Meen mulakittathu – Red chilli fish curry
Ingredients
- Coconut oil – 4 to 6 tbsp
- Ginger – 1 1/2 tbsp (finely chopped)
- Garlic – 1 1/2 tbsp (finely chopped)
- Shallots – 12 nos
- Curry leaves – handful
- Green chilly – 2 nos (slitted)
- Coriander powder- 1/2 tbsp
- Chilly powder – 3 tbsp
- Turmeric powder- 1/2 tbsp
- Fenugreek powder – 1/2 tbsp
- Water -as needed
- Kokum (kudam puli) – 3 to 4 pieces (soak for 5 minutes in 1 cup of water)
- Salt – as needed
- Black pepper powder – 1/2 tbsp
- King fish – 1/2 kg.
Preparation
In a preheated pot, add coconut oil. Once the oil is hot, add ginger, garlic and saute for a while. Then add chopped shallots, curry leaves and green chillies and saute till turns golden. for next step, first add coriander powder and saute for few seconds, then add chilly powder, turmeric powder and fenugreek powder. Saute till fragrant. Do not over fry and burn the masala. Now immediately add little water and mix the masalas well to a paste. Then add kokum along with water. Add enough water to cover the fish pieces to be added later. Bring it to boil, add salt as needed, black pepper powder and place the fish pieces. Do not stir further as it will break the fish pieces. Add curry leaves, then cover and cook over low flame. Swirl in between, so that the curry will not get burnt. Cook till gravy thickens and fish pieces are cooked well. Pour little coconut oil after turning off the flame. Meen mulakittathu or the red chilli fish curry is ready to be enjoyed with rice, tapioca etc…
Refer detailed step by step cooking video below.