hot with some lime / lemon wedges.

Eral Fry, Spicy prawn fry recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Recipe for simple and spicy South Indian style prawn fry with black pepper and curry leaves. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup regularidli-dosa batter
• 1 sprig curry leaves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 200 grams medium sized prawns
• Lemon wedges to serve
• Tooth pics for skewer

Instructions

1. Wash, clean and devein the prawns. Take a toothpick and insert into the tail end of the prawn. The tooth pick will help the prawn hold its shape when fried in oil. Prawns have a tendency to curl when cooked.
2. Take a bowl and add in a cup of thick idli-dosa batter. To the batter add in the salt, black pepper powder, chopped curry leaves, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and a teaspoon of thick ginger garlic paste. Mix well to combine.
3. Heat oil in a kadai until hot. Dip the prawns toothpick skewer in the dosa batter and shake off any excess. Add in the prawns to the hot oil.
4. Fry till the prawns are golden.
5. Serve hot with some lime / lemon wedges.

Notes

Note: I soak the toothpick in water for an hour and then use it to skewer the prawns. Otherwise the prawns will not release easily after deep fried in oil.

3.5.3251

The post Eral Fry, Spicy prawn fry recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Jaffna Eral Masala (Jaffna Style Prawn Curry) is a spicy Prawn preparation made with traditional Tamil spices, Lemongrass and Coconut Milk. The recipe with step by step pictures is as under.

I love Sri Lankan curries with the flavour of rich and robust Sri Lankan spice powders all balanced with a good dose of coconut milk. I really enjoy cooking with prawns and I’ll be sharing with you, the recipe for one of my favourite curries of all time. Sri Lanka is known for their seafood right from isso wade (prawn vada – a street food classic) to the absolutely lip smacking crab curries. Seafood there is so fresh just like our very own Kerala and most of the curries are coconut based. It is served within hours of it being caught. It’s a delight to watch the stilt fisherman sitting on a pole for hours at sea. Most of the curries are served with rice, Lankan rotis, hoppers and string hoppers.

I have used ITC Master Chef frozen prawns for this recipe. Fresh prawns are really difficult to get in Bangalore and can be very pricey. I first came to know about ITC Master Chef Prawns when Vir Sanghvi wrote about it in HT Brunch sometime back. I am so happy I tried them after reading the article. The quality of prawns is so fresh, so good and oh so juicy!!!. Nowadays, I always stock these bad boys in my freezer stash.  The ITC prawns are frozen just within 15 hours of harvest. So, they taste as fresh as the prawns you get near the coast and the quality of the prawns is excellent. Just watch this video below on how these prawns are processed and I am sure you will be convinced to try them. I was never a fan of frozen seafood myself until I lay my hands on ITC Prawns.

I have used medium prawns today. ITC Master Chef prawns come in four sizes- Medium, Large, Super Large and Jumbo+. The prawns come already cleaned, peeled and deveined. What that means is, you save yourself a minimum half hour of cleaning. It also means that you saved time for about an episode of your favourite show on Netflix

ITC prawns are individually quick frozen (IQF) and there is a thin coating of ice that comes along with each one of them. IQF helps in keeping the prawns from clumping up into one big mass of Saint Mt. Prawn ice. Everyone must have gone through the nightmare of thawing frozen meat or prawns. The moment you open the pack, a big lump of prawn ice is waiting for you…Argh!!!! ITC MasterChef prawns makes thawing a breeze. I place the prawns in a bowl of water at room temperature for about 20 minutes. That is all it takes. Just try these beauties once and I am sure you will be hooked!

Here is how you get a great-tasting Jaffna Eral Masala

Prep Work
Indian Shallots (small onions / sambar onions) are a mainstay in Jaffna / Sri Lankan cooking. More than onions, shallots are used widely when making seafood curries. The shallots turn slightly sweet after cooking. They are also much healthier than onions. We will be using sliced shallots for this recipe. Crush some ginger and garlic and set aside.

Method
Heat oil in a pan (I have used a clay pot today) and add in two tablespoon of coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, roughly chopped green chillies and a good dose of curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add in the sliced shallots (small onions).

Add in the crushed ginger and garlic. Also add in the salt. The salt will help in cooking the shallots faster. Sauté till the shallots are soft and start to get brown.

We will also need the following spice powders. I have used Sri Lankan style curry powder for this recipe. The recipe is here. If you cannot source Sri Lankan style curry powder or you are in a hurry, a good quality curry powder will work just fine.

Add in all the spice powders at once.

After the spice powders are added, do not fry for long. Sauté for a brief 20 seconds. Add in half a cup of water.

Add in a few stalks of lemon grass and the thawed prawns.

Cook the curry for 5-6 minutes. Cover the pot with a lid. Prawns cook fast. It is a myth that frozen prawns turn hard and rubbery. In reality, all prawns tend to turn hard and rubbery when overcooked. This has nothing to do with them being frozen. If cooked well, they will turn out soft and juicy, with just the slightest crunch when you bite into them.

Once the prawns are cooked, we will add in moringa leaves / murungai elai. Moringa leaves are a mainstay in Tamil diet. In Jaffna, it’s added to seafood dishes like Crab curry. Currently Moringa is all hipster and is being regarded as a “super-food”. But we have been using it in everyday cooking for hundreds of years. Moringa is one of the healthiest foods available. Here is a picture of my dad packing a good dose of Moringa for me from our farm. We will add a handful of moringa leaves to this recipe. The flavour of moringa leaves nicely pairs with the prawns.

Add in the coconut milk and the murungai elai / moringa leaves. Thick pressed coconut milk or canned coconut milk works perfectly fine for this recipe.

Let the curry simmer briefly for a couple of minutes. Switch off the flame and add in the lime juice. The little acidity nicely balances the richness of coconut milk and spices.

