Deepavali Mutton Kuzhambu

While all the Hindu festivals are related with feasts, sweets, snacks and goodies of whatever kind, it has to be all of vegetarian origin. Plants, leaves, flowers and fruits. But this festival Deepavali or Diwali has an 'excuse'. The Tamilians, especially, the Southies cook lamb on this day and serve for breakfast as Mutton Kuzhambu and/or mutton biriyani for lunch/dinner.

Back in my parents' home, amma used to make mutton thovaram, an amazing sidedish made with pieces of boneless mutton cubes sauteed to perfection with coconut and jeera with a touch of chillies. I had seldom celebrated Diwali with my parents ever since my marriage and had been continuously missing out on these delicacies! Here in my family, my in-laws follow a much traditional pattern, holding strictly, the vegetarian concept! Mutton and Deepavali put together is considered blasphemous ;)..though V smiles at the disappointment I have every time, every year on the D day :). To top the bad luck, the full moon day or the amavasya fell on the same day calling for feasts made with country vegetables even with no onion and garlic and sans 'English kay' like beans, carrots, potatoes... :)

I always wished to source out a South Tamilnadu deepavali mutton recipe and recreate for my space. This recipe is from Eshwari my friend, who hails from down South and makes this authentic Virudhunagar style dish for her family, every Diwali morning!

I should admit, this dish is one of the authentic mutton curries, I have tasted; with that balanced taste and aroma of the cinnamon and fennel, subtly dominating the combined flavours of ginger garlic with a touch of earthiness contributed by the lastly stirred in, mildly roasted and crushed jeera n pepper powders! What I really loved with this recipe is the generous addition of  pearl onions and the final cooking in coconut milk! Irresistible!

Virudhunagar Deepavali Mutton Kuzhambu

Prep time- 20 mins
Cooking time-40 mins
Total time needed- 1 hr
Serves 3


You Need:

1/2 kg Mutton / Attukari with bones, cut into small pieces
1/4 tsp turmeric powder


To dry roast
1/2 tsp coarsely crushed pepper corns / milagu
1/2 tsp coarsely crushed Jeera / jeerakam
A sprig curry leaves

To season
3 tbsps Sesame seed oil /  Nallennai
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds / Sombhu
1 inch pc Cinnamon /pattai, crushed coarsely ( I used Ceylon Cinnamon / Surul Pattai )
1/2 tsp crushed ginger / inji
1/2 tsp crushed garlic /poondu
Chopped pearl onions / chinna vengayam, enough to fill a 200 ml cup
2 green chillies, sliced lengthwise
2 tbsps red chilly powder / milagai thool
1/2 tbsp coriander powder / malli thool
A sprig curry leaves / karuveppilai
A fat pinch of turmeric powder
7-8 cilantro / malli thazhai, whole herb,  roots removed

Freshly grated coconut enough to fill loosely a 200 ml cup OR 250 ml medium thick coconut milk

1 tsp Kosher salt / Kallu uppu



Method:



Wash and drain the meat pieces. Blend along 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder. Let it stand for at least 30 minutes.





Dry roast pepper corns and jeera for a minute until the aroma emanates. Remove and roast the curry leaves in 4 drops of sesame seed oil. Remove and keep aside. We are going to use it for garnishing.





Coarsely grind of pulse the jeera and pepper in your mixer. Crush ginger -garlic as well. You can also use ginger garlic paste. I used my stone mortar (ammikkallu).





Chop pearl onions lengthwise, thin. Keep aside.





Heat 3 tbsps sesame oil in a wide thick bottomed kadai. Throw in crushed cinnamon ( Ceylon cinnamon is brittle and has a milder flavour. It can be crushed with finger tips too ) and fennel seeds. Saute sliced small onions. While golden brown, add the fresh sprig of curry leaves ( not the roasted ones ) and the ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute.





Now add the red chilly, coriander and the turmeric powders along with the salt. Mix well and heat up the whole thing to blend well in low flame for 3 minutes adding the cilantro. No need to chop the herb, leave them a bit long.





