Nagercoil Fish Curry

My newly migrated cousin Vinju was visiting me for the first time in Melbourne.  So I asked him what shall I cook for you - and without hesitation he replied, "Fish Curry like home, akka,"...  Home being Nagercoil, of course.

So I made Nagercoil fish curry for him - it is a curry that is traditionally made in a clay pot with coconut and green mangoes. I was lucky enough to find it in the market so I made the curry with it.

Firm Fish – 1kg (I used Spanish Mackerel) – cleaned and cut into cutlets.

Saute:

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Mustard Seeds– 1 teaspoon

Red Onion – 1 small chopped finely

Tomato – 1 large cut into long slices (Do not use tomato if using green mango)

Ginger – ½ inch piece, sliced finely

2 or 3 green chilies

Curry Leaves a sprig

Tamarind Pulp – 3 tablespoon 

(If using sour mango, use 1 sour mango sliced and 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp)

Grind to a paste:

Red Onion – 1 large sliced (or if you have small shallots, use 4 to 5)

Garlic  – 7-8 cloves

Ginger – 2 inch piece

Chilli Powder – 1 tablespoon or to taste (use Kashmiri chilli powder for the bright red colour)

Coriander Powder – 2 tablespoon 

Turmeric Powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Coconut – 1/2 cup grated

Green chillies – 2 or 3

Toast and grind:

Cumin seeds - ½ teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds - ½ teaspoon

Dry roast these two ingredients and when they start getting fragrant, powder it and add to your ground up ingredients.

Garnish:

Coriander Leaves – 2 tablespoon finely chopped

Method:

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add in mustard seeds and when it crackles, add curry leaves and chopped onions and when the onion changes colour and starts to get transparent, add the ginger and saute till you can smell it, then add the tomato and saute for 2 or 3 minutes.  Finally add the green chillies and saute for a minute or so.

Add the ingredients you ground to a paste and for a few minutes. You will see the oil starting to separate from the mixture.   

Add in tamarind pulp and some water. Mix it well and bring it to boil. If you are adding sour green mangoes, now is the time to add it in. 

Check for salt and add as needed. Once the curry is ¾ cooked – add in the fish pieces and cook till the fish is done.  Don’t over cook the fish or it will break.  

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.  Serve hot with rice or puttu (steamed rice cakes).  It is Nagercoil tradition to have puttu with fish curry.