A simple Jaffna style prawn curry is ready to be served. For garnish, add a few teaspoons of thick coconut milk on top of the curry.
Serve it with rice, pol roti, appam or idiyappam

5.0 from 1 reviews

Jaffna Eral Masala, Jaffna Style Prawn Curry

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Jaffna Eral Masala (Jaffna Style Prawn Curry) is a spicy Prawn preparation made with traditional Tamil spices, lemongrass and coconut milk.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Sri Lankan

Serves: 3-4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 2 green chillies, roughly chopped
• 2 sprig curry leaves
• 15 shallots, sliced (Indian sambar onions)
• ¼ inch piece ginger
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1-2 stalks of lemon grass
• ¼ cup moringa leaves
• ½ cup thick coconut milk (canned works fine)
• Juice of half a lime
• 200 grams frozen ITC MasterChef Prawns

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan (I have used a clay pot today) and add in two tablespoon of coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, roughly chopped green chillies and a good dose of curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add in the sliced shallots (small onions).
2. Add in the crushed ginger and garlic. Also add in the salt. The salt will help in cooking the shallots faster. Sauté till the shallots are soft and starting to brown.
3. Add in all the spice powders at once.
4. After the spice powders are added, do not fry for long. Sauté for a brief 20 seconds. Add in half a cup of water.
5. Add in a few stalks of lemon grass and the thawed prawns.
6. Cook the curry for 5-6 minutes. Cover the pot with a lid.
7. Once the prawns are cooked, we will add in moringa leaves / murungai elai.
8. Add in the coconut milk and the murungai elai / moringa leaves.
9. Let the curry simmer briefly for a couple of minutes. Switch off the flame and add in the lime juice. The little acidity nicely balances the richness of coconut milk and spices.

3.5.3251

The post Jaffna Eral Masala, Jaffna Style Prawn Curry appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for Prawn Fried Rice. Easy and simple recipe for prawn fried rice. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Here is the recipe for vegetable fried rice

Vegetable Fried Rice, Easy Fried Rice Recipe

We will be using basmati rice for making fried rice. The whole idea is to get the texture right. Its very important that the grains of rice do not turn mushy. Here is how I do it. Wash and soak the basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water. Add 1.5 cups of water to every cup of rice used. Cook in a pressure cooker, medium flame – for exactly 2 whistles. Switch off the flame and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. The pressure will release on its own during that time.

After 15 minutes, open the cooker and fluff up the rice. Immediately, transfer the rice to 2-3 plates to cool it down completely. The rice needs to be completely cool before you start cooking the fried rice.
Note: For a very dry rice, release the pressure manually after 5 minutes.

I have used my 3 liters stainless steel cooker for cooking the rice today. Its versatile and is a workhorse in the kitchen.

Clean and de-vein the prawns. Small or medium size prawns work well for this recipe. Marinate the prawns in soy sauce and black pepper powder for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the prawns and cook the prawns for 3-4 minutes. Do not cook the prawns for long as it will become rubbery. Remove the cooked prawns to a pan and set aside. Note: Cook the prawns in batches and do not over crowd the pan.

In the same pan scramble a couple of eggs. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper while scrambling. Set aside on a plate to cool.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped ginger and garlic. Saute for a minute. Add in the finely chopped onions and capsicum. Add in the salt and saute till the onions are soft. Add in the soy sauce and half a teaspoon of sugar. Saute for a couple of minutes more. The addition of sugar balances the flavour.

Add in the cooked prawns, scrambled eggs and the cooked rice. I also added cooked green peas as I like the flavour of peas in fried rice. Add in the finely chopped spring onions and coriander leaves.

Mix well to combine. Let the rice heat up, so it can absorb all the flavours. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve hot. Fried rice is ready.
Serve with gobi manchurian, chilli paneer, honey chicken  orange chicken or  sweet and sour fish.

Prawn Fried Rice Recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Recipe for Prawn Fried Rice. Easy and simple recipe for prawn fried rice. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Chinese

Serves: 2-3 servings

Ingredients

For cooking the prawns

• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• 200 grams prawns (small or medium)
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For scrambling the eggs

• ½ teaspoon peanut oil
• 2 eggs
• a pinch of salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Other ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 tablespoon peanut oil
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ½ inch piece ginger, finely chopped
• ½ cup finely chopped onions
• ¼ cup finely chopped capsicum
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ cup cooked fresh green peas
• 2 sprigs spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Wash and soak the basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water. Add 1.5 cups of water to every cup of rice used. Cook in a pressure cooker, medium flame – for exactly 2 whistles. Switch off the flame and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. The pressure will release on its own during that time. After 15 minutes, open the cooker and fluff up the rice. Immediately, transfer the rice to 2-3 plates to cool it down completely. The rice needs to be completely cool before you start cooking the fried rice.
2. Marinate the prawns in soy sauce and black pepper powder for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a pan and add in the prawns and cook the prawns for 3-4 minutes. Remove the cooked prawns to a pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan scramble a couple of eggs. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside on a plate to cool.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped ginger and garlic. Saute for a minute. Add in the finely chopped onions and capsicum. Add in the salt and saute till the onions are soft. Add in the soy sauce and half a teaspoon of sugar. Saute for a couple of minutes more.
5. Add in the cooked prawns, scrambled eggs and the cooked rice. I also add cooked green peas as I like the flavour of peas in fried rice. Add in the finely chopped spring onions and coriander leaves.

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Recipe for Kerala style fish fry marinated in an oil marinade and shallow fried in oil. Ayala Meen / Mackerel fish fry. Spicy fish fry South Indian style.

This fish fry is made with an oil marinade. The masalas are mixed in oil and that I think is a game changer. The fish gets seasoned well and turns out super flavourful. I have used Ayala Meen / Ayila Meen (a kind of mackerel fish) today for making the fish fry.

Wash, clean and prep the fish. Make small gashes on the fish with a sharp knife so the masalas can penetrate and season the fish throughout. Be gentle and do not cut too deep. These cuts / crevices will hold the masalas later. So take time and make as many even cuts as possible. This is a very important step.

Now lets make the star of the recipe, the oil marinade. Take in all the ingredients listed under marinade and mix them well. Use thick ginger garlic paste for this recipe. Mix the masalas using few tablespoons of coconut oil. Do not use any water to mix.

The marinade is ready. Remember that we have used only oil for making the paste. Coconut oil is preferred. If you do not like coconut oil, use an oil of your choice (peanut oil, olive oil etc… works well).

Apply the marinade on the fish. Make sure that the masalas are evenly coated. Apply masala in the gashes so the fish gets evenly seasoned.

Marinate the fish in the refrigerator for one hour.

Heat oil in a pan until hot. Gently place the fish in oil. Do not disturb or move the fish for the first two-three minutes. Let it cook. That’s the trick so the masalas will stick properly and wont separate.
Note: Since we are cooking a whole fish, let the flame be medium low and not very hot as the masalas might burn before the fish can cook, if the flame is too hot. So go low on the flame and do not keep moving the fish.

Add in a few sprigs of curry leaves and few strips of ginger julienne to the pan. Cook the fish for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Remove the fish and drain on paper towels. Fantastic fish fry is ready.

