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
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