Thengai Paal Meen Kuzhambhu / Fish Curry with Coconut milk

I have never been a big fan of seafood, except for crab. Thats the main reason that you don't see that much seafood related dishes in the blog. However I have started cooking fish these days for the sake of pappu. Amma generally makes fish curry with coconut and thats how I know fish. But my MIL makes a version wherein she never uses coconut. Its just lots of tamarind and loads of pearl onions. I took a liking to that curry right from day one and I make it occasionally at home.

This is a hybrid version of my MILs fish curry. I had some coconut milk on hand which I added in the end, allowed the curry to come to a boil and viola I got a tasty curry with a very mild flavor of coconut. The coconut masks the overpowering taste of the tamarind and gives a not-too-much creaminess and sweetness to the curry. On the whole it sure is a winner to me.

~*What U Need*~ Fish - 250 gms Shallots/Pearl onions - 12 Tomato - 1 medium Garlic pods - 4 Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Red Chilli powder - 1.5 tsp Coriander powder - 1.5 tsp Fish curry powder/sambar powder - 1 tsp(optional) Thick Coconut milk - 1/2 cup Salt - as required Gingelly Oil - 3 tbsp Tamarind - 1 lemon sized ball soaked in 1/4 cup water Salt - to season To grind to a fine paste: Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Peppercorns - 1/2 tsp Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp Shallots - 5 Garlic - 3 To season: Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds+Urud Dal - 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp Curry leaves - 1 sprig How I Made it: Marinate the fish with salt, turmeric powder for 30 mins. In a kadai, add oil and when hot add the 'To Season' ingredients and fry well. Add chopped garlic pods and saute them for a minute. Add the chopped shallots and fry till golden brown. Add the spice powders and fry for 5 mins. Add the ground paste and fry till the raw smell goes off. Then add tomato and saute till the oil oozes out. Now pour the tamarind extract and bring to a boil. In low flame keep boiling till the oil separates and the curry reaches the desired consistency. Add a sprig of curry leaves and the fish pieces. Cook for few mins and then add the thick coconut milk. Cook for 1-2 mins and remove from flame.

Serve hot with white rice!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!