Meen Pollichathu (hariyali)

Ingredients

Fish - 1 medium sized
Coriander leaves - a bunch
Green chillies - 3
Ginger - 3 inch
Garlic pods - 2
Black pepper - 6
(fresh green pepper-optional)
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Sea salt

Preparation

Karimeen (pearl spot) or white pomfret fish
preferred for this recipe.
Cut clean and make slits on the fish.

Make a fine paste of coriander leaves,
Pepper, ginger, garlic and green chillies,
Vineger and salt.

Marinate the fish and wrap it in a banana leaf
And keep aside for 30 minutes.
Just before serving
grill it for 20 to 25 minutes on a tawa (iron pan).
turn up side down after 10 minutes
to grill evenly.
Serve hot.

If green pepper (not capsicum)
is available add the whole string.

Meen pollichathu (grilled) is the most healthiest
and the oldest way of cooking.
Traditionally grilled on red hot coal
or wooden stove.

To wrap any thing in banana leaves,
lightly heat the banana leaf on the flame
or else the leaf may tear while wrapping.

Fish Masala

Fish - 4 pieces

For chilli paste
Red cashmere chilli - 4
(piriyan mulaku)
grated coconut - 1 cup
ginger - 2 inch
pepper corns - 10
cloves - 4
petals from a star anise – 2
onion - ½
Natural vinegar – 3 tbsp
sea salt - to taste

For sautéing
Garlic - 6
Green chilli -2
Onion - 1
Tomatoes – 2
Ginger - 2 inch
Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp

Cut and clean the fish with salt and cold water.
Make a fine wet paste of chilli,coconut and all
Other above ingredients.

Chop finely onion, ginger, garlic, chilli,
tomatoes and coriander leaves .

In an earthen pot add oil and sauté garlic to golden brown.
Now add green chilli, onion and ginger sauté for two minutes
Then add the chilli paste sauté for five minutes on slow flame.
Pour half a glass of water, fish pieces, tomato pieces and coriander leaves.
Taste, add salt and vinegar only if needed.

This fish masala is great with roti or white rice.
Always skin the fish while cleaning.
Espesially pomfret and seer fish.
Instead of fish you can add prawns and make prawn masala.

Prawn Papaya Curry(chemmeen kapenga palucurry)

Ingredients
Prawns - 15 nos
Raw papaya - ½
Raw mango - ½
Grated coconut - 1 full
Onion -1
Green chillies - 3
Ginger -3 inch
Curry leaves - a bunch
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Fish masala -1 tbsp
chilli powder,fenugreek and dry ginger powder)
Kudampuli(gamboge,kokam) – 1
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard - 2 tsp
Shallots - 5
Garlic - 5
Dry red chillies - 4

Preparation
Peel, de-vein, wash and cut the prawns into pieces.
Size of the prawns does not matter.

In a wet chutney grinder, put 1 cup grated coconut,
1 green chilli, 1 inch ginger, half onion, 1 tbsp curry leaves,
1 tbsp fish masala, turmeric powder and ¼ glass of water.
Blend it to a fine paste and set aside.

Extract thick and thin milk from the
remaining grated coconut.
In a blender, pour warm water and
grated coconut to extract coconut milk.

Peel and cut papaya and mango into
about 3 inch long pieces.
Slice remaining half onion,green chillies and ginger.

In an earthern vessel, add prawns, papaya,
mango, green chillies,ginger,curry leaves,
coconut-fish masala paste, salt, small kudampuli
and the thin coconut milk. Cover the vessel half and
cook on low flame till the papaya pieces turn soft.

Add the thick coconut milk and
cook for 5 minutes on low flame.

In a wok,on low flame pour oil,add
mustard seeds,thinly sliced shallots,
garlic,dry red chillies and curry leaves.
Saute,till the ingredients turn crisp.
Pour this on the curry and close the lid
to lock the flavours in.

As the curry cools,it gets thicker and creamier.
All the taste of the prawns and mango are absorbed
in the gravy and papaya pieces.

This prawn curry is one of our all time favourite dishes .

A bit of history

There was a time when prawns was affordable to
both rich and poor.Though not tiger prawns,the
small shrimps were abundantly available.
It is extremely difficult to clean but those
small ones are realy tasty.

Necessity is the mother of all inventions.
To feed the large number of family members,
the queen of the house had to come out with some new ideas.
Which resulted in adding suitable vegetables with
those shrimps, to bring out recipes which could double
the quantity with out compromising taste.

Thus in cochin side with prawns, raw papaya, mango,
long beans,snake gourd and many more were combined
to make tasty dishes.

