Spicy Fish Curry

This fish curry is a common recipe in central Kerala. Keralites have it with the red or white boiled rice. Here, I have used cat fish as the gravy is spicy and cat fish goes well with the spicy gravies. I got this recipe from my grandmother's recipe book. It can be had on a rainy day. The gravy can be kept for a couple of days. The longer the better, it gets tastier with every passing day. So please do try n let me know :)

Preparation time : 10 minutes
Cooking time :    15 minutes

Ingredients :

Catfish : 750 gms

Onion : 1 big, halved and thinly sliced

Ginger : 1 1/2'' piece, finely chopped

Garlic cloves : 18 -20, finely chopped

Green chilies : 3, slit

Tamarind pulp : 2 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder :  3 tbsp

Coriander powder : 3 tbsp

Turmeric powder : 1 tsp

Water : 2 1/2 cups

Salt to taste

For the seasoning :

Coconut oil : 2 tsp

Mustard seeds : 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds : 3/4 tsp

Curry leaves : 1 sprig

Method :

1. Wash the pieces of fish well. Smear it with a little salt and keep aside.

2. In an earthen vessel, heat oil, add the mustard seeds. When they stop spluttering add the fenugreek seeds and later the curry leaves stir for 8-10 seconds till the aroma of the fenugreek seeds is got and the curry leaves are stiff.

3. Add the sliced onions and stir till the onions turn brown. Now add the chopped garlic and ginger, and slit  green chilies. Stir for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the coriander, turmeric and red chili powders and mix well. Stir till the raw smell disappears.

5. Add the tamarind pulp [ here I have used the ready made pulp but you can soak a marble size ball of tamarind in 1/2 cup of water]. Stir for a minute.

6.Add the salt and water[if you are using tamarind then the quantity of water should be only 2 cups as the tamarind water has 1/2 cup].Cook til it boils well.

7. Slowly add the fish pieces and give the vessel a shake so that the pieces are coated with the gravy. Close and cook for a couple of minutes.

8. Take the vessel off the fire and transfer to a serving bowl. Your spicy fish curry is ready, serve hot with boiled rice. Keralites call this fish curry as Meen Vattichathu.