Serve with rice and curry.

Masala Fish Fry in Oil Marinade

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

 

Recipe for Kerala style fish fry marinated in an oil marinade and shallow fried in oil. Ayala Meen / Mackerel fish fry. Spicy fish fry South Indian style.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 5-6 pieces

Ingredients

For the marinade

• 1.5 teaspoon thick ginger garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 sprigs curry leaves, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon plain vinegar
• 3 tablespoon coconut oil

Other Ingredients

• 500 grams Mackerel / Ayala Meen
• ¼ cup peanut oil (or) coconut oil to shallow fry
• Few sprigs curry leaves
• Few strips ginger
• Lemon wedges to serve
• Onion wedges to serve

Instructions

1. Wash, clean and prep the fish. Make small gashes on the fish with a sharp knife so the masalas can penetrate and season the fish throughout.
2. Take in all the ingredients listed under marinade and mix it well. Use thick ginger garlic paste for this recipe. Mix the masalas using few tablespoons of coconut oil. Do not use any water to mix.
3. Apply the marinade on the fish. Make sure that the masalas are evenly coated. Apply it in the gashes so the fish gets evenly seasoned.
4. Marinate the fish in the refrigerator for one hour.
5. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Gently place the fish in oil. Do not disturb or move the fish for the first two-three minutes. Let it cook. That’s the trick so the masalas will stick properly and wont separate.
6. Add in a few sprigs of curry leaves and few strips of ginger julienne. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
7. Fantastic fish fry is ready.

3.5.3251

The post Masala Fish Fry in Oil Marinade appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for spicy fish thokku. Tamilnadu style meen thokku recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures.

I have used tuna fish for making the fish thokku today. Its called in Tamil as Soorai. சூறை மீன். Tuna is a very firm fish and is perfect for this dish as the pieces holds well together. Here is how to do the fish thokku.

First lets marinate the fish. Take a bowl and add in the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, red chilli flakes, vinegar and coconut oil. I like to use coconut oil for this recipe. Indian sesame oil (Nalla ennai) will also work. Mix all the ingredients to form a coarse paste.
Note: Any kind of vinegar will work for this recipe.

Add in the washed and cleaned tuna and add it to the bowl. Mix well to combine. Let it marinate for 15-20 minutes. Set aside.

Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the marinated fish pieces. Cook for about 3-4 minutes turning the pieces so the fish is browned on all the sides.

Remove the fish from oil and set aside on a plate.

We will use the remaining oil lying in the pan after frying the fish for making the masala. To the same pan, add in the minced ginger, minced garlic and curry leaves.

Add in the sliced onions and saute for five minutes. Add a generous teaspoon of black pepper powder. Saute for a few seconds.

Add in the chopped tomatoes to the pan.

Add a few tablespoon of water and cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for five to seven minutes on a medium flame. Covering the pan helps in cooking the tomatoes to a juicy consistency.

Once the tomatoes are cooked and the onions and tomato mixture looks dry / thokku consistency, add in the fried tuna pieces.

After adding the tuna, cover the pan and let it cook for a couple of minutes more. The tuna will absorb all the masalas.

Finally finish with a sprinkle of fresh curry leaves.

Fish thokku is ready. The best way to eat this thokku is to mix it with hot white rice and a little ghee.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Fish Thokku - Meen Thokku Recipe

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Recipe for spicy fish thokku. Tamilnadu style meen thokku recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 4 serving

Ingredients

For Marinating the Fish

• 250 grams tuna fish fillet
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon plain vinegar
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Other Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoon minced ginger
• ½ cup sliced onion
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves (finishing ingredient)

Instructions

1. Take a bowl and add in the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, red chilli flakes, vinegar and coconut oil. I like to use coconut oil for this recipe. Indian sesame oil (Nalla ennai) will also work. Mix all the ingredients to form a coarse paste.
2. Add in the washed and cleaned tuna and add it to the bowl. Mix well to combine. Let it marinate for 15-20 minutes. Set aside.
3. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the marinated fish pieces. Cook for about 3-4 minutes turning the pieces so the fish is browned on all the sides.
4. Remove the fish from oil and set aside on a plate.
5. We will use the remaining oil lying in the pan after frying the fish for making the masala. To the same pan, add in the minced ginger, minced garlic and curry leaves.
6. Add in the sliced onions and saute for five minutes. Add a generous teaspoon of black pepper powder. Saute for a few seconds.
7. Add in the chopped tomatoes to the pan.
8. Add a few tablespoon of water and cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for five to seven minutes on a medium flame. Covering the pan helps in cooking the tomatoes to a juicy consistency.
9. Once the tomatoes are cooked and the onions and tomato mixture looks dry / thokku consistency, add in the fried tuna pieces.
10. After adding the tuna, cover the pan and let it cook for a couple of minutes more. The tuna will absorb all the masalas.
11. Finally finish with a sprinkle of fresh curry leaves.
12. Fish thokku is ready. The best way to eat this thokku is to mix it with hot white rice and a little ghee.

3.5.3251

The post Fish Thokku – Meen Thokku Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for home style prawn biryani / eral biryani இறால் பிரியாணி. Easy tamil style biryani recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Prawn is one of my sons favorites. Me and my son get our share of shell fish when my husband is travelling as the husband is heavily allergic to shell fish. I try to avoid cooking prawns when he is home. This is a very simple home style recipe that can be done in no time.

Here is how to do prawn biryani இறால் பிரியாணி.
Lets marinate the prawns first.
Clean and devein the prawns and add it to a bowl. Add in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and vinegar. Mix well and let the prawns marinate for 20 minutes. I have used plain vinegar for this recipe today. Apple cider vinegar also works well.

Just before starting to cook, wash and soak the basmati rice in water. Aged basmati rice works well. Brands like Lal Qila, Daawat is what I use at home.

Heat coconut oil in a pressure cooker. I prefer coconut oil for this recipe. If you do not like the flavor of coconut oil, use peanut oil or any vegetable oil. Add in the marinated prawns to the oil.

Do not add any water. Let the prawns cook in its own juices. Remove the prawns after 3-4 minutes and set aside on a bowl.

In the same oil used for frying prawns, add in the onions. By frying in the same oil, the prawn flavor penetrates well.

Add in the salt and saute for 2-3 minutes till the onions are soft.

Add in the crushed ginger-garlic-green chillies. Saute for 3-4 minutes till the onions are nicely brown.

Add in the tomatoes, mint leaves, coriander leaves and the curd.

