Varutharacha Meen Curry (Fish in Roasted Coconut Gravy)
Indulge in the sumptuous Kerala Style Roasted Coconut Fish Curry, crafted with a perfect balance of spices, tamarind, and coconut. Pair it with mashed tapioca on the side for a heavenly combination that's rich and hearty.
Ingredients
- 500 gms Fish (refer notes)
To roast and grind
- 1 cup Grated coconut
- 2 Pearl onions / Small onion (sliced)
- 1 tsp Garlic
- 1 tbsp Chilli powder (refer notes)
- 1 tbsp Coriander powder (refer notes)
- 1 tsp Whole black pepper
- 1/2 – 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 4-5 Curry leaves
For gravy
- 1 tsp Ginger (chopped)
- 1/2 tbsp Garlic (chopped)
- 1-2 Green chilli (slit lengthwise)
- 5-6 Pearl onion (sliced)
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 3 Cocum (kudam puli) (if its dry, soak in hot water for 5-10 mins)
- 1 Tomato (cut into 4 (optional))
- Curry leaves
- Coconut oil
- Salt
Instructions
- Heat a pan and dry roast the ingredients (except chilli and coriander powder and curry leaves) listed under 'to roast and grind'. When coconut becomes golden brown, add chilli and coriander powder and curry leaves. Fry it for 2 more mins. Let it cool. Add 2-3 tbsp, water and grind it to a smooth thick paste.
- Heat oil in the same pan and add 1/2 tbsp chopped garlic, 1 tsp chopped ginger and 6 sliced pearl onions and 1-2 green chilli. After 4-5 mins, when the pearl onions and ginger and garlic start changing colour, add turmeric powder and cook for a min or so. Add ground coconut paste, salt and water (around 1.5 cups – 2 cups). Let it boil.
- Add cocum and cook for 2 mins. Add fish pieces. Swirl the pan to make sure that the fish pieces are coated well with the masala. Cover and cook. When fish is half cooked, add tomato (refer notes) and continue cooking till the fish is cooked completely. Switch off the gas and add 1 tbsp coconut oil and curry leaves. Let it rest for a while for the flavour to settle in.
- The colour of the curry deepens while it rests.
Notes
You can use Pomfret (avoli), fresh tuna (choora), Prawns, Mackerel (ayala) for this recipe. You can use dry chilli and coriander seeds, instead of chilli powder and coriander powder, while roasting the coconut. If you are using it, use around 5-6 dry chilli and 3/4 tbsp of coriander seeds. In that case, add the dry chilli and coriander seeds along with the coconut. Add tomato, only after checking the sourness of the gravy. If the curry already has required sourness/tangy taste from the cocum, do not add tomato. If you don’t have cocum, you can use tamarind pulp instead.
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