Extract 250 ml coconut milk from the grated coconut. You need not separate 1st and 2 nd milk or thick and thin milk. Just have them together in medium thickness.





Add along the curry. Mix well and transfer to a pressure cooker.





Cook in full flame until one whistle. Lower the flame to minimum and keep on fire for 20-25 minutes or until the chunks are cooked soft! Open. Voila !! You are sure to confront a sexy red curry topped with oil ;) with a full blast aroma! Slide out a piece of meat and check the doneness. If not, give a stir and return to the stove top and cook for some more time. You need not add any water.





Throw in the roasted curry leaves, along with the powdered cumin and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Check salt at this point. Transfer to a serving bowl. Your Virudhunagar Mutton Kuzhambu is all ready to be served hot with idlies or dosas.

Note:

• This recipe calls for sesame seed oil or nallennai for the authentic taste.

• Do not compromise on the onions. Yes, it has to be small onions / pearl onions which fills loosely a 250 ml cup so that once sliced it yields a 200 ml cup.

• I have used freshly extracted coconut milk from freshly grated coconut shavings. You may use canned milk or 3- 3.5 tbsps of coconut milk powder mixed in warm water. The whole idea is to have a medium thickcoconut milk.

• The amount of ginger garlic paste is lesser when compared to meat curries in this one. This is to bring out the flavour of spices! Do not skip the final addition of the roasted n crushed cumin-pepper mix. My friend insisted on rock salt / Kosher salt / 'kallu uppu' instead of the regular table salt. Seems this salt combined with the spices add to the authenticity of the dish!

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Chettinad Kari Varuval / Chettinad Mutton Fry

Almost two weeks have rushed past since the previous post. I moved back home from lovely Namakkal last week and  had my hands full with bringing back the house to shape. The past 3-4 days were occupied with house visits and courtesy calls related to ceremonies and grievances I'd missed during my 4 month absence. I unbelievably miss Namakkal and my in-laws which accelerates the no-mood to blog.
It requires so much of your energy to push yourselves at times, right?

Each time I picture and post a non-vegetarian dish, something makes me feel not quite fine, the prime reason, I believe, the respect I have for hardcore vegetarianism embedded in my in-laws.
 I believe they would consider the fact that this is sharing of a traditional recipe and excuse me for the same :)
Parallely, I make sure these dishes are not cooked in my kitchen, but mostly in my parents' place, friends' or elsewhere and pictured to bring up here.Obviously, this is from my drafts.

I request my readers who are vegetarians, not to click the 'read more' option down, if you find yourselves intolerant to meat!

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Nadan Erachi Ularthiyathu / Kerala Meat Fry

Here is the dish I love the most! Having grown up in a lovely little town in Central Kerala, this has been my favourite ever since childhood days. Erachi ularthiyathu is a signature dish of Christians (not sure whether this belongs to the Catholic/Syrian/Jacobite community) and as far as I know, every family make the similar way! They use beef commonly to make the dish and 'beef olathiyathu' had been an accompaniment which my friends shared heartily with me during lunch time, back school and college days!

Beef is still a taboo back home in my mom's house. She never cooked beef or sausages though brother and me loved them! We continued to savour the dish which our friends brought along for their lunch with kuthari choru and had to our heart's content. The families cooked the dish hot and fresh when we visited them and made us happier!

Over the years, esp after I got married to the vegetarian family, this remained as a forgotten dish as amma made almost all dishes with fish and chicken. Brother and me no longer craved for irachi ularthu.

So what made me go back and try it all over?
Yes, blogging! Elaborating traditional recipes makes me crazily content and this is an attempt of a recreation that proved extremely satisfying.

I have used mutton for the main and step wise pictures here.

Nadan Erachi Ularthiyathu / Kerala Meat Fry

Serves a small family of 3 or 4

Ingredients:

Cubed meat (beef, pork or mutton) - 1/2 kg

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Easy Breezy Coconutty Pepper Chicken

The past few days had been eventful. A visit to my husband's native place, sick son and a cradling ceremony. Now that he has recuperated well, we sent him back to his hostel. Every moment spent with my in-laws was special. It makes me feel I am back home after my mom's home stay! Too much love, too much care, too much food and too much comfort...my in-laws made me and my sick son feel so comfortable that we miss them..just too much!

