Kottayam Meen/Fish Curry

Kottayam Meen/Fish Curry is very famous and is also know as Naadan Red Fish Curry. This is a curry my hubby loves and can never stop asking more for lunch and dinner. This is a typical recipe by my mom in law and it took few times for me to cook and get it right. This style of fish curry is prepared towards south part of Kerala. Personally, I love the color, taste and tanginess of the kodum (kokum) puli with Kappa and Rice. This fish curry tastes better the next day of preparation :)

Ingredients:

Fish - 500 gms (cut to medium pieces)

Small onions/shallots - 2 cups (sliced)

Ginger - 1 small piece (crushed)

Garlic - 10 pods (cut into half)

Green chillies - 2 nos (slit lengthwise)

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Fenugreek (uluva) - ¼ tsp

Kudampuli (kokum) - 2 - 4 nos (soaked in lukewarm water with salt)

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

Kashmiri red chilli powder - 2 tbsp

Coriander powder - 5 tbsp

Water - 1 - 1 ½ cup

Curry leaves - handful

Salt - to taste

Coconut oil - 3 tbsp

Preparation:

- Heat oil in a clay pot (chatti), splutter fenugreek and mustard seeds.

- Add ginger, garlic, green chillies, curry leaves and saute for a sec. Add onions and fry till translucent and brown in color.

- Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and fry till the raw smell goes.

- Add water and kudampuli to the above mixture. Close lid and let the gravy boil well for 5 mts.

- Open lid and let boil for another 2 minutes till the gravy is slightly thick.

- Add the fish pieces and cook till fish is done on low flame.(Rotate the chatti in between to make sure the fish and masala is mixed well)

- Cook till fish is cooked and gravy become slightly thick.

- Switch off flame, add 1 tbs of oil to the curry and garnish with curry leaves.

- Serve hot with rice or kappa.

Note:

- The best combination with this curry will be rice and vanpayar thoran.

- This gravy always tastes best the next day.

- The curry will thicken by next day. So add water accordingly while cooking and make sure not to thicken the gravy too much.

Diwali Special - Moong Dal Ladoo

Wishing all a Happy Diwali.. Diwali is known as the "festival of lights". This festival spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. Before Diwali night, people clean, renovate and decorate their homes. On Diwali night, people dress up in new clothes, light up diyas (lamps and candles) inside and outside their home and participate in family puja. After puja the colorful fireworks follow, then a family feast including sweets and an exchange of gifts between family members and close friends.

Ingredients:

Moong dal - 1 cup (dry roasted and powdered)

Sugar - 1 cup (powdered)

Ghee - ½ cup - ¾ cup

Almond and Cashew Nut - 1 cup (powdered)

Preparation:

- Dry roast 1 cup moong dal in a pan. Once done, let cool and powder finely in a grinder.  Powder the 1 cup sugar finely in a grinder and keep aside. Grind almond and cashew nut together in a mixture to a coarse powder.

- Now heat ghee in another pan and keep aside.

- In a large bowl, add powdered moong dal, sugar, half of almond cashew powder and mix well.

- To the above mix, pour heated ghee little by little and blend well with a flat spoon to a semi thick consistency.

- Let this mixture cool for another 3-4 minutes. Now make small ladoos as desired and keep aside.

- Take each ladoo and coat well with the almond cashew powder .

- Decorate each ladoo with raisins and cashew nut if desired (optional).

- Enjoy delicious and yummy Moong Dal ladoo for Diwali and any other occasion.

Vendakka (Okra) Paal Curry

Vendakka (Okra), the one vegetable which is always stocked in my fridge. My son and I love this vegetable and have some other dish prepared thrice in a week. I am used to hearing loads of compliment for my mum in laws Vendakka paal curry from my hubby. I tried the dish many times, but still did not get to the same taste. Still… this recipe tastes delicious for sure.

Ingredients:

Okra - 20 nos (tender and cut to ½ inch piece)

Onion - 1 large (sliced)

Green chillies - 4 nos (slit to half)

Ginger - 1 tsp (chopped)

Curry leaves - 2 string

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Black pepper powder - 2 tsp

Garam masala powder - ½ tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Perumjeerakam - ½ tsp

Cinnamon - 1 stick

Cardamom - 4 nos

Cloves - 3 nos

Thick coconut milk - ½ cup

Thin coconut milk - 1 cup

Salt - to taste

Coconut oil - 3 tbsp

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp (garnishing)

Crushed Black peppercorns - ½ tsp (garnishing)

Preparation:

- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add cut okra, salt and fry till soft for 5 minutes and keep aside.

- Grind turmeric, coriander, black pepper, red chilli, perumjeerakam, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, with 2 tbsp of water to a smooth paste and keep aside.

- In the same pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil, add onions, curry leaves and fry till translucent.

- Add green chillies, ginger and fry well. Now add the grinded masala paste and fry till raw smell goes.

- Now toss the cooked okra and mix well. Add thin coconut milk and let cook for 5 minutes with lid on.

- Once done, add little garam masala powder, thick coconut milk and heat just for a minute and off flame (check salt at this stage).

- Garnish with cardamom powder and crushed pepper.

- Serve hot with chapathi or appam.

Note:

- ½ tsp of Lime juice can be added if needed. I did not use the lime juice.

- Adding tomatoes to this dish is again optional.