Mackerel Fish Curry - Without Coconut

Ingredients

To sauté & grind

Oil - 1 tsp
Onion - 2 big chopped
Tomato - 3 big chopped
Curry leaves - 1 spring

For the curry

Oil - 2-3 tbsp
Peppercorns - 5-6 
Fenugreek seeds - 8 no
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaf - 1 spring, 8 no
Small onions/ Shallots - 6 no
Green chilli - 2, slit
Garlic pods - 3-4 chopped
Tamarind - 1 lemon size ball with 1/2 cup water
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Jeera/ cumin powder - 1 tsp
Fish masala powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Water - 1 cup
King fish - 500 gms / 1/2 kg

Method

1. In a wide pan heat oil and sauté the onions until transparent (around 2-3 minutes) and tip in the chopped tomatoes and curry leaves. Sauté for 3 minutes until mushy and fully cooked. 
2. Let this sautéed onions and tomato rest to come to room temperature. Purée them into a thick paste.
3. Add cumin, fish masala, corriander & red chilli powder and mix well set aside.
4. In the same pan, heat oil once hot add in the peppercons, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and give it few seconds to splutter, now add in the curry leaves, small onions, green chillli and garlic pod and sauté for 2 minutes.
4. Add in the ground paste with spices, along with salt and let it cook until thick and oil separates from the paste. Cook for about 3-4 minutes to reach this stage in meidum flame.
5. Add one cup water and bring this to a boil, now add in the tamarind pulp cook for 3 minutes undisturbed.
6. Add the washed and cleaned fish pieces and reduce the flame to medium- low cook covered for 3- 4 minutes. 
7. check if the fish is cooked and for spices and salt.
8. Garnish with corriander leaves and keep covered for 10-15 minutes for the flavours to develop.

Garlic Fish Fry

Ingredients
Fish- 4-5 medium sized pieces
Shallots 2-3 small
Garlic- 14 pods
Dry Red Chilly-3
Pepper whole- 3/4 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
Lemon juice- 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste-
Coconut Oil for frying

Method
Place all ingredients except fish and oil into a mixer and blend into a smooth fine paste.
Cut and clean fish and marinate with this paste and keep aside for fifteen minutes. Shallow fry in coconut oil. Flip over the other side( after 2-3 three minutes in medium flame depending on the size of the fish) when spices gets browned up and fried gently take out using spatula.Place of paper towel to take off the excess oil. Serve warm with rice.


Try this..

Hope you will all enjoy..

Grilled Sole Fish Filet

Ingredients

• ½ kg small sole fish .
• 6 tbsp rava / semolina
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp haldi / turmeric
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 limes cut into quarters

Mix all the masalas and rub on both sides of the fish. Let it stand for half an hour. Now spread the rava / semolina on a plate and coat both sides of all the  fish.  Heat half  the oil in a large non stick frying pan and fry three fish at a time.  Brown well on both sides for 3-5 minutes. Serve immediately with lime quarters

Nagerkovil Fish Fry

Nagerkovil Fish Fry

 Our frequent holiday destination was  Nagercoil, a place close to kanyakumari where we can find fresh sea fish daily.My mom used to get it from a nearby market and we used to literally cook fish in the lodge where we stay since they were our close friends .Unfortunately, we cannot make it on sundays. That is so bcoz that market is closed on sundays..Initially when i came here i used to get only Tilepia ,which is fresh water fish.It was nowhere near the taste of sea fish.But after many months i found a store that sells sea food. I bought some Mackerel and prepared fry.Simple and yummy,just in seconds!!!!!

Ingredients:

Fish cut into pieces.

Turmeric Powder-1/4 Tsp

Chilli Powder-2 tsp

Pepper Powder-1/2 Tsp

Salt- According to taste

1.U can use any fish. Make small cuts in the fish,so that the masala gets into the fish.Make a paste using the ingredients and apply to the fish. Marinate the fish pieces in turmeric, chilli powder, salt and pepper. Allow it to stay for 15 minutes.

2.Shallow fry in oil.