Add in the garam masala powder. Usually for biryani, whole spices are added. But I like to add garam masala powder instead of whole spices as this is one of my sons fav dishes and he hates when he gets whole spices in the mouth. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for about 10 minutes on a medium flame till the tomatoes are cooked and mushy.

After 10 minutes, you would notice that the oil is seperated and the masalas are well cooked.

Add back the prawns and butter. You can use ghee if you do not have butter.

Add in the hot water. The rice-water ratio I have used is 1 rice:1.5 water. I have used 1 cup of rice today. I have used 1.5 cups of water.

Drain the soaked rice and add it to the cooker.

Mix well. Check for seasoning at this stage and add more salt if necessary.

Cover the cooker and cook for exactly two whistles on medium flame. (About 7-8 minutes). Remove the cooker from heat and wait for the pressure from the cooker to settle. Open the cooker and gently mix the biryani to fluff up.

Tasty prawn biryani is ready. Serve hot.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Prawn biryani Eral Biryani Recipe

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Recipe for home style prawn biryani / eral biryani இறால் பிரியாணி. Easy tamil style biryani recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Main Dish

Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

For marinating the prawns

• 250 grams prawns, cleaned and deveined
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon plain vinegar

Other Ingredients

• 1 cup Basmati rice (240 ml)
• 4 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 cup onions, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic
• ½ inch piece ginger
• 2 green chillies
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 6 sprigs mint leaves, chopped
• 6 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped
• ¼ cup plain curd / yogurt
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 2 teaspoon butter

Instructions

1. Clean and devein the prawns and add it to a bowl. Add in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and vinegar. Mix well and let the prawns marinate for 20 minutes.
2. Just before starting to cook, wash and soak the basmati rice in water. Aged basmati rice works well.
3. Heat coconut oil in a pressure cooker. Add in the marinated prawns. Do not add any water. Let the prawns cook in its own juices. Remove the prawns after 3-4 minutes and set aside on a bowl.
4. In the same oil used for frying prawns, add in the onions. Add in the salt and saute for 2-3 minutes till the onions are soft. Add in the crushed ginger-garlic-green chillies. Saute for 3-4 minutes till the onions are nicely brown.
5. Add in the tomatoes, mint leaves, coriander leaves and the curd.
6. Add in the garam masala powder. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for about 10 minutes on a medium flame till the tomatoes are cooked and mushy.
7. After 10 minutes, you would notice that the oil is seperated and the masalas are well cooked.
8. Add back the prawns and butter. You can use ghee if you do not have butter.
9. Add in the hot water. The rice-water ratio I have used is 1 rice:1.5 water.
10. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the cooker. Mix well.
11. Cover the cooker and cook for exactly two whistles on medium flame. (About 7-8 minutes). Remove the cooker from heat and wait for the pressure from the cooker to settle.
12. Tasty prawn biryani is ready. Serve hot.

3.5.3251

The post Prawn biryani Eral Biryani Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Indian style masala fried fish made in the air fryer. Kerala Karimeen Fry – Kerala Style Pearspot Fish Fry – Air Fryer Fish Fry – Karimeen Masala Fry

I have this vivid memory of karimeen – pearlspot fish. My dad is a civil engineer and he worked for the LMW Group in Coimbatore for a long long time. He is 76 and still working for the group Its his second home or maybe first. Its debatable. In the beginning of 90’s, they had an ambitious project of building a resort in Cherthala, Kerala.
My dad (a vegetarian) used to travel a lot during that time and he visited Cherthala almost every week. If he was travelling on a weekend, me and my brother would hop in the company provided Tata Sierra (It still is my favorite car. What a stylish car for those days) at 4am in the morning and go along with him. Sometimes, we travelled by bus. They were developing the land in Cherthala at that time and the setup there was very simple. A couple of basic thatched roof huts with essentials to stay. After a loooong ride in the worst possible roads, we had to take a ferry and then a boat / coracle to reach the place as the land was right on the backwaters. So whenever we went, the caretaker would take us fishing while my dad went on to supervise the work, meet the labourers, check the accounts or whatever. We would catch fresh karimeen. Karimeen was the highlight of my trip. I had travelled 200 plus kilometres from Coimbatore only for this beauty. Fresh karimeen would be cleaned and shallow fried in coconut oil and that would be our late lunch with rice, rasam and buttermilk. We ate the same for dinner. I slept happily on a karimeen overdose. We usually stayed just for a night. The next day, we would have JM & sons bread from Coimbatore and the cloyingly sweet kissan jam for breakfast (still a favorite) and leave. For the next 5-6 years, we travelled to Cherthala every chance we got before the project was dropped as they were too ahead for their time and they were amidst innumerable labour problems and strikes. My Karimeen vacation also sadly came to an end. The flavour of coconut oil fried karimeen is etched in my memory.

Here is my rendition of Kerala Karimeen fry. I have made it healthy by frying it in the air fryer. The same can be shallow fried in a pan.

Karimeen Masala Fry made in the Air Fryer
First lets make a masala. Here is what you will need.

Take in all the ingredients listed under marinade and mix them well. Use thick ginger garlic paste for this recipe.

The oil and vinegar and the moisture from the ginger garlic paste will be enough to make a thick paste. Add a teaspoon of water if only necessary. Make sure that the masala is thick so it evenly coats the fish.

Wash, clean and prep the fish.

Make small gashes on the fish with a sharp knife so the masalas can penetrate and season the fish throughout. Be gentle and do not cut too deep. These cuts / crevices will hold the masalas later. So take time and make as many even cuts as possible. This is a very important step.

Apply the marinade on the fish. Make sure that the masalas are evenly coated. Apply masala in the gashes so the fish gets evenly seasoned.

Marinate the fish in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

We will now cook the fish in the air fryer. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the fish. I cooked these in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 200 degrees celcius.

The fish was perfect after cooking for 15 minutes. For bigger fishes, cook for 5 minutes more.

Now we will make a topping for the fish. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped shallots (small onion), curry leaves and whole crushed garlic with the skin. Add in a pinch of salt. Fry for 5-6 minutes.

The shallots would have become crisp by the time.

Now add in the red chilli flakes and remove from heat.

The topping is ready.

Sprinkle the topping on the fish and serve hot.