Prawns- fresh or dry, roast or fry, curry or chutney powder,
you name it... prawns was essential part of dining.

Fish Pickle

Ingredients

Fish - 1 kg
Garlic - 100 gm
Ginger - 200 gm
Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
Chilli powder -3 tbsp
Kashmiri chilli powder -1 tbsp
Oil - 3 cups
Natural vinegar - 2 cups
Salt
curry leaves - 1 cup

Preparation

Cut the fish and wash thoroughly with salt and water.
Marinate the fish (prawns or oysters ) with 1 tbsp chilli powder,
turmeric and salt. Do not add water.

Peel and wash ginger , garlic and pat it dry.
Make a fine paste of it by adding a little salt and vinegar.

Fry the fish pieces, curry leaves and retain the oil.

In another wok pour oil and sauté the ginger- garlic paste.
As it turns brown add turmeric ,chilli powder and sauté
for two minutes. Now add the remaining fish oil,
vinegar and fried fish. When it is cooled, store it
in an air–tight container.
It looks gorgeous....

This pickle is of a great help to our children
from the boring hostel food.

Meen Pollichathu with Orange Salad

Ingredients

Karimeen or pomfret -1 large
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Hot chilli powder -1 tbsp
Kashmiri chilli powder -2 tbsp
Pepper -1 tbsp
Shallots (small onions) -8
Garlic -2 cloves
Ginger - 2 inch
Curry leaves -1tbsp
Coconut milk -2 tbsp
Banana leaf to wrap

Preparation

Cut and make slits on the fish and clean thoroughly.
Make a paste of pepper, curry leaves, ginger and garlic
in coconut milk. To this paste add both varieties of
chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and mix well.
Marinate the fish in this paste and keep aside
for 3 hours.
wrap in a fresh banana leaf and keep on a tava(iorn pan)
on a low flame for 20 minutes. Cover with a lid.
Turn the wrapped fish in between to cook
both sides evenly .
Serve hot...

Orange salad goes well with this.
Peel orange, slice onion and green chillies
squeeze lime and sprinkle salt.
Colourful and juicy salad is ready.

As no oil is used in any stage of its preparation
Karimeen pollichathu is very healthy.
This authentic cuisine is from Kerala
the land of coconut trees and back waters.

Easy Prawn Biriyani

Prawns -1 cup
Onions -2
Green chilli -3
Ginger -3inch
Garlic -7
Chilli powder -1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Corriander leaves -3 tbsp
Mint leaves – 2 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Curd -1 cup

Oil to fry
Ghee -2tbsp optional
Bay leaves -1
Cardamom -10
Cinnamon sticks -1 tbsp
Cloves - 6
Cashew nuts -10
Raisins -1 tbsp
Biriyani rice -3 cups

Preparation

Keep a vessel on low flame. Pour oil ,bay leaves
And half of the given cloves ,cardamom and cinnamon.
Pour enough water and put thoroughly washed rice.
When the rice is ¾ cooked drain the water.
When you break a single rice , you can see a
White spot in the middle. That is where you have
to stop cooking.

In a wok sauté the remaining cardamom, cinnamon,cloves,
Cashew and raisins , scoop it out and fry thinly sliced onions.
Keep aside fried onions and remaining oil separately to use later.

Make a fine paste of ginger and garlic.Chop finely mint and coriander leaves.
In the wok add 2 tbsp of the remaining oil and 1tbsp ghee, half
of the fried onions, spices and nuts.
Mix in it chopped mint and coriander leaves,
ginger ,garlic paste, turmeric and chilli powder,lime juice and curd,
salt and prawns. Top it with cooked rice, remaining fried
onions, spices and nuts.
Pour on this , 2 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of ghee.
Cover it with a lid and keep on
low flame for about 8 minutes.
See that the gravy has not dried out fully.
Serve it with fresh salad in curd ,lime pickles and papad.

Travancore Fish Red Curry ( Meen Vevichathu )

Meen vevichathu is very much a southern Kerala
Christian dish , red and hot .
Our children call it meen red curry.

Among the Syrian christians of southern Kerala,
four days prior to the wedding day i.e if the wedding
is on a Sunday, four days before on Thursday, is the day for
kalunattal (the first pole is planted to make a pandal), moru kachal
(buttermilk curry), and meen vevikal. It is a small funtion when
elderly ladies of the family and neighbourhood assemble
in the kitchen and start cooking with their expert hands, which is
enhanced with a pinch of laughter, and a dash of gossip. The
outcome is a perfect meen vevichathu and moru kachiyathu
which are the indispensable dishes in a Christian sadhya.
Other items are kozhi curry,beef fry, fish fry, thoran ,
pachadi, avial ,poovan pazham and hot jeera water
on a hot summer after noon .
The wedding sadhya is complete.

