Meen Vaatti Pattichathu
(from Presi’s recipe box)
We used to get fresh water fishes in abundance there ,and so the fish deliccacies were always prepared with Karimeen aka Pearl Spot only.My Ammachi used to prepare wide variety of dishes with Karimeen,and this is just one among them.
Ingredients
- Fish cut into small pieces – 1/2 kg
- (If using Karimeen,cut each fish into 2 or 3 pieces depending on the size of fish)
- Shallots (kunjulli) – 2 cups
- Ginger – 1 tbsp
- Garlic – 3 big cloves
- Green Chillies – 4 or 5
- Chilly Flakes (Unakka mulaku chathachathu)-1 tsp
- Gamboge(Kodam puli ) – 3
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
- Thin coconut milk – 1 cup
- Thick coconut milk – 1/4 cup
- (If using canned milk,always dilute it by adding enough water,for both thin and thick milk)
- Curry leaves – 1 or 2 sprigs
- Coconut Oil – for sauteing + 1 tsp for garnishing(Optional)
- Salt – to taste
Directions
-
Soak KudamPuli in 1/4 cup of salt water and keep aside.Crush shallots,ginger,garlic and green chillies together and keep it aside too.
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Heat coconut oil in a pan preferrably in a Manchatti,add half of the curry leaves and crushed ingredients along with chilly flakes,saute it for 2-3 minutes in medium heat.Do not let the shallots brown.Stir in turmeric powder and mix everything together.
-
Now add the kudampuli along with the water ,stir and let it boil.Gently arrange the fish pieces on the bottom of the pan and pour in the thin coconut milk.
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Cover it with a lid and let the fish cook in the coconut milk.When it is done,add thick coconut milk,gently mix it and switch off the stove.Add rest of the curry leaves and 1 tsp coconut oil to garnish.Cover and keep it undisturbed for half an hour.Serve with rice/roti.