Air Fryer Fish Fry - Masala Fried Fish In Air Fryer

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Indian style masala fried fish made in the air fryer. Kerala Karimeen Fry – Kerala Style Pearspot Fish Fry – Air Fryer Fish Fry – Karimeen Masala Fry

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Fish Fry

Cuisine: Kerala

Serves: 4-5 pieces

Ingredients

Main Ingredient

• 500 grams karimeen - pearlspot fish (or) fish of your choice

For the marinade

• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil / peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or plain vinegar
• 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• 2 teaspoon chopped curry leaves
• 1.5 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the topping / tempering

• 1.5 teaspoon coconut oil
• 3 tablespoon chopped shallot / small onion
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 6-7 cloves of garlic, crushed with skin
• a pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes

Instructions

1. Take in all the ingredients listed under marinade and mix them well. Use thick ginger garlic paste for this recipe.
2. The oil and vinegar and the moisture from the ginger garlic paste will be enough to make a thick paste. Add a teaspoon of water if only necessary. Make sure that the masala is thick so it evenly coats the fish.
3. Wash, clean and prep the fish. Make small gashes on the fish with a sharp knife so the masalas can penetrate and season the fish throughout. Be gentle and do not cut too deep. These cuts / crevices will hold the masalas later. So take time and make as many even cuts as possible. This is a very important step.
4. Apply the marinade on the fish. Make sure that the masalas are evenly coated. Apply masala in the gashes so the fish gets evenly seasoned.
5. Marinate the fish in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
6. We will now cook the fish in the air fryer. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the fish. I cooked these in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 200 degrees celcius.
7. The fish was perfect after cooking for 15 minutes. For bigger fishes, cook for 5 minutes more.
8. Now we will make a topping for the fish. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the finely chopped shallots (small onion), curry leaves and whole crushed garlic with the skin. Add in a pinch of salt. Fry for 5-6 minutes.
9. The shallots would have become crisp by the time. Now add in the red chilli flakes and remove from heat. The topping is ready.
10. Sprinkle the topping on the fish and serve hot.

3.5.3251

The post Air Fryer Fish Fry – Masala Fried Fish In Air Fryer appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Chef Suresh Pillai’s legendary fish nirvana recipe. Fish fried in spices and then poached in a banana leaf wrapped ginger coconut milk sauce.
Recipe with step by step pictures.

I am a great fan of Chef Suresh Pillai’s traditional Kerala style cooking. I have been wanting to try his fish nirvana recipe for a long time and it finally happened today. The spice marinated fish is first shallow fried and then poached in a coconut milk – ginger sauce. The fish is poached in a banana leaf so the flavour of the leaves and the aroma penetrates into the sauce. Coconut milk and ginger has a very unique flavour that we South Indians love so much. The sauce itself is very moreish. The traditional appa pan is used to poach the fish and that allows the banana leaf to take the curved shape. This dish is a refined version of meen pollichadhu. This is a very simple recipe and even beginners will be able to pull it off.

Here is my adaptation of Meen Nirvana.

I have used Pomfret for making this dish today. Pearl spot (Karimeen), Seer fish (Vanjaram steaks), Mackerel etc… works well for this recipe.
The recipe has two steps.
1. Shallow frying the fish
2. Poaching the fish in sauce.

Shallow frying the fish
Wash, clean and prep the fish. Make small gashes on the fish with a sharp knife so the masalas can penetrate and season the fish throughout. Be gentle and do not cut too deep. These cuts / crevices will hold the masalas later. So take time and make even cuts as possible. This is a very important step.

Take a plate and add in the turmeric, red chilli powder, black pepper powder and salt. Add in juice of a small lemon.

Add in a tablespoon of coconut oil and mix well to make a thick paste.

Apply the marinade on the fish. Make sure that the masalas are evenly coated. Apply masala in the gashes so the fish gets evenly seasoned. Marinate the fish in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan until hot. Gently place the fish in oil. Add in some curry leaves on top of the fish. Do not disturb or move the fish for the first two-three minutes. Let it cook. That’s the trick so the masalas will stick properly and wont separate. Cook the fish for 3 minutes on each side.
Note: Since we are cooking a whole fish, let the flame be medium low and not very hot as the masalas might burn before the fish can cook, if the flame is too hot. So go low on the flame and do not keep moving the fish.

In the mean time, Heat an appa pan / appa chatty or any kadai and place a big banana leaf on the pan. Add in the fried fish. Add in few sprigs of curry leaves and ginger.

Add in the coconut milk on the sides on the pan. Pour it only on the sides. First pressed coconut milk is needed for this recipe. I have used canned coconut milk today and it just works best. If you are in a hurry or a beginner, use readymade / canned coconut milk.

To the sides of the pan where the coconut milk is simmering, sprinkle black pepper powder, some ginger and slit green chillies. Add a pinch of salt to the sides. Let the fish poach in the sauce for 3-4 minutes on a low-medium flame.

Finally, add a teaspoon of coconut oil for aroma. The fish is ready to serve. Repeat the same procedure with the other fish steaks. This recipe produces four portions.

Amazing Fish Nirvana is ready. Serve with Appam, idiyappam, Parotta or matta rice.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Meen Nirvana

 

Save Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Chef Suresh Pillai’s legendary fish nirvana recipe. Fish fried in spices and then poached in a banana leaf wrapped ginger coconut milk sauce. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Kerala

Serves: 4 serving

Ingredients

For Shaloow frying the fish

• 4 Pomfret fish or any firm fish
• 1.5 tablespoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Juice of a small lemon or lime
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 3 tablespoon vegetable oil to shallow fry the fish
• 2 sprigs curry leaves

For the sauce

• 2 banana leaves, cut in half (4 pieces)
• 3-4 sprigs curry leaves
• 1.5 inch piece ginger, minced
• 1.5 cup thick coconut milk (use ⅓ cup milk for one fish)
• 2 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 8 green chillies, slit
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

1. Wash, clean and prep the fish. Make small gashes on the fish with a sharp knife so the masalas can penetrate and season the fish throughout.
2. Take a plate and add in the turmeric, red chilli powder, black pepper powder and salt. Add in juice of a small lemon.
3. Add in a tablespoon of coconut oil and mix well to make a thick paste.
4. Apply the marinade on the fish. Make sure that the masalas are evenly coated. Apply masala in the gashes so the fish gets evenly seasoned. Marinate the fish in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
5. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Gently place the fish in oil. Add in some curry leaves on top of the fish. Do not disturb or move the fish for the first two-three minutes. Let it cook. That’s the trick so the masalas will stick properly and wont separate. Cook the fish for 3 minutes on each side.
6. In the mean time, Heat an appa pan / appa chatty or any kadai and place a big banana leaf on the pan. Add in the fried fish. Add in few sprigs of curry leaves and ginger.
7. Add in the coconut milk on the sides on the pan. Pour it only on the sides. First pressed coconut milk is needed for this recipe. I have used canned coconut milk today and it just works best. If you are in a hurry or a beginner, use readymade / canned coconut milk.
8. To the sides of the pan where the coconut milk is simmering, sprinkle black pepper powder, some ginger and slit green chillies. Add a pinch of salt to the sides. Let the fish poach in the sauce for 3-4 minutes on a low-medium flame.
9. Finally, add a teaspoon of coconut oil for aroma.
10. Amazing Fish Nirvana is ready. Serve with Appam, idiyappam, Parotta or matta rice.