Fish pieces - ½ kg
Chilli powder -3tbsp
Kashmere chilli powder-2tbsp
Turmeric powder -1tsp
Shallots -4tbsp
Garlic -2tbsp
Ginger grated -2tbsp
Fenugreek (methi) -1tbsp
Curry leaves -bunch
Kudampuli -6
Coconut oil -7tbsp
Earthenware(chatti)
Nothing in this recipe is optional.

Skin the fish and cut into medium pieces. Put some salt
and keep aside for 15 minutes; then wash and drain it.
(it is important to skin the fish, or else a white substance
from the skin, changes the colour and taste of the curry)
Seer fish (neymeen) is the most suitable fish for this curry.
Neymeen looks like tuna, but has white meat.

In a chutney grinder, put chilli powder turmeric powder,
1tbsp shallots (sambar onions), 1tspgarlic and a pinch
of salt. Grind it into a fine paste. Kashmere chilli is
not hot ,it just gives colour.

Cut finely shallots ,garlic, ginger and keep aside.
Wash curry leaves ; do not remove the stem.
Fry fenugreek (methi/ uluva) and powder it in
a pessel and mortar.

In a wok on low flame, pour 3 tbsp of coconut oil
and add the sliced shallots, garlic and ginger.
Stir till it turns golden brown.
Add 1 tbsp oil and then add chilli paste and
stir continuously, till oil comes out see that it
is not burnt. Mix the fish in chilli paste
with a lighter hand, and keep aside.

Keep a chatti on low flame, pour 3 tbsp of oil and
swirl the chatti So that oil is coated all around.
Now lay the curry leaves criss- cross,
in the chatti and keep on it washed and cut kudampuli pieces.
Again layer the fish pieces coated in chilli paste.
On the fish pieces keep again Kudampuli pieces,
and on top curry leaves. Pour water to immerse the
contents and keep on low flame till the oil floats.
Sprinkle the methi powder.

Now your favourite red fish curry is ready.
Serve it with rice.

During marriages, this chatti is kept on low flame every day,
And by the wedding day the whole gravy will be drunk by the
Fish pieces. Very little gravy will be left behind.

Meen vevichathu with kappa(tapioca) is the best combination
>

Fish Portuguese ( kochi style )

Fish - 2
Onions - 2
Green chillies - 2
Ginger - 2 inch
Garlic - 5 pods
Tomato - 1
Curry leaves - 3 sprig
Grated coconut - 1 coconut
Pepper - 15
Cloves - 3
Coriander powder – 2tsp
Chilli powder - 3tsp
Meat masala - 1tsp
Turmeric - ½ tsp
Ginger powder - ½ tsp
Vineger - 1tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Kanambu is the suitable fish for this curry. Mackrel can also be used.
Cut the fish, clean with salt and water. Make 3 slits and apply a mixture
of chilli, pepper, turmeric powder and salt. Fry the fish and keep aside.
Reserve the fish- fried oil to use again.

Chop thinly onion, ginger, garlic and slit green chillies.
Grate one full coconut . Reserve ½ cup grated coconut to make a fine paste.
Of the remaining grated coconut, extract first and second milk.

In a chutney grinder, put ½ cup grated coconut, pepper, cloves,1tsp chillipowder,
coriander powder, meat masala and grind it into a fine paste.

In a earthen ware, pour oil, add chopped onion, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and chillies. Add some salt and sauté on low flame till it is translucent. Put 1tsp
chilli powder, turmeric, ginger powder ,sauté for a minute and then add the
coconut paste. Stir till it is dry. Now add one tomato cut into 4 and pour the
second coconut milk and salt. Let it simmer till the sauce thickens.Now slowly keep the fish inside. After a minute pour the first milk . On low flame itself
let it simmer for two more minutes. Now add 1 tbsp of vineger.Add salt if needed
and turn off the flame.Now you can add the fish fried oil on top and serve with
chappati or rice.

I always wondered how this Portuguese name is attached to this curry; may be when the Portuguese came to Kerala ,their cooking style of using vineger, tomato and spices blended with the Kochi style of using coconut.