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Meen Peera / Fish with Shredded Coconut

Meen Peera is a popular dish belonging to the Christian households of Central Kerala. As any fish dish, I have grown up savouring meen peera right from my childhood days and still one among the favourites!

Traditionally meen peera is made with Netholi or anchovies but any small fish should serve fine too.
The combined flavour of cooked fish with the coarse coconut in which the juices of chilles, 'kudampuli', coconut oil and curry leaves all melded in becomes irrestitible to any fish lover in the state!

Ingredients:

Fish-(anchovies is used here) - 1/2 kg , cleaned
Kudampuli (kokum) - 3 to 4 pieces
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Salt to taste

To Grind Coarsely

 Freshly grated coconut - 1 to 1 1/2 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Green chillies - 7 or 8 numbers
Small onions - 6-7, sliced
Ginger - 1" piece,  sliced
Garlic - 10 small cloves, sliced

                                                                   Kudampuli / kokum
                                                                   

Method:

Wash the kudampuli and soak in 1/2 cup of  warm water for 10-15 minutes.
Pulse the green chillies, small onions, ginger and garlic for not more than 3-5 sec, followed by the coconut and turmeric powder added in. Let the whole mixture be coarse and dry. No water is added during grinding.

Transfer ground paste to a flat earthern vessel / meen chatti or a thick-bottomed utensil. To this, mix in the kudampuli (and the water in which it was soaked) along with fish and the curry leaves and salt. Drizzle 1 tbsp of coconut oil to avoid the curry sticking to the bottom. Cook on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until the fish is cooked. Drizzle the rest of the coconut oil or the remaining 1 tbsp over the curry. Serve hot with steamed rice.

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Mutton Stew

While the masala rich non vegetarian gravies top my list of favourites, this mildly spiced side dish, which has its origin from the Christian homes in my native place, goes last.

This was sent over by one of amma's friends in Kottayam while we were holidaying a couple of months back and I managed to get the recipe from her while clicking away the dish.

If you like soft juicy meat all drenched in rich coconut milk with a breezy flavour of spices, then this is for you!

Mutton Stew
You need:

1.  Mutton-1/2 kg
     Vinegar - 1-2 tsps
     Salt
     Stock water from the above cooked meat- 1 cup


2.   To be sautéed in order:

     Coconut Oil - 4 tbsps or 1/4 cup
     Cinnamon - a 1 inch piece
     Cardamom-  4no
     Cloves - 8 nos
     Whole black pepper corns-10-12 nos
     Big onion-   2 nos, sliced lengthwise
     Ginger -       a 1/2 " piece, julienned
     Garlic cloves- 5, julienned
     Green chillies-10-12 nos, slit lengthwise until 3/4th (do not slit apart completely)
     Curry leaves- 2 sprigs
     Potatoes-3 medium, peeled and cut into 12 cubes in total (each to 4 pcs)
     Maida / cornflour-1 tsp
     Thick Coconut Milk - 1 1/2 cups
     Salt- to taste


Method:


Pressure cook mutton with vinegar, salt and enough water (1 cup  +/-) so as to yield 1 cup of stock water after it gets cooked soft.

Heat oil in a pan, add cinnamon,cardamom, cloves, pepper in order and sauté onions till translucent along with ginger and garlic juliennes. Throw in green chillies followed by the curry leaves and sauté for a few more seconds. Pour in the stock water. While it boils add the potato cubes and cook until done. Transfer cooked mutton along with. Simmer for a few more minutes adding maida / cornflour (made a paste with a tbsp of water). Switch off and stir the thick coconut milk gently to combine.Do not boil the curry after this stage as the coconut milk tends to curdle.

Check salt and serve warm with Kerala Appams!