3.5.3251

The post Meen Nirvana appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Tasty recipe for air fried tandoori fish. Recipe with step by step pictures

This is a very simple recipe for Fish Tandoori made in an air fryer. The same can be baked in an oven. I have given the details of both the procedures below. The fish comes out perfectly grilled every single time and the addition of cream and cheese in the marination makes it rich and finger licking good.

I have used karimeen – Kerala Style Pearspot Fish today. Pomfret, Mackerel, snapper also works very well for this recipe.

Now lets make an awesome and relatively healthy Tandoori Fish.
Here is what you will need.
Note: Use thick ginger garlic paste. For hung curd, place curd / yogurt on a muslin cloth and let it drain for 30 minutes. The leftover thick curd is what we will use for the recipe.

Take all the ingredients listed under marinade and add it to a small mixie jar. Dont add any water.

Grind all the Masala ingredients to a fine paste. Don’t add water while grinding. Pulse it several times until you get a fine paste. Stop several times and scrape the sides with a spatula so there are no big bits of cheese that remains.

The paste should be smooth. Set aside.

Wash, clean and prep the fish. Make small gashes on the fish with a sharp knife so the masalas can penetrate and season the fish throughout. Be gentle and do not cut too deep. These cuts / crevices will hold the masalas later. So take time and make as many even cuts as possible. This is a very important step.

Apply the marinade on the fish. Make sure that the masalas are evenly coated. Apply masala in the gashes so the fish gets evenly seasoned.

Marinate the fish in the refrigerator for twenty minutes.

Place the marinated fish in the air fryer ( do not over crowd) and fry them for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees celcius.
Note: Bigger fishes might take more time while smaller fishes / steaks cook faster. So start checking after 12 minutes. Alternatively, you can bake at 200 degrees celcius for 15-20 minutes. (Adjust the timing depending on the size of the fish)

The fish is done after the air frying time. Fantastic Tandoori fish fry is ready.

Serve with rice and curry.

Tandoori Fish – Air Fried

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• Author: Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 m
• Cook Time: 15 m
• Total Time: 42 minute
• Yield: 5

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Description

Tasty recipe for air fried tandoori fish. Recipe with step by step pictures

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Ingredients

500 grams fish steaks / whole fish

For the Marinade

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon Amul Cheese (or any cheese like mozzarella, cheddar etc..)
2 tablespoon hung curd / yogurt
1 teapsoon honey
2 tablespoon heavy cream

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Instructions

Take all the ingredients listed under marinade and add it to a small mixie jar. Dont add any water.

Grind all the Masala ingredients to a fine paste. Don’t add water while grinding. Pulse it several times until you get a fine paste. Stop several times and scrape the sides with a spatula so there are no big bits of cheese that remains. The paste should be smooth. Set aside.

Wash, clean and prep the fish. Make small gashes on the fish with a sharp knife so the masalas can penetrate and season the fish throughout. Be gentle and do not cut too deep. These cuts / crevices will hold the masalas later. So take time and make as many even cuts as possible. This is a very important step.

Apply the marinade on the fish. Make sure that the masalas are evenly coated. Apply masala in the gashes so the fish gets evenly seasoned. Marinate the fish in the refrigerator for twenty minutes.

Place the marinated fish in the air fryer ( do not over crowd) and fry them for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees Celsius. The fish is done after the air frying time. Fantastic Tandoori fish fry is ready.

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Notes

Bigger fishes might take more time while smaller fishes / steaks cook faster. So start checking after 12 minutes.

The post Tandoori Fish – Air Fried appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for Viral meen Kuzhambu – விரால் மீன் குழம்பு – Murrel Fish Curry. Recipe with step by step pictures.

விரால் மீன் குழம்பு – Murrel Fish Curry
Murrel fish curry has to be one of the favorite fish curries in Tamilnadu. This fresh water fish is the most sought after and is sold as quickly as it comes to the market. It is also the favorite fish of Dr. Kalignar Karunanidhi.

Viral Meen – Snakehead / Murrel Fish. This fresh water fish has been mentioned in history in Tamil sangam literature.
பதினெண் கீழ்க் கணக்கு
பாடல்: பழமொழி நானூறு
கவிஞர்: முன்றுரை அரையனார்

சிறியபொருள் கொடுத்துச் செய்த வினையால்,
பெரியபொருள் கருதுவாரே
விரி பூ
விராஅம் புனல் ஊர, வேண்டு அயிரை இட்டு,
வராஅஅல் வாங்குபவர்.

விரிந்த பூக்குள் வலவாக விரவிக் கிடக்கும் புனல் வளம் மிக்க ஊரின் வேந்தனே! சிறிய அளவில் முதலீடு செய்து செயல்படும் திறத்தால் பெரும் பொருளை ஈட்டத் திட்டமிடுபவர்.
சிறிய அயிரை மீனைத் தூண்டிலில் இட்டுப் பெரிய வரால் மீனைப் பிடிப்பவர் போன்றவர்.

In short, it means the person who sacrifices Ayirai Meen – bait (tiny fresh water spiny loaches) to catch the big viraal (Murrel) fishes. The small investment / sacrifices we do today will make it big in the long run / The small charity we do today will come back to us and do us good in a really big way later on. Give more to get more

Here is how to do Viral meen Kuzhambu – விரால் மீன் குழம்பு – Murrel Fish Curry
First we will make a masala paste for the fish curry. This is what you will need.

Indian Sesame oil (gingely oil) is what is used for making tamil style fish curries. The rich aroma of the oil perfectly pairs with the spicy curry. Heat oil in a pan and add in the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, curry leaves, garlic, chopped green chillies and chopped small onions (Indian shallots). Add in the salt so the onions cook fast.

Saute the mixture for 2-3 minutes till the onions are soft. Add in the tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add in the fresh shredded coconut and switch off the flame. Let the mixture cool.