Clams in Pepper Masala ( Kakka -erachi varuthathu)

Ingredients
1. clams -50 nos
2. shallots -20
(sambar onions)
3. garlic -10 pods
4. ginger -1 inch
5. curry leaves-2 tbsp
6. pepper powder -1tbsp
7. chilli powder - ½ tsp
8. turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
9. vineger - ½ tsp
10. maida(flour) – 1tsp
11. water - ¼ glass
12. oil - 2tbsp
13. salt -to taste

Wash clams in water thoroughly to remove sand .
In a steamer , as the water starts boiling, steam the clams
for about 3 minutes. Watch, as the clam shells starts to open,
turn off the flame and scoop out the clams .In the corner of
the clams meat , you can see a black point which can be discarded.
Squeeze it out with your fingers. Now , keep the cleaned
clams aside.

Cut shallots and garlic , grate ginger and keep aside.
Deep fry curry leaves, as it turns crisp, spoon it on a paper to use
later.

In a wok on medium flame , pour 2 tbsp of oil , add shallots
and garlic. When it turns golden brown, and the aroma fills
your kitchen, add grated ginger, lower the flame and add
turmeric , chilli and pepper powder.
Saute for a second and pour maida , dissolved in water. As
it starts to thicken, add vineger ,salt and clams. Keep on high
flame and stir continuously till it becomes dry. Now crush the
crispy curry leaves and sprinkle on top.

Tips –

1. This dish is best in a sandwich, chhappati roll or with rice.
2. You need at least 200 clams to serve four.
3. Add little salt than usual .
4. Shell fish should not be cooked for longer time as it tends to get
harder.
5. Clams are eaten raw, boiled or fried.
6. Varieties of Clams are abundantly found in coastal areas.

Chemmeen Olathiyathu (Tangy Prawns in Coconut)

Prawns - ½ kg
Coconut - ½
Grated coconut - ½ cup
Big onions - 2
Green chillies - 2
Garlic pod - 10
Ginger - 3 inch
Curry leaves - a bunch
Red chilli powder – 1 ½ tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1tsp
Kudampuli (kokum ) – 4 pieces
Water - ¼ glass
Salt to taste

Remove the shells and devein the prawns.
Wash thoroughly and keep aside.

Chop onions, ginger , garlic and slit green chillies.
Scoop out ½ coconut from its shell and thinly slice it.
Put them in an earthen ware (chatti ) along with
curry leaves , prawns ,turmeric, red chilli powder ,salt
and grated coconut.

Cut kudampuli into small pieces, wash them twice.
Add ¼ glass of water and kudumpuli to the
prawns (chemmeen ) mix in the chatti and keep on
medium flame till the water gets dried.

Keep a wok on low flame .Pour a table spoon of oil ,add
curry leaves and crushed garlic.When the garlic turns
golden brown ,add the chemmeen mix into the wok.
Stir for two minutes, on high flame and serve hot with rice .

Tips:
1.Take care not to over cook the prawns. It is more soft
and tasty when just- cooked. Adjust the flame accordingly.

Prawn Fry (Konch Varuthathu)

Tiger Prawns - ½ kg
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Ginger - 3 inch size
Garlic - 6 pods
Salt - to taste
Curd - 1 tbsp
Bread crumbs of 2 slices
Oil for frying

Peel the tiger prawns and remove the veins.
Wash twice and keep aside.
In a chutney grinder, make a paste of ginger and garlic by adding curd ,
Chilli, turmeric powder and salt. Marinate the prawns in this paste
overnight or keep atleast for 4 hours in the fridge.

Keep a wok ( cheenachatti) on medium flame; insert each prawn
with a tooth pick , dip in bread crumbs and deep fry.
Serve hot.
Excellent as starters or as side dish with rice.

Tips;
1. While peeling the prawns, retain the tail , for better presentation.
2. Insert the tooth pick straight into the prawn so that it does not
curl much while frying.

Fish Moly (Kuttanadan special)

Ingredients:

Karimeen (Pearl spot) or Pomfret - ½ kg
Grated Coconut - 1 whole
Big Onions - 2
Green Chillies - 5
Ginger - 3 inch
Garlic - 4 pods
Big tomato - 1
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Maida - 2 tsp
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Cut fish into medium size. Clean thoroughly with salt. Make a slit on each piece and apply turmeric and salt. Fry the fish lightly on both sides. See that it does not turn brown and that it retains the yellow colour. Keep aside the fish and also the remaining oil. In a grinder, put the grated coconut and extract first and second milk from it. Keep them separately. Keep a cheena chatti (wok) on medium flame and pour the remaining oil that you have reserved after frying the fish. Add the onions (medium sliced), chilies cut length-wise and julians of ginger and garlic. Saute till translucent but not golden brown. Add the second coconut milk and let it simmer for a while on low flame. Gently keep the fried fish and a tomato cut into four big pieces. After about 3 minutes, add the first milk. Now mix maida in half glass of water. As the fish molly starts to simmer, pour the maida mixed in water. Let it simmer for two minutes on low flame. Now, the sauce slowly starts thickening… we are done, turn off the flame. Serve hot or cold with appam or bread.

