"Madhya Thiruvathancore" Fish Curry

Kerala is famous for its different types of fish curry, especially the red colored one. So I will try to put it in a most easy way. But remember to serve it with love and it will be more tasty.

Ingredients:-

1) Fish (anything from King fish to Mackerel) - 1 kg
2) Coconut oil - 3 tbsp
3) Small/ Sambhar Onion - 5 to 6 no:s
4) Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tsp full
5) Green Chillies - 5 to 6 no:s
6) Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
7) Fenugreek seeds (Dried) - 2 pinches
8) Curry leaves - 1 tbsp full
9) Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10 Coriander powder - 1 tsp full
11) Red Chilly powder - 3 tsp full
12) Kudam Puli/ Malabar Tamarind - 3 to 4 no:s
13) Water - 4 cups
14) Salt - to taste

Method:-

Heat the coconut oil in an earthen dish(manchatti) and add ingredients 6,7 and 8. When they start popping add a paste made of ingredients 3,4 and 5 saute them thoroughly. Once they turn into golden color, add ingredients 9, 10 and 11. Mix well and add the water and the malabar tamarind pieces along with salt to taste. Wait till it boils and then add the fish. Simmer with the dish open and the fish curry can be served once a top layer of oil starts forming.

SAMBHAR made easy

Whenever we think of making Sambhar we think of all the preparations needed, or we simply rely on Sambhar powder. So what I am going to give you is an easy sambhar without using ready made powder.

Ingredients:

1) Potato - 2 (big size)
2) Onion - 1 (medium size)
3) Carrot - 2 (medium size)
4) Tomato - 2 (medium size)
5) Green Chillies - 10 to 12
6) Sambhar onion - 12 - 15 (big size)
7) Drum sticks - 2 (medium size)
8) Toor Dal - 3/4rth of a cup
9) Optional Vegetables - You can add anything like, Brinjal or lady's finger or cucumber or pumpkin or raw plantains etc, but that may take time, so it will be easier to stick to the above 7 ingredients.


Spices:

1) Hing (kayam / asafoetida) powder - 2 tsp
2) Chilli powder (Kashmiri) - 2 tsp full
3) Coriander powder - 2 tsp full
4) Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5) Curry leaves - 12 - 15 leaves
6) tamarind - made into a ball the size of a small key lime (Cheru Naranga)
7) Salt - to taste
8) Coconut oil - 3 tbsp
9) Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
10) Fenu greek seeds - a pinch
11) Dry red chillies - 2

Method:

1) Cut potato, onion, tomato and carrot in small cubes, green chillies in long strips, sambhar onion in two pieces and drum sticks in 2 inch pieces split in two.
2) Cook the vegetables, Toor dal, 1 tsp asafoetida, turmeric powder and salt with one cup water in a pressure cooker till two - three whistles.
3) Heat the coconut oil in a hard bottomed vessel ( preferably a kadai with copper bottom), big enough to contain the whole sambhar. Add mustard and fenugreek seeds. when they start popping add dry red chillies and curry leaves and lower the flame.
4) Then add the coriander powder and chilli powder, mix well and add the mixture from the pressure cooker. Then add half a cup of tamarind water made from the tamarind and add the rest of the asafoetida powder.
5) Add water to reach the desired consistency and stir well. If required add some more salt.
6) Boil well and take of from the stove and while serving garnish with coriander leaves(optional).
7) This quantity of sambhar will serve for 7 to 10.