Thenga Aracha Meen Curry | Malabar Style Meen Curry | Easy Kerala Style Fish Curry

Fish in tamarind pulp & coconut-shallot paste

Most of the times the simplest of the recipes are the toughest ! Agree? With the minimum of ingredients we have to bring about the best flavor, aroma & looks.. I would say someone who can prepare a simple recipe with ultimate taste has mastered the culinary art ;) Don't you feel so?  Coz the addition of spices & herbs or a heavy seasoning can always bring about the best results. This recipe is definitely one of that kind. In all, just 2 or 3 supporting characters along with the hero 'fish' & the movie is a block buster hit :) 

 This is one of the masterpieces of my Mil. Every time she prepares this, we definitely have an extra helping of rice. Kuthari Choru, Theenga aracha meen curry, meen varuthathu & pappadam. If this is the menu for lunch, then that day an afternoon nap is a must, coz of the heaviness of the tummy & lightness of the brain ! I definitely have had my bad days trying to recreate that taste, but this time I was a winner. So without much ado, onto the recipe.. 

Recipe Source: Mil

Serves: 2 persons

I Took: 30 minutes

I Used:

Fish	-	250 gm
Tomato	-	1 no - medium sized - cut into 8
Tamarind	-	A medium lemon sized
Grated Coconut	-	½ cup
Shallots	-	10-12 no
Green Chilly	-	2 no
Ginger	-	2 inch piece
Red Chilly powder	-	2 tsp
Turmeric powder	-	1 tsp
Curry leaves	-	A sprig
Oil	-	2 tsp
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Soak tamarind in ¼ cup water for 15-20 minutes. Then extract the pulp from the tamarind 
2. Clean the fish & cut them into medium sized pieces
3. Grind together coconut & shallots (4-6 nos) with 2 tbsp water, to a smooth paste & keep aside
4. In a pan/earthen vessel (manchatti) mix together tamarind pulp, tomato, slit green chilly, chopped ginger, red chilly powder & turmeric powder along with ½ -1 cup of water. Adjust water to suit your needs of the gravy
5. Cook this over medium flame till it starts to boil 
6. Now add the fish pieces and cook until the fish pieces are done & the gravy becomes thick (almost reaches your desired consistency)  
7. Add the ground coconut paste & curry leaves and mix well & cook for a minute or two until the coconut paste mixes well & the raw smell of the coconut goes away
8. In another pan, heat oil. Add the remaining sliced shallots & saute till they turn golden brown in color
9. Add this to the fish gravy. Serve warm with steamed rice !

Cheers,

Chitz