Note:


Always use tender meat which cooks well.You can substitute veal as well.
If  you end up with less than stock water than recquired, use water. If you have more of stock water, boil to evaporate the excess while cooking the vegetables (onion, chilles & potatoes).
Or else, add cornflour / maida a little more which would thicken the curry.
Remember, the stew thickens as it cools down.

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Ayala Varuthathu / Fried Mackerel

"Ayala varuthathundu karimeen porichathundu.
Kodampuli ittuvecha nalla chemmeen curryumundu..."



While humming along I do admit my space being a predominantly vegetarian one. Still, at times I can't help sneaking  posting a few which top my list of favourites.'Ayala' or the Indian mackerel is my most favorite one while fried, the Kerala way!This again, was made back in Kottayam and here goes the recipe..


Ingredients:

Ayala / Indian Mackerel -5 nos  weighed  3/4 kg
Red Chilly Powder-2 tbsp- more or less as you prefer
Ginger -1” piece
Garlic- 4 large cloves
Small onions- 5 medium
Dhania /coriander powder- 1 tsp (optional)
Turmeric powder -3/4 tsp
Pepper powder -1 tsp
Curry leaves - A small sprig
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3/4 cup - for shallow frying (if 1/2 kg of fish is used, use 1/2 cup of oil)

Method:

Clean the fish,wash and make slits on both the sides. Keep aside.

Grind ginger, garlic, small onions, red chilly powder, pepper powder,  turmeric powder and salt with just enough water to a smooth paste. Pulse the curry leaves last.This is the marinade which is applied on the slices(let the pieces be not wet after cleaning).Apply marinade on the fish making sure it is coated all over the surface and the slits, liberally. Arrange on a tray or a container and let it stay for at least an hour.

Heat oil in a shallow pan with high edges,Slide one at a time, carefully.Close it with a lid to avoid any spluttering out due to the moisture content on the fish and the marinade.Check after 3-5 minutes whether done, esp the under side of the pieces which is in contact with the pan.Turn over carefully so as to let the other side to get fried as well.Keep the flame medium to facilitate a balanced sort of frying and avoid the marinade seeping into the oil or the slices getting burnt on surface with uncooked insides.


While the just brown pieces are cooked and soft, a little more time makes the pieces crisper. The deepness of frying is purely according to ones own preference. A tsp of vinegar or lime-juice added to the marinade is to contribute a touch of tanginess and is optional.

Serve hot with rice and curry.

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Nadan Tharavu Roast / Kerala Duck Roast

The Season of Christmas is here again; the Santa, presents, cakes, Christmas trees, lights, stars, tinsel and baubles, all surrounded, making us feel the same spirit of merriment in the air!

The numberless ideas those vaguely popped in as a result of "what's to bake and blog for Christmas?"in my brain, froze when this flashed right on time, early morning, the Christmas eve!

What's better than this Nadan Tharavu Roast or Kerala Duck Roast, the authentic, traditional dish served for Christmas lunch in the Christian houses of Kerala?

Scoot to the crowded bazar all soaked in festivity, for a quick shopping to get the raw materials which weren't in stock.

Nadan Tharavu Roast/ Kerala Duck Roast

Ingredients:

Duck,(Nadan Tharavu preferable) cut into large pieces- 1 kg

Coconut Oil- 2 tbsps

Cinnamon- 2 one inch pcs

Cloves- 2

Cardamom- 2

Big Onions- 5 large or 450 gms- minced

Garlic- 8-10 cloves - finely minced

Ginger- 2 one inch pcs- finely minced

Green Chillies- 2-3 Split length wise until 3/4th

Ripe Tomatoes- 4- cut into small pieces

Curry powder/meat masala powder- 2 tbsps

Garam masala powder- 1/2- 3/4 tsp

Pepper powder- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp (add only if not included in the curry powder)

Curry leaves - a sprig or two

Salt- to taste

Coconut Oil- 1/2 - 3/4 cup- to deep fry the pieces

Method:

Heat the 2 tbsps of coconut oil in a wide thick bottomed kadai. Sauté minced onions until brown followed by ginger, garlic, green chillies, tomatoes and the powders. Mix well and sauté again for a minute or two so as to get rid of the raw smell of the powders.Throw in curry leaves. Add 2 cups of water (more or less) and bring to a boil. Add the duck pieces and close with a lid adding enough salt and simmer until the pieces are cooked.