Once its cool, grind in a mixie to a smooth paste. Add half a cup of water while grinding. Set aside.

Usually, fish curries taste great when made in a clay pot. Most of the households in Tamilnadu have a meen chatti (clay fish pot exclusively for making fish curries). If you do not have a clay pot, a heavy pan will suffice. Heat oil in a pan and add in the curry leaves, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Do not add a lot of fenugreek seeds. The curry will become very bitter. Add in the chopped shallots and green chillies. Saute for 3-4 minutes till its soft.

Once the onions are soft, add in the tamarind extract, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, rock salt and kuzhambu milagai thool. “Kuzhambu milagai thool” is a curry powder used in Tamil households and can be sourced from a south Indian grocery store. If you dont have “kuzhambu milagai thool”, use store bought curry powder. Let the curry simmer for five minutes.

Note: For tamarind extract, soak the tamarind in a cup of water for 20 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind to extract the juice. Discard the pith and the seeds.

Keeping it real.
When my curry was simmering, my old old clay pot cracked big. There was small crack all this time and today it gave off. So I shifted my curry to a different pan. I am so sad that I need to part with my favorite meen chatti.

Add in the ground masala paste to the pan.

Wash the mixie with a cup of water and add to the pan. Add another cup of water and the raw mango pieces. The raw mango and the tamarind gives a nice sourness to the curry.
Note: If you do not have raw mango, add in a little more of the tamarind extract. A little will do. Do not add too much.

In the mean time, clean and wash the fish.

Let the curry simmer on a medium flame for 12-14 minutes. Stir once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom. After the curry has simmered, add in the fish pieces.

After adding the fish pieces, do not stir or disturb while cooking as the pieces will break. Let the curry simmer for 6-7 minutes so the fish cooks. Do not cover. Let it simmer in an open pan.

Switch off the flame and add in a tablespoon of sesame oil and cover the pan. Let it rest for atleast half an hour before you serve.

Fantastic Viral meen Kuzhambu – விரால் மீன் குழம்பு – Murrel Fish Curry is ready. You can serve it for breakfast with idli or for lunch with hot hot parboiled ponni rice.

விரால் மீன் குழம்பு – Murrel Fish Curry

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15m
• Cook Time: 30m
• Total Time: 45 minute
• Yield: 4 servings

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Recipe for Viral meen Kuzhambu – விரால் மீன் குழம்பு – Murrel Fish Curry. Recipe with step by step pictures.

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Ingredients

For the masala paste
2 teaspoon Indian sesame oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
5 cloves garlic
4 green chillies, chopped
10 Indian shallots (small onions)
2 tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the fish curry
2 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon Indian sesame oil
2 sprig curry leaves
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
10 Indian shallots (small onions)
2 green chillies
1 small lime size tamarind
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 tablespoon Kuzhambu milagai thool / curry powder (use more for a really spicy curry)
1 teaspoon rock salt
1/2 of a raw mango, chopped

500 gms viral meen – murrel fish steaks with bones

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Instructions

Heat oil in a pan and add in the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, curry leaves, garlic, chopped green chillies and chopped small onions (Indian shallots). Add in the salt so the onions cook fast. Saute the mixture for 2-3 minutes till the onions are soft. Add in the tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes. Add in the fresh shredded coconut and switch off the flame. Let the mixture cool.

Once its cool, grind in a mixie to a smooth paste. Add half a cup of water while grinding. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the curry leaves, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Do not add a lot of fenugreek seeds. The curry will become very bitter. Add in the chopped shallots and green chillies. Saute for 3-4 minutes till its soft.

Soak tamarind in a cup of water for 20 minutes. Extract pulp. Discard the pith and seeds

Once the onions are soft, add in the tamarind extract, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, rock salt and kuzhambu milagai thool. Let the curry simmer for five minutes. Add in the ground masala paste to the pan. Wash the mixie with a cup of water and add to the pan. Add another cup of water and the raw mango pieces. The raw mango and the tamarind gives a nice sourness to the curry.

Let the curry simmer on a medium flame for 12-14 minutes. Stir once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom. After the curry has simmered, add in the fish pieces.

After adding the fish pieces, do not stir or disturb while cooking as the pieces will break. Let the curry simmer for 6-7 minutes so the fish cooks. Do not cover. Let it simmer in an open pan.

Switch off the flame and add in a tablespoon of sesame oil and cover the pan. Let it rest for atleast half an hour before you serve.

 

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The post விரால் மீன் குழம்பு – Murrel Fish Curry appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Recipe for Fish Fingers Indian home-style. How to make fish fingers that can be easily frozen for later use. Made with breadcrumbs and perfect for toddlers.

Fish fingers is one dish that is a childhood favorite of mine. There was this restaurant called Kowloon in Coimbatore that was very famous in the 80’s. Their food was awesome and one of my favorite restaurants to go to at that time. Every-time I went there, I would order fish fingers. It was a standard order for me. The crisp sweet breadcrumb coated fish was something I craved for. Recently I had food from Kowloon again. Oh yes, the restaurant is still there. Though old and the interiors need a face-lift, the food is still decent. For old times sake, I made these and oh boy! I have missed them too long.

Here is how to do fish fingers.

The main thing about fish fingers is to use boneless filleted fish. In India, filleted fish is easily available in the frozen aisle of a grocery store. I buy my fish from licious or fresh to home here in Bangalore. They both deliver meat home and their meat is of excellent quality. The Indian basa works well for this recipe. If abroad, any white fish like cod, hake, haddock, tilapia, catfish, mahi mahi or pollock fillets would work really well. Cut the fish fillets into thick fingers like the picture below.

Crush some garlic and ginger in a mortar and pestle. Set aside.

Take a big bowl and add in the cut fish fingers. Make sure that the water from the fish is completely drained and the fish is dry. If the fish is too moist, then the batter will be watery and wont work. Add in the ginger-garlic, soy sauce, black pepper, green chilli sauce, salt, red chilli flakes, lemon juice, tomato ketchup, egg white and corn flour.

Mix well to combine.

Now we will coat the fish with breadcrumbs. I like to use fresh breadcrumbs for this recipe. If you don’t have fresh breadcrumbs, use store-bought crumbs. Its fine. Grind 4-5 slices of bread in a mixie to a powder. Set aside.

Take a plate and spread the breadcrumbs. Take the fish pieces and roll them in the breadcrumbs.

Roll the pieces well so its coated with breadcrumbs thoroughly.

