Red Fish Curry

This is one curry which can tickle the palate even before it reaches your mouth. Show me one person who has experienced this curry and not felt this tickling the next time he/she encounters this curry. This curry is unique to central Kerala and every girl from this part of the world learns to cook this curry at least to taste it again. I learned it from my maternal grandmother who was an expert. Most of us have learned cooking from our grandmothers instead of our mothers since we were busy growing up and cooking was the last item in our to-do list. I did it during our yearly vacation at Trivandrum. One can cook any fish this way and if not the fish, the curry would be enough to accompany the rice. Even the fish head cooked this way tastes heavenly. Since fresh water fish is abundant around this area, the “vala” or the fresh water shark’s head is a delicacy. It is told that one would not part with this fish head even to your brother-in-law (Aliyan). Brother-in-laws were once revered, so it seems J. There are many toddy shops which cook this huge head and it was during one of our vacation that I got a chance to taste it. No, I did not go to the toddy shop. This dish was bought home along with a couple of toddy bottles. Unlike the red curry this would be blackish red more so because of the curry leaves that is used abundantly. At my paternal grandmother’s place at Mavelikara, this curry along with other items would be hung on the 3 tiered baskets in the kitchen. This was done to keep the rodents and cats away. This was before the fridge became a necessary item in all kitchens. I am sure my grandmother would have shunned such gadgets since everything was made fresh.

Also, this curry would get that special taste if it is cooked in a mud/clay pot and kept overnight.

Red Fish Curry

Ingredients

1.      Fish - 1/2 kg (Wash well and use lime juice to rid it off any odour)

2.      Shallots/Small onion - 1/4 cup

3.      Garlic - 6-7 cloves

4.      Ginger - 1 inch piece

5.      Chili powder - 2 table spoon

6.      Coriander powder – 1 tspn (optional since coriander powder will not give the curry a longer shelf life)

7.      Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

8.      Fenugreek powder  - 1/2 tspn

9.      Kudampuli/Kokum- 2 (wash and soak in 2 cups of water)

10.  Curry leaves - a handful

11.  Mustard seeds - 1 tspn

12.  Coconut Oil or any oil 

Method

Take a pan and sputter mustard seeds in 2 Tbspn of oil. Fry crushed or thinly sliced Ginger, Garlic and Small onions. You can also grind ¼ inch of ginger and a few garlic cloves along with the powders to give the curry a little thickness. Add this powder mix. Please make sure that you don’t add the powders straight into the oil but atleast mix it with a little water to avoid burning. Once oil starts leaving the mix, pour 2 cups of water along with salt, kokum and curry leaves. Let this mixture boil. When it boils well, add the fish. If the fish needs a little jostling, don’t use a spoon but swish the pot gently. This is to avoid breaking the fish. Reduce the flame and boil until the gravy thickens.

Enjoy!