Heat the 1/2 cup oil in the adjacent stove.Open the lid of the simmering curry, carefully spooning out the poultry pieces alone and deep fry one or 2 at a time. Take care not to fry much. Return the fried pieces to the curry.Simmer without the lid until the oil separates and the gravy coats the pieces.

Duck Roast tastes best if let stand for at least 4-5 hrs before serving.

Reheat and serve with rice, appam or any Indian bread.

The bowl is soon off to the table all set for the Christmas lunch! :)

Yes, I am in Kottayam for the holidays ;) and this is prepared specially for The Kerala Kitchen.

1. Butter nan (store bought)

2. Kappa puzhukku

3. Boiled white rice

4. Butter chicken

5. Pork Roast

6. Chicken Roast

7. Duck Roast

8. Mathi Mulakarachathu

Here's Wishing you All a Very Merry, Fun Filled and Feasty Christmas!

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Chicken Biriyani

Mothers are always the best cooks for children.
So is my amma!

Well, I am staying back in Kottayam after the grand college re-union we had last Sunday and preparing myself to assist amma for a minor surgery which is to take place tomorrow early morning.

The Chicken Biriyani you see here was specially made by her, yesterday, for all of amma's and appa's siblings, when they were here for lunch!

I guess, this is my first post on a chicken recipe and I swear I am not much used to cooking non-veg dishes as my husband, children and in-laws are basically pure veggies.

Excuse me for the bad/medium quality pictures which were shot at random by Rajesh, brother's best pal and me :)

As I am still packing to go to Cochin to accompany her for the surgery at dawn, which is a few hours away, I better would post the recipe as soon as I get back..

So......see you soon, girls! :)...with your encouraging comments as always!! :)




Updated on 6th Aug- 10.00 pm

Thanks to all of you who had dropped in here with much concern :)
We just got back from the hospital and amma is fine.

and here's her version of Chicken Biriyani ..

You Need:

Basmathi rice- 1 kg (we used India Gate-Classic variety)
Cleaned chicken pieces- 1.5 kgs
Small bunches of coriander and mint leaves

To pulse coarsely:

Ginger- a 4" piece
Garlic- 15-20 medium sized cloves
Green chillies- 10 nos

To sauté:

Ghee- 2 cups
Refined oil- 1 cup
Cinnamon- three 2" pieces
Cloves- 10 nos
Cardamom- 10 nos
Star anise- 3-5 nos
Big Onions- sliced length wise-2 kgs
Tomatoes- 3 large-diced
Carrots-2- or 1 cup after dicing
Turmeric Powder-1/2 tsp
Dhania/coriander powder-1 tsp
Garam masala- 2 tsps (we used Eastern brand)
Chicken masala powder- 3 tsps (Eastern)
Cashew nuts(split into halves) and raisins- 50 gms each

Juice extracted from one lemon



Method:

• Wash and soak rice for half an hour in water.

• Cook rice in a large pot of water with salt and 2 tsps of oil added to it.Cooking time should be around 15 mins. and drain while just cooked and not mushy. Spread rice on a flat tray or a broad and flat utensil to cool.We used the traditional Uruli.
  

• Heat half the amount of ghee (1 cup), fry cashew nuts until golden brown followed by the raisins.

• Remove and keep them aside. Sauté the spices; cinnamon, cloves, cardamom & star anise.Remove and keep aside. Throw in half of the sliced onions and sauté until deep brown.

• Transfer the fried onions along with the ghee to the cooked rice on the tray followed by the nuts, raisins and the spices. Add half the amount of coriander and mint leaves too. Mix gently and leave it alone.
  

