Kerala style fish curry

Fish curry in kerala is cooked in earthern pots which elevates its flavour.
For that matter any dish cooked in an earthern pot has an unique taste.

I still remember the taste of fish curry made by my grandmother freshly plucked and ground spices available at home like pepper,turmeric,chillies ,curry leaves and the fish caught just few moments before making the curry from the river flowing beside our house.Makes me feel nostalgic...Waiting for my next visit to kerala.

Here goes the recipie.


Ingredients

Mathi/Chala/Sardine- 5 nos
Chilly powder- 2 tsp
Pepper- 1/2 tsp
Corriander powder- 1tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Baby onions-4
Onion- 1
Curry leaves- 3 twigs
Ginger- 1/2 inch
Garlic- 4 pods
Tomato- 1 small
Kudam puli/black tamarind- 1 piece torn into two
Coconut oil preferred


To marinate

Chilly powder- 2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder-1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Directions

Marinate the cleaned fish with ingredients from marinate section and set aside for 2 hours in a refrigerator.

Take an earthern pot/deep bottomed pan and add some oil and saute the chopped big onion and when it turns transparent add chopped baby onions and saute till it becomes light brown.

Now add crushed or ground ginger garlic  paste and saute till raw smell goes.
Add chopped tomato and curry leaves , saute for a minute now add all the powders, salt to taste and saute well.

 Now add the marinated fish and some water to cook( enough water to immerse the fish) and now add two tamarind pieces and cover the pan sprinkling some curry leaves on top.

Wait till the bubbles appear and simmer for 5 minutes and when fish is cooked switch off.

Serve with hot rice or steamed tapioca.