Fish curry | meen kuzhambu | clay pot fish curry | food journey

A south Indian home style fish curry – Simple and finger licking good!

Kuzhambu means curry in Tamil and  Meen means fish. There are different styles of meen kuzhambu. But this one is simple with nothing to grind and feels like home. Some dishes are really comfort food. It differes from person to person. But I guess for many, it is biryani and meen kuzhambu. Fish curry is very spicy and it has rich flavor. Traditionally it’s cooked in clay or earthen pot, where the fish is cooked in spicy gravy of onions, tomatoes, tamarind and spices sautéed in sesame oil. It’s a classic dish with intense flavors. Eating this would never stop them from licking their fingers  Really!!!!

Ingredients

• Sesame oil – 4 tbsp

• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

• Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp

• vadioum - 1tsp

• Curry leaves – 2 springs

• Shallots – 15, chopped finely or onion-1

• Tomatoes - 2, chopped finely

• Tamarind paste – lemon size (use 3 cups of water)

• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

• Chilli powder – 3 to 4tbsp

• Coriander powder – 1 tsp

• Coriander leaves – 1 bunch

• Salt – as needed To Marinate:

• Fish – ½ kg

• Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRZGAA515Y4

• Lemon juice – 2 tsp

• or u can add fish directly too

method:

1. Soak tamarind in warm water (3 cups), and tomato extract pulp and keep aside.

2. Clean fish and marinate the fish in turmeric, salt and lemon juice under “marinate” section. Keep aside. Add oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, and allow it to splutter. Then add fenugreek, vodium curry leaves, asafetida and sauté well. Now add the onions Sauté for two - three minutes, then add the tomato and sauté till the raw smell leaves.
   

3. Now chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Sauté for a minute till the raw smell leaves.

4. Now add the tamarind pulp when the masala is thick. And add required salt. Allow it to boil for 20-25 minutes.

5. When oil gets separated and it is thick, add the marinated fish pieces. Allow it to boil for five minutes. Make sure you add the fish only when it is thick.

6. I usually don’t boil for more than five minutes. Add little more curry leaves and coriander to garnish..

7. Serve after an hour at least. That will help the fish to get cooked well.

8. Garnish them with coriander leaves.

Notes The fish usually will cook faster so be careful not to break them into pieces. So make sure you don’t boil them longer. 2. Give resting time for at least an hour or two. It even taste better the next day. 3. Try to use sesame oil as it gives great flavours to this curry in specific