A Perfectly cooked Authentic Kerala Style Fish Curry in a Spicy n Tangy Red Gravy… it’s Easy, Delightful, and sooo Yummy…!!!
Your day-to-day food is made to taste great and nothing can beat an authentic recipe. My hometown Kerala, a southern state of India, is blessed with fresh seafood and a lot of coconut, thereby making both an inevitable part of my diet. Almost all Kerala dishes have coconut incorporated in some form or the other and same is the case in our fish recipes. So what’s cooking for lunch today’s? It’s none other than a fish curry, but the highlight is… I have not used coconut at all…!
This dish is a Red fish curry a.k.a. “Meen Mulakittathu” or “Meen Vevichathu”, which is the one of the easiest fish curry recipes in Kerala. Its authentic preparation involves cooking in a clay pot, as it is believed that the pot enhances the flavour of the curry. During the earlier days when refrigerators where not in use, this curry was prepared a day before and was left overnight in the clay pot for its real flavours to come out.
The use of gambooge/kudampuli is another key ingredient which actually brings a smoky tanginess to the curry. Gambooge is a fruit which once ripe, is de-seeded, sun-dried, smoked and stored, and is later soaked in hot water a few minutes before cooking. I have also used Kashmiri Red chili powder which gives the bright red color to the curry while maintaining the spiciness.
The specialty of this dish is the perfect balance of the flavours and the simplicity in its preparation. It is an absolute treat to all the fish lovers out here and goes perfectly well with a bowl of steamed rice or roti.
Interested in more Kerala style fish recipes, check this out:
- Anchovy Fry/ നെത്തോലി നിറവ്
- Fish Fry / മീൻ വറുത്തത്
- Roasted Coconut Fish Curry / വറുത്തരച്ച മീൻ കറി
- Fish Curry with Coconut Milk /തേങ്ങാപാൽ ഒഴിച്ച മീൻ കറി
- Fish Molly / Kerala Style Fish Stew
- Fish Biriyani
Enjoy, Happy Cooking!!!
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A Perfectly cooked Authentic Kerala Style Fish Curry in a Spicy n Tangy Red Gravy… it’s Easy, Delightful, and sooo Yummy…!!!
- ½ kg fish (check notes)
- 1 cup pearl onions (sliced)
- 2 green chilies (slit)
- ½ inch sized ginger (crushed)
- 3 garlic (crushed)
- 2-3 kudampuli/gambooge/tamarind
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp fenugreek powder
- 3 sprigs of curry leaves
- oil (as required)
- salt (as required)
- 1½ cup water
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Clean and cut fish into medium sized pieces. Set aside.
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Soak tamarind in ½ cup hot water for 10 mins.
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Heat oil in a pan/clay pot, splutter mustard seed and add curry leaves and fenugreek seeds. Saute for one minute.
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Add crushed ginger & garlic, and saute till its raw smell subsides. Add sliced pearl onion along with green chilies and a little salt, saute well on a medium flame.
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When the onions turn translucent, add chili, coriander and turmeric powder, mix well and saute for another 2-3 minutes on low flame. Make sure not to brown the spices. Add tamarind, water and bring the curry to a boil on high heat.
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Add fish pieces and season with salt as needed. Close the pan with its lid, bring down the heat to medium and let the fish cook for 5 – 7 minutes.
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Turn off the heat and garnish with curry leaves, close the pan and allow the curry to rest for 20-30 minutes for the flavours to blend.
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Serve warm with steamed rice/roti/boiled tapioca.
1. Any firm or fleshy fishes like king fish, mackerel, sardines, golden pompano, pomfret, salmon, pearl spot, red snapper,tilapia, rohu, catla can be used.
2. Adjust your chili powder according to your spice level.
3. Coconut oil is ideal for all authentic Kerala recipes, but any neutral oil except for olive oil would do.
Awesome!
Had no idea you are so talented ..
Just came across your blog.
Very well illustrated and written..
Sir, I am extremely happy to see your comment here, Thank You so much for your kind words and for visiting my blog :-)!!
This looks very tasty, I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you so much Makos…hope you like it ☺️
Idhu Polichallo.. your photos are so beautiful
Keep it up
Thank You So Much Ismayil 🙂
Hi Akhila, could you tell me what I can substitute for kudampuli? I live in the US too and I have had a hard time finding it. Would tamarind be a good substitute? Love all your recipes – I am a Bengali but I spent the first 11 years of my life in Ernakulam so Naadan food for me is comfort and nostalgia at its best!
Thank You Mohini for trying out my recipes and posting your feedback. Yes, tamarind is the closest alternative to kudampuli!
Tried your fish curry recipe for the first time and everybody loved it and I made it for the very first time! Thank you for your recipe Akhila.
Thank You so much Mathew for trying out my recie, glad you liked it 🙂
I am making this for my family, but my son does not like really spicy food. Can you recommend a good chili that’s mild to use? I can then add chili powder to spice mine up.
Can’t wait to try this! Just wish I had some toddy to enjoy with it 😀
Hi Bruce,
You can use Kashmiri Chili powder or paprika which is less spicy when compared to regular chili powder. And when it comes to green chilies, removing the seeds helps to lower he spice level. Hope this helps!