Once coated, gently roll the fish between your palms. Apply gentle pressure so the crumbs adhere to the fish. This will prevent the crumbs from falling or separating while frying. This is a fantastic tip I use while frying these fingers. It also shapes the fingers.

At anytime, if the palms are covered fully with breadcrumbs and a thick coating has formed, wash your hands and continue. Else breadcrumbs will keep sticking to the palms and not to the fish.

Heat oil in a pan until hot. Fish fries very fast in under two to three minutes. Hot oil is key to make non-oily fish fingers. Add the prepared fish fingers to hot oil. Do not move the fish fingers in oil with spatula after adding it to the oil. The breadcrumbs would not have set and will separate. Let the hot oil just do its work. Leave it alone for two minutes. Gently move the fingers after the time.

Fry till the fish is golden. Crispy fish fingers are ready. Drain the fish fingers in a paper lined bowl and drain the excess oil. Serve hot with mayo.

It is a kids favorite. Do try them at home.

Fish Fingers Recipe

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• Author: Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15m
• Cook Time: 15m
• Total Time: 30m
• Yield: serves 5-6

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Recipe for Fish Fingers Indian home-style. How to make fish fingers that can be easily frozen for later use. Made with breadcrumbs and perfect for toddlers.

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Ingredients

• 500 grams fish fillet
• 10 cloves garlic
• 1/2 inch piece ginger
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoon green chilli sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (read notes)
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
• Juice of a lemon
• 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 1 egg white
• 3 tablespoon corn flour (If the batter is very watery, add a tablespoon or two more)
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil to deep fry the fish fingers

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Instructions

• Cut the fish fillets into thick fingers. Crush some garlic and ginger in a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
• Take a big bowl and add in the cut fish fingers. Make sure that the water from the fish is completely drained and the fish is dry. If the fish is too moist, then the batter will be watery and wont work. Add in the ginger-garlic, soy sauce, black pepper, green chilli sauce, salt, red chilli flakes, lemon juice, tomato ketchup, egg white and corn flour. Mix well to combine.
• Take a plate and spread the breadcrumbs. Take the fish pieces and roll them in the breadcrumbs. Roll the pieces well so its coated with breadcrumbs thoroughly. Once coated, gently roll the fish between your palms. Apply gentle pressure so the crumbs adhere to the fish. This will prevent the crumbs from falling or separating while frying. This is a fantastic tip I use while frying these fingers. It also shapes the fingers.
• Heat oil in a pan until hot. Fish fries very fast in under two to three minutes. Hot oil is key to make non-oily fish fingers. Add the prepared fish fingers to hot oil. Do not move the fish fingers in oil with spatula after adding it to the oil. The breadcrumbs would not have set and will separate. Let the hot oil just do its work. Leave it alone for two minutes. Gently move the fingers after the time.
• Fry till the fish is golden. Crispy fish fingers are ready. Drain the fish fingers in a paper lined bowl and drain the excess oil. Serve hot with mayo.

 

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Notes

• Do not add any additional salt than recommended to the recipe as the sauces we add in marination themselves are salty.
• Freezing for later use: After coating the fish with breadcrumbs, line the fish on a plate and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to zip tote bags. When ready, thaw the fish fingers on a plate to room temperature and then fry them as required.

The post Fish Fingers Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.

Air Fried Mackerel Fish fry Recipe. South Indian Style Mackerel fried fish Recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures and video.

This whole Mackerel fried in an air fryer is healthy, tasty and can be made in under 15 minutes (ignoring the marination time) . Ayala Meen / Ayila Meen (a kind of mackerel fish) tastes so good in this masala. Here is how to do Whole mackerel fry in an air fryer.

Here are other fish recipes from the site.
Fish recipes

Here is the video of how to make Mackerel Fish Fry in air fryer.

Here is how to do Mackerel Fish Fry
Wash, clean and prep the fish. Make small gashes on the fish with a sharp knife so the masalas can penetrate and season the fish throughout. Be gentle and do not cut too deep. These cuts / crevices will hold the masalas later. So take time and make as many even cuts as possible. This is a very important step.

Now lets make the star of the recipe, the oil marinade. Take in all the ingredients listed under marinade and mix them well. Use thick ginger garlic paste for this recipe. Mix the masalas using few tablespoons of coconut oil. Do not use any water to mix.

The marinade is ready. Remember that we have used only oil for making the paste. Coconut oil is preferred. If the fish is very cold use peanut oil as coconut oil will solidify when applied. If you do not like coconut oil, use an oil of your choice (peanut oil, olive oil etc… works well).

Apply the marinade on the fish. Make sure that the masalas are evenly coated. Apply masala in the gashes so the fish gets evenly seasoned.

Marinate the fish in the refrigerator for one hour.

Making the Masala Fish fry / Ayala Meen Fry
We will now cook the fish in the air fryer. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the fish. I cooked these in the air fryer for 12-13 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. Serve hot with some sliced onions and lemon / lime wedges.

Air Fried Mackerel Fish Fry – South Indian Style

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• Author: Suguna Vinodh

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Description

Air Fried Mackerel Fish fry Recipe. South Indian Style Mackerel fried fish Recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures and video.

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Ingredients

• 1.5 teaspoon thick ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (add 1/2 teaspoon more for a spicy fish fry)
• 1 tablespoon red chilli powder (add a tablespoon more for a spicy fish fry)
• 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 sprigs curry leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon plain vinegar
• 3 tablespoon coconut oil (or) peanut oil

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Instructions

Wash, clean and prep the fish. Make small gashes on the fish with a sharp knife so the masalas can penetrate and season the fish throughout. Be gentle and do not cut too deep. These cuts / crevices will hold the masalas later. So take time and make as many even cuts as possible. This is a very important step.

Now lets make the star of the recipe, the oil marinade. Take in all the ingredients listed under marinade and mix them well. Use thick ginger garlic paste for this recipe. Mix the masalas using few tablespoons of coconut oil. Do not use any water to mix.

The marinade is ready. Remember that we have used only oil for making the paste. Coconut oil is preferred. If the fish is very cold use peanut oil as coconut oil will solidify when applied. If you do not like coconut oil, use an oil of your choice (peanut oil, olive oil etc… works well).

Apply the marinade on the fish. Make sure that the masalas are evenly coated. Apply masala in the gashes so the fish gets evenly seasoned.

Marinate the fish in the refrigerator for one hour.

The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the fish. I cooked these in the air fryer for 12-13 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. Serve hot with some sliced onions and lemon / lime wedges.

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The post Air Fried Mackerel Fish Fry – South Indian Style appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.