Kerala Red Fish Curry... Basic Indulgence:)

The most random blogger ever, writing yet another blog post:)

This is comfort food to me, okay? We, who have grown up in the coastal regions of Kerala are big fish eaters. And the comfort food consists of rice, not ordinary rice... the pink coloured Kerala rice which is totally earthy flavoured and full of fibre, fish curry and a vegetable. The Kerala cuisine is renowned for it's seafood delicacies and if you visit a Christian home in Kerala, there is always a pot of fish curry simmering away giving out the delicious aroma that wafts through the rooms. Each home has a different connotation to it's fish curry recipe. It is made in several ways in Kerala: with coconut milk, without coconut milk, with raw mango for the tangy-ness, with tamarind... But even the nuances vary in each household!

                                                         (Updated picture: March 24, 2018)




And here is the fish curry with 'gambooge' : popularly known as 'Malabar Tamarind' or 'Kudampuli' (malayalam), in it. It is called the Red Fish Curry mostly due to the dark red colour, I guess. This curry does not need refrigeration, it just needs to be reheated twice a day, till it is over. It stays good for 2 days and I have not had the pleasure of feasting on it for a third day!


RECIPE FOR RED FISH CURRY!
Ingredients:
Fish (I used King fish) - 1/2 kg, cut into pieces
Shallots - 10, chopped fine
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 4 flakes
Red Chilly Powder - 2 tablespoons (Use Kashmiri chilly powder if you just need the colour. I used the normal one because I love the heat of it too!)
Coriander Powder - 2 tablepoons
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Gambooge (Kudampuli) - 2/3 pieces
Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry Leaves
Salt
Coconut Oil


Method:
Soak the gambooge (kudampuli) in 1/4 cup of water for 15 minutes.
Crush the ginger and garlic into a smooth paste.
Mix all the powders together with a little water to make it into a smooth paste and keep aside.
Heat a clay pot or a pan with coconut oil.
Splutter the mustard seeds. Add the fenugreek seeds. After 30 seconds, add the ginger-garlic and stir fry till they turn golden brown.
Add the shallots and curry leaves and fry till the shallots turn golden brown.
Add the masala paste and salt and stir fry for 2 minutes.
Add the gambooge (kudampuli) along with the water in which it has been soaked. Let it come to a boil.
Add the fish pieces and the required amount of water to cook the fish.
Do not stir any more, rotate the pan to mix the fish and the masala well.
Check in between, the fish gets done quickly. Simmer till the gravy thickens on a low flame.
Serve with rice or tapioca.


After the curry is made, if the tangy-ness is enough, you can remove the gambooge from the curry and discard them. Leaving them in can make it more tangy.
This curry tastes best the next day that it is made.
With red rice and a vegetable.
And that thought itself makes me go hungry at this late hour that I'm typing out this post:)

Lots of love and happiness:)

Comments

Rafeeda AR said…
that's such a lovely fish curry...
Teena said…
OMG this is really mouthwatering!! You've perfectly made too!
Priya Suresh said…
Yummyilicious and fingerlicking gravy, love to enjoy with a bowl of rice.
Hamaree Rasoi said…
Ihad to come here to appreciate the lovely , enticing looking fish curry
This looks quite fabulous! And with all those flavours, I can imagine it would be beautifully fragrant and tasty too :)
Unknown said…
Kerala cuisine is generally packed with a punch of various different spices like pepper, cinnamon, bay leaves and more. Your recipe falls into the category of comfort food which is apt for a cold rainy day and when served with rice, I’m sure that it will be a hit.

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