Kerala Style Fish Curry with Coconut Milk

Kerala, besides being one of the most scenically blessed places in India, is also considered the land of culinary heritage. The never-ending coastline of this exotic state is bestowed with nature's culinary treasures that include but, are not limited to tall groves of coconut, palm and jackfruit....and that is one of the primary reasons coconut oil, coconut cream and coconut milk make for an indispensable part of the Malayali cuisine. Besides, an extensive network of this serene coastal region also produces fish and other seafood in abundance, which needless to say, contributes to the staple gastronomic scene of Kerala.

When talking about Kerala, how can I forget mentioning about the state's opulence in spices and herbs: cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, cloves and turmeric, have been some of the extensively grown spices here since ancient times. Therefore, the heat in food of Kerala is kind of self-explanatory. Having said that, I would also like to mention here an interesting point about the traditional Malayali Cuisine; the cooking and preparation of dishes work well in accordance with the principles of Ayurveda which primarily focuses on maintaining a perfect balance between six tastes: sweet, sour, pungent, salty, bitter and astringent....and that typically provides for a reason why tamarind or kokum is used considerably in preparation of curries.

Now, after a slight insight into the palatable side of Kerala, let's get to one of the most popular recipes of the state, Fish Curry with Coconut Milk. Authentically, this curry makes only a slight use of tomatoes, but I have used more of them just to suit my North Indian taste buds. If you are looking for the authentic taste, reduce the quantity of tomatoes to 1 and increase the quantity of thick coconut milk to 1 cup. Listed below is the full recipe with ingredients and steps.       

Kerala Style Fish Curry with Coconut Milk

Ingredients

Seer fish (Surmai) steaks - 4 to 6
Thin coconut milk (second extract) - 1/2 cup
Thick coconut milk (first extract) - 1/2 cup

Medium sized onion (finely chopped) - 1
Tomatoes (chopped) - 2
Garlic (chopped) - 3 to 4 cloves
Ginger (chopped) - 1 inch
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Kashmiri red chili powder - 2 tsp
Deghi red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Whole dried red chilies - 2 to 3
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Water - as needed

For fish marination

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Salt - as per taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Fenugreek powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Kerala Style Fish Curry with Coconut Milk

Kerala Style Fish Curry with Coconut Milk

Method

1. Begin by marinading the fish. Combine all ingredients under marination. It will form a thick paste.
2. Wash and pat dry the fish pieces and rub this paste nicely on each one of them. Keep in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
3.  Once the fish is marinaded, heat oil in a pan. Gently add in the fish pieces and fry till they are slightly browned from both the sides. Dish them out and keep aside.
4. In the same oil, add dried whole red chilies, mustard, fenugreek and cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add chopped ginger, garlic and curry leaves. Saute them for a while, after which add chopped onions.
5. Cook the onions till they turn golden brown. Next add all dry spice powders except salt. Saute till the raw flavor of spice powder goes away.
6. Next add chopped tomatoes. Cook covered with a lid until oil separates from the sides.
7. Now, add the thin coconut milk along with fried fish pieces. Simmer the fish for 5 to 7 minutes.
8. To finish off the curry, add thick coconut milk and let it cook for another 2 to 3 minutes (you can adjust the consistency of the gravy by adding some water at this point of time). Switch off the flame and mix in the salt. Keep the curry covered with lid for 10 minutes so that all flavors are blended together.   

This fish pairs extremely well with steamed/ boiled rice. For a change, I served it with some lemon rice and poppadom on the side. Trust me, the combo made for a heavenly treat for all of us in the family.

Kerala Style Fish Curry with Coconut Milk

Kerala Style Fish Curry with Coconut Milk

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- Anshu