Kottayam Style Fish Curry (Meen Mulakkitathu)

- Submitted by Dahlia

(Meen vevichathu, Meen Mulakkitathu, Kerala style Spicy Fish Curry)

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Our family is a big fan of seafood. It is evident from the varieties of seafood recipes that I have posted in the website. Here is another such curry that I love to make – The Kottayam style Fish Curry. In Kerala it is commonly known as Meen Vevichathu or Meen Mulakkitathu.

As the names suggest, it is a basic fish curry that is cooked with kudum puli (Malabar Tamrind) and red chili powder. The curry has a vibrant red colour that comes from the chili powder. It can be made easily by bachelors as we don’t have to grind any masala here. As with all fish curries, I suggest that you make this curry in the morning and let it rest for couple of hours to get the best taste. The leftover curry stays good at room temperature and tastes even better the next day.

For those who do not know about Kudum Puli, it is called Malabar tamarind. It is different from Kokum that is commonly used in Goa.

Recipe For Kottayam Style Fish Curry

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Fish – 1/2 kg
• Ginger (crushed) – 1 tbsp (1” piece)
• Garlic (crushed) – 1 tbsp (6-8 cloves)
• Shallots (sliced) – 8
• Kashmiri Red Chili Powder – 2 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Kudum Puli (Malabar Tamarind) – 3
• Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
• Coconut Oil – 2 tbsp
• Salt – to taste
• Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds – 1/4 tsp

Method

1. Clean the fish thoroughly and cut into small pieces.
2. Wash the kudum puli and soak in 1/2 cup water for 10-15 minutes while you get the other things done.
3. Mix the turmeric powder and red chili powder with 2-3 tbsp of water make a paste. Some people also add 1 tbsp of coriander powder with this.
4. Heat oil in a clay pot, pop mustard seeds & fenugreek seeds. Add sliced shallots, curry leaves, crushed ginger and crushed garlic to this. Saute for a minute.
5. Add the powders mixed with water to this. Cook for a minute till oil starts oozing out.
6. Add the soaked kudum puli with the water and required salt. Add another 1.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
7. Add the fish pieces, cover and cook on medium flame for 10 minutes. Swirl the pot once or twice to mix everything.
8. Reduce the flame to low and cook for another 10 minutes. Switch off and let the curry rest for atleast 1 hour before serving.

Serving Suggestions

• This curry goes well with white rice, red rice or boiled tapioca.

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