Tamil Nadu Fish Curry

Probably, the best fish curry there is!

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Ingredients:

·      Small onions – 12-15 or 2 medium-sized regular onions

·      Tamarind - 1 big lemon sized

·      Tomato - 2 medium-sized

·      Green chillies - 2

·      Ginger - 1/2 inch

·      Garlic - 10

·      Crystal salt - 2 Tsp

For Tempering

·      Sesame/gingelly  oil – 3 tbsp

·      Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

·      Fenugreek seeds – ¼  tsp

·      Curry leaves - 2 sprig

·      Fennel Seeds – ½ tsp

·      Dry chillies – 2

For Marinate

·      Fish curry pieces – 500 gms (sear/pomfret)

·      Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

·      Rock Salt - 1/2 Tsp

For roast and grind (this masala can be used for many other kuzambu/curries and can be kept for a long time)

·      Sesame/ gingelly oil - 1 tsp

·      Red chillies – 8 - 10

·      Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

·      Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

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Directions:

·      Wash the fish pieces well and marinate with turmeric powder, rock salt, and keep for half an hour. Refrigerate if marinating for longer than 30 mins

·      Roast red chillies, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds in a tsp of gingelly oil until nice aroma comes and grinds with water to make a coarse paste.

·      Soak a lime size tamarind in one cup of warm water for 5 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind and extract all the juices (you can use equivalent kudampuli or Kokum).

·      Add the chilli paste to the tamarind juice, mix well and keep aside

·      Peel small onions (if you don’t have small onions, use 2 medium-sized regular onions and chop them into 1-inch pieces)

·      Chop ginger garlic keep them separate

·      Chop the tomatoes into 1-inch pieces

·      and slit the green chillies

·      Heat sesame oil (gingelly oil) in a pan until hot

·      Add in the mustard seeds and let the mustard seeds splutter

·      Add methi seeds, fennel, curry leaves and 2 dry chillies

·      Add garlic, sauté for 1 minute

·      Add onions ginger and Green chillies. Sauté till the onions are soft

·      Add tomatoes and a salt

·      Stir and cook covered for 5 minutes or till tomatoes are cooked to a mush

·      Add tamarind -chilly paste mix and let it simmer for another 5-7 minutes or till raw tamarind/masala smell goes away.

·      By this time, it will all come together as a nice gravy (vegetarians can add some sautéed brinjal/ladies finger and add to this curry to make it a veg curry!)

·      Gently add the fish pieces in the gravy and cook for another 6-8 minutes. Fish cooks quickly so switch off the stove accordingly.

·      Let the curry rest for at least for 30-60 minutes as the fish will soak up the flavours. It actually tastes better the second day!

·      Serve with hot steaming rice and appalam. Nothing else!