Chef Suresh Pillai is a phenomenon in Kollam - my home town. Culinary Director of the Raviz group of hotels and a native of Kollam, who else can teach you better to make the best fish curries?
I got some plump fresh sardines from Preston Market and decided to try this recipe out. Chef Pillai's tag line is "sprinkle love where ever you go" ...and this dish certainly sprinkled a lot of love.
I will warn you, though, this curry is hot. It is best served with plain boiled rice or boiled tapioca.
And a cold toddy / white wine on the side will enhance the taste.
Thank you, Chef, this one is a keeper!
I served this fish curry with boiled Tapioca. Recipe for tapioca is here:
http://kitchenanugraha.blogspot.com/2020/04/kappa-mayakkiyathu-boiled-and-tempered.html#more
Ingredients:
1 kg fresh sardines, scaled, gutted and scored
3/4 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 tablespoons Kashmiri chilli powder
1 1/2 tablespoons coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon roasted fenugreek powder
1 lime sized tamarind ball - seeds removed
1/2 a red onion ( or 2-3 shallots if you have them)
2 green chillies, slit
1/2 an inch piece of ginger, julienned
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 sprigs curry leaves
salt to taste
Method:
Clean fish and set aside. In a wok, toast the peppercorns for a couple of minutes. Then add the dry powdered spices and toast for a couple of minutes more.
In a grinder, add the toasted spices, onion, tamarind and a couple of tablespoons of water to make a smooth silky curry paste.
In a wok, heat oil, add the green chillies and ginger and toast for a few minutes. Add the spice mix with a cup of water. Mix well.
Boil the mix till it thickens. When the sauce thickens, you will notice the colour turns a rich red. Now add the prepared fish and cook till the fish is just done.
Place the curry leaf sprigs on the fish while it is cooking. Add salt to taste. Transfer to a serving dish when done.
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