Tips:
1. Use only green chilies for this lip smacking subtle delicacy of kerala.

Crab Fry

Crab(medium size) - 5
Onion big -2
Ginger -3 inch
Garlic -4
Green chillies -2
Tomato -1
Curry leaves
Coriander powder -1 1/2 tbsp
Pepper powder -2 tsp
Chilli powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder –1/4 tsp
Kudampuli - 3 small pieces

Ginger and pepper are the taste makers of this recipe;
So be generous with them.

Cleaning the crab – Unlike other sea fish ,cleaning the
Crab needs lot of patience .Wash the crab twice and
Boil the crab wholly in a big vessel for about 5 minutes ,
till it turns red .As it cools, take out and turn the red side of
the crab down . Pull open the V shape. The red part
can be discarded. On the white part you see the gills which
should be removed . Now, from the 2 claws you get fairly good
amount of meat .Gently strike the claws with the handle of
your knife to crack it. Scoop out the meat and add to the main
part. From other legs you get very little meat.

Slice finely , onions, garlic,ginger and chillies .Keep a frying pan
On medium flame with one table spoon of oil .First sauté garlic
Then add onion ,ginger,chillies and curry leaves. As it turns
Translucent add finely chopped tomato and salt. Saute till
It blends well ; now add coriander ,chilli ,turmeric and pepper
Powder. Saute for two minutes . Wash kudampuli and with half
A glass of water, pour into the mixture . As it boils add crab
And keep on low flame till it turns dry.
Now you can say – move crabby move- as my children say.
Crab is the tastiest seafood ; just enjoy with your family .

Meen peera

Fish -1/2 kg
Grated coconut –2 cups
Green chillies –3
Ginger –2 inch length
Onion –1big
Garlic –6
Curry leaves
Kudum puli (kokum) -2big
Coconut oil -1tbsp
Clean the fish with salt and keep aside .
In a mixer bowl, add coconut green chillies ,
ginger ,onion ,garlic and corsely grind it
without adding water.Soak the kudampuli
for 2 minutes in water and cut them into
small pieces.Drain the puli and combine with
fish ,coconut mixture ,curry leaves ,salt and
¼ glass of water in a earthenware for 10 minutes
in low flame .Turn off the fire and pour 1 tbsp ,
coconut oil on top .
hot or cold the smell itself is appetising .
-Small fishes or sardines are preferred for this dish .

Cochin fish curry

Fish-1/2kg
Grated coconut-1
Onions-1 large
Ginger- 1tsp
Garlic –4cloves
Green chillies –3
green mango –half(optional)
curry leaves –5
red chilli powder –2tsp
turmeric powder -1tsp
tomato -2 small
kokum (kudampuli) –2pieces

Cut the fish ,clean it with some salt and keep aside.

Grate one coconut, from it take half a cup and grind it into a fine paste.
From rest of the coconut make coconut milk and keep aside.
Cut onion ,ginger,garlic, and slit chillies.
Saute for some time,add salt,
which will help it ,to sweat.
Now put turmeric and chilli powder,stir till you get a good aroma.
Add half of a mango, sliced.Pour three table spoons
of water,close the lid and cook for 5 minutes.Add coconut paste, bring to a boil, and add the sliced and washed kokum(add one more piece of kokum if no mango).
Pour the second coconut milk ,fish pieces, salt to taste and curry leaves .
Cover the lid half ,keep on low flame for 10 minutes.
Pour the first coconut milk and let it simmer for 3 more minutes,keeping the lid open..
Turn off the flame and let it cool fo a while .
Special cochin meen curry is ready.

Tips –
To make coconut milk –add
grated coconut and water in a blender

Strain,for the first milk.
Keep the first milk aside.

Blend again the same coconut to get the second milk.
You get kokum in south Indian stores.It is a dried fruit ,black in colour, sour to taste.

Fish fry

Fish -1/2 kg
Chilli powder -1tbsp
Turmeric powder -1tsp
Pepper –1tbsp
Salt
Oil

Cut the fish and clean it with some salt.
Make slits on the
Fish so that the masala can get in.
Pepper should be coarsly ground.
Mix the four ingredients without water and apply it on the wet fish.
Shallow fry it and serve hot with fresh salad.