Nagerkovil Fish Fry

Nagerkovil Fish Curry

Slight alterations in the ingredients can make a big difference as can be seen from the various fish preparations across the my state...

Now a word on the special vessel that we use to prepare the fish curry. It is called the Meenchatti (meen , meaning fish & chatti meaning vessel)  and is made from mud. It adds that special flavor to  fish curry. Somehow I managed to get a meenchatti transported to Germany but unfortunately it was broken. :(

There are certain other ingredients which is optional for me, but is never skipped by my mom & mom in law ...they are either raw mangoes ....They give that extra taste for sure...So if available please dont forget to add either of them too...

Here is the recipe of Nagerkovil style fish curry....Do give it a try & Njoyyy !!

Nagerkovil Fish Curry

 Ingredients

1 lb Tilapia or any other white fish, cut into medium size cubes

salt to taste

Raw Mango(1 small, cut into chunks)

3 to 31/2 cups water + 1/2 cup water

Lemon size tamarind ball

1 or 2 green chilies, slit length wise

For grinding :

1 1/2 cups grated coconut

1 tbsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp whole black pepper

4 or 5 pearl onions

2 big pieces of dry ginger

water enough to grind 

For seasoning:

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 twig of curry leaves

2 dry red chillies

Nagerkovil Fish Curry

Preparation

1. Wash the cut fish cubes well and keep aside.

2. Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup water for 10 to 15 minutes and extract the tamarind juice.

3. In a mixer, add all the ingredients mentioned for grinding and adding enough water grind them to smooth paste.

4. Transfer this smooth paste to a mud pot or a bottom thick vessel. Add the tamarind juice ,3 to 31/2 cups of  water and salt to this smooth paste and mix well. 

5. Add the fish cubes and the green chilies to this mix and allow the fish to cook in medium flame. It may take 15 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. (Do not cover the pot with lid)

6. For seasoning, heat oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the dry red chilies and curry leaves and saute for 20 seconds . Pour this over the prepared  fish curry.

* It tastes better the next day and goes well with rice.

Fish Biryani

Fish Biriyani can be made in different methods using different ingredient. I make the Biriyani after frying the Fish. Not all Fish is good for Fish Biriyani. Big fish with flesh like King Fish, Pomfret and Hamour tastes awesome.

The Ghee rice is made in advance and then I mix rice with Biriyani Fish Masala.

But the fish has to be cleaned very well to remove the fishy smell. The tip to remove the smell is by coating the cleaned fish with lime juice and salt. Then keep aside for 10 minutes and clean the fish again in running water.

Ingredients

• To fry fish :
• Cleaned king Fish - 1/2 kg
• Lime juice - 2 tbsp
• Red Chilli powder - 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil to fry fish
• To make Biriyani Masala :
• Ghee - 4 tbsp
• Ginger paste - 2 tbsp
• Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
• Onions chopped - 3 big
• Tomato chopped - 1 big
• Green Chili - 8
• Coriander leaves - 10
• Mint leaves - 10
• Lime juice - 7 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Chili powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• To make ghee rice :
• Rice - 1/4 kg (2 and 1/2 glass rice)
• Water - 5 glass
• Ghee - 5 tbsp
• Sunflower oil - 5 tbsp
• Cinnamon(Karugapatta) - 5 piece
• Cardamom(Elakka) seeds - 5 piece
• Cloves(Grambu) - 5 piece
• For seasoning :
• 1 big onion chopped
• 12 cashew nuts
• 12 dried grapes

Method

Step 1

First step is to marinate the fish for 1/2 an hour by coating the fish with 2 tbsp red chilli powder, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1/2 tbsp pepper powder, 1 tbsp turmeric powder and salt to taste.

Step 2

Heat oil in a pan and fry the fish. Donot deep fry, but have to be fried moderately.

Step 3

By the time your fish is getting fried you can make the rice. Rice has to be washed in advance and kept drained to get dried for atleast 1/2 an hour.

