Tuesday, March 5, 2019

A Kerala Fish Curry, Quick and Spicy And Great For Chilly Days And Nights


   For the last month pr so we've have the Atmospheric River pissing on us up here in Sonoma it seems, 24/7. The state really needs the water, the Sierra needs the snow pack.  After drought years, the aquafer has to be restored and all the water we're getting both as snow and rain are going a long way toward helping. Both ends of the California have been weather-whacked, but it seems like most of it has been focused in the north lately. When the atmospheric river parked itself over our town last week, the gentle little creek that is across the road turned into this:


Of course that was mild compared to what happened  at the Russian River.


So, we're grateful things stayed manageable here in Sonoma. The cold temps however demand something warm in the belly, and nothing warms one up like a good curry, especially a spicy one from Kerala. Now this curry requires Kokum, which I usually have on hand.  However I was fresh out, and so used tamarind as a substitute. 

Kerala Fish Curry

 

Here's What You Need:


1/2 Pound of fish cut up into pieces. You want a meaty fish. I used some cod and also tossed in some fresh prawns and scallops for good measure.

1 Small onion halved then cut into thin half moon slices
8 Thinly sliced shallots
1 Tbs Crushed fresh ginger
2 Serrano chilies slit lengthwise
1 Tbs Kashmiri Chili powder
1 Tbs Ground Coriander
1/2 tsp Turmeric
3 or 4 Fenugreek seeds
2 tsps Tamarind paste
2 Cups of full fat coconut milk
1 cup of light coconut milk
Salt to taste
Curry leaves (optional)


Here's What To Do:


Heat  about 2 Tbs of coconut or other vegetable oil in a skillet or kadhi.
When the oil is hot, toss in the crushed ginger and saute it.
Add the onion, and Serrano chili. Stir everything around.
When the onion starts to get translucent and a bit brown, add in the coriander, fenugreek, turmeric and Kashmiri chili.
Turn the heat down low and cook the spices for a minute or two.
Add the tamarind paste and salt to taste.
Add 1 cup of light coconut milk and 1 cup of full fat coconut milk to the pan. bring it to a boil.
When the coconut milk is boiling, turn the heat way down and add the pieces of fish.
Cook until the fish is cooked through. This takes about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size and thickness of the pieces of fish you've used.
When the fish has cooked through, add 1 cup of full fat coconut milk.
Stir everything around and let cook on a low flame for another 5 minutes.
Take it off the heat and serve it up.

NOTE:
This can be made ahead, and like almost all Indian dishes tastes better on the day after. So, if you're planning on a dinner party, this is one dish that can easily be made a day ahead.

I served this up with some homemade roti


This fish curry cooks up very quickly, and even though one can make it ahead and serve it the next day for an even better marriage of flavors, we just polished it off for lunch. It's definitely going on the rotation at our house.


Coming up next, an Italian dish of fish, olives, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts that's good enough for company but also works as an easy lunch or dinner. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori
 

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