Step 4

Heat oil and ghee mix in a thick bottomed bowl. Add Cinnamon(Karugapatta), Cardamom(Elakka) seeds, Cloves(Grambu) and fry for 1/2 a minute. Then add dried rice and fry it until rice gets separated from each other. Please take care that the rice should not get brown color when you fry it.

Step 5

Mean while, boil water by adding adequate salt required to cook the rice.

Step 6

Once the rice is fried, add boiling water to the rice and check salt. Then stir well and cook the rice in low flame with lid closed. Once rice is cooked switch of the flame and keep aside.

Step 7

Now the third step is to make the masala. Before we start masala preparation, we can fry the seasoning items (onion, cashew nuts and dried grapes) and keep aside.

Step 8

In the same oil in which we have fried the seasoning items sauté ginger and garlic paste first. Put onion to this and sauté onion, tomato, green chilli, coriander leaves and mint leaves.

Step 9

Once this is sautéed well add lime juice, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt to taste.

Step 10

Sauté for 5 more minutes and slide fried fish to this gravy. Add 2 to 3 spoons of water and slowly mix the gravy and fish.

Step 11

Allow to cook for 10 minutes in very low flame with lid closed. Your Biriyani masala is ready!!!

Step 12

In a thick bottomed vessel greased with ghee, layer the ghee rice and fish masala adding some fresh coriander leaves in between the layers. On top add the fried seasoning and a spoon of ghee. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour and serve hot with dates chutney.

Karimeen Pollichathu / Kerala-Style Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaves

So all of us were craving for some karimeen pollichathu, a toddy shop specialty which is basically pomfret or pearl fish cooked wrapped in banana leaves. The monsoons have been acting up this year  Considering we are around 3 members in the house, we decided to cut the costs by preparing this at home. Huby immediately turned to me since i was not very comfy with making it on my own. I have experimented with Sardines/Mathi when I was in college, but with karimeen, one couldn't afford to experiment and mess up since it's an expensive fish. Anyway, I decided to give it a shot and at the end of it all, we were all pretty happy :) Ingredients: Karimeen Pollichathu / Kerala-Style Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaves 1. Karimeen (Pearl Spot Fish) - 1 kg 2. Red Chilly Powder - 2 tsp 3. Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp 4. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp 5. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 6. Ginger, Garlic and Green Chilly crushed - 2 tbsp 7. Shallots - 1/2 cup     Big Onion sliced - 1     Tomato - 1 8. Salt - as required

 
Method:
Clean Karimeen and marinate the fish with chilly powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder and salt. Keep some of this masala seperately.
Fry the fish in oil. Do not fry more.
Grind together the seventh set of ingredients.
Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds. Add green chilly, ginger and garlic and saute for a while.
Add rest of the masala used for marinating the fish and fry for some more time.
Add the fried fish to this. Masala should cover the fish.
Heat oil in another pan in a flat vessel and cover the fish and masala together in plantain leaves, each one seperately. Place each piece in the pan.
Cover the pan with a lid. Turn the sides of the fish packet in between until done.
You can even bake the fish instead of frying

Lahori Fish Fry

Lahori Fish Fry

• I choose "Seer Fish" for this recipe. It's known as King fish and Vanjaram in tamil.Seer Fish fry is a famous starter dish in Indian hotels and restaurants prepared with seer fish slices marinated in a spicy mix, coated with rava on sides and deep fried. This can be shallow fried in a tawa by brushing oil over it which tastes similar to deep fried. For best taste marinate over night in refrigerator. Try this simple recipe and Enjoy Cooking!!! 
• Preparation Time: 15 Minutes
  Cooking Time: 20 Minutes
  Servings: 4
  Serving Suggestion: With any Rice variety

Chetinad fish fry

Chettinad Fish Fry 

This one's for all the spice lovers! Surmai or king fish marinated in fiery flavors and fried till crisp. Chettinad is the cuisine of a region in Tamil Nadu known to be the spiciest and most aromatic cuisine in India.

Preparation Time: 10min

Cooking Time: 13 min

Serves: 4

Shelf life:1 day

Serving Suggestion :This type of preparing fish fry goes well with  sambar rice, rasam rice etc