• Heat the remaining 1 cup of ghee and oil together. Sauté rest of the sliced onions, carrots, ginger-garlic-chilly paste in that order till raw smell disappears. Add the tomatoes and the powders (turmeric, dhania, chicken and garam masala) followed by the chicken pieces. Stir well to coat the masalas to the pieces. Add a cup of water along with enough salt to taste and bring to a boil. Simmer the curry until it thickens, coats and the spices seep in the soft cooked pieces and until the oil separates. Turn off and garnish with the remaining coriander and mint leaves. Add lemon juice lastly.
  

• Mix in the curry with the rice gently.

• Serve hot Chicken Biriyani with pappadam, raitha and lime pickle.I love mango pickle and enjoyed my share likewise :).
  

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Fish Curry with Coconut

Here’s a simple curry any fish lover would vouch for.This very common dish was prepared during one of my recent visits to Kerala.The curry is as a result of the combined efforts of my mom who cleaned the fish, my sister who assembled the ingredients and helped me prepare the favourite and me who proceeded according to mom’s instructions.

We got ready with: (serves a family of four)

Kanambu Fish/Mullet (we used this) or any other medium sized fish cleaned and cut into chunks - 1/2 kg

Tamarind paste - 2 1/2 - 3 tbsp or fresh extract from a small lemon sized ball of tamarind.

Salt - to taste

To Grind to a smooth paste:

Freshly grated coconut - 1 cup, heaped

Chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Coriander powder/malli podi- 2 tsps

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Garlic - 4 cloves

Shallots/small onions - 4 (to grind) + 2 (to season)

To Season: 

Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds/uluva - 1/2 tsp
Shallots- 2 (reserved from above list)- minced fine
Green chilles-2 - slit lengthwise until 3/4th (do not split/separate fully)
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

How we made it:

1. Grind coconut, chilly, coriander and pepper powders, garlic, shallots, turmeric and jeera to a smooth paste with some added water.

2. Heat oil and crackle mustard seeds. Fry fenugreek for a 2-3 seconds and caremelize minced shallots. Throw in the green chilles and curry leaves.

3. Add the ground paste, tamarind and salt. Half a cup water may be added at this stage if gravy is too thick. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.

4. Add the cleaned and cut fish pieces, close and simmer cook for 10 mins. Make sure the curry doesn't have any raw smell of the ground paste and the fish is cooked soft.

5. Serve hot with rice. The curry tastes better the next day. If you add a little extra tamarind, chilly powder and salt and make a stronger curry, it stays well outside refrigeration. I do likewise.

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A Simple Kerala Lunch with Fish Fry.

A Simple meal a Keralite, who loves fish, would prefer.Rice with pulisseri, a couple or fried fish pieces and a pappadam to compliment.Mostly this would be his comfort food too.

Pulisseri, a yogurt based curry with ground coconut and spices prepared in a milder way contains fruits like a Kerala ripe banana, mango or pine apple or veggies like ash gourd etc.

Aethapazham /Ripe Banana Pulisseri

Ingredients:

Ripe Bananas -1
Green Chillies-2, slit lengthwise once and cut cross to make 4 pieces each
Turmeric powder -1\2 tsp
Thick sour curd-whipped -1 cup
Salt - to taste

To Grind to a fine paste:

Grated coconut -1\2 cup
Green chillies -2
Cumin seeds -1\4 tsp

To season:

Coconut Oil-1 tbsp
Mustard seeds -1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds/uluva-1/4 tsp
Shallots/Ulli-5-6-sliced to thin rounds
Curry leaves -1 sprig
Dry red chillies -2, each broken to 3 bits

Method:

Peel and Slice round the bananas to a thickness of 2 cms each.Cook them till just soft adding about 1 -11/2 cups of water adding the slit green chilly bits,turmeric and salt.Grind coconut,chillies and cumin to a smooth paste.Add this to the cooking banana pieces.Simmer for a few minutes.Add whipped curd next and mix along adding salt.Remove from fire when it ‘just” boils to avoid any curdling.

Heat oil in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds, lightly brown the fenugreek seeds and shallots,throw in the red chilly bits and the curry leaves.Pour over the hot curry, making sure the consistency as semi-thick.If the curry is too thick do not add water directly and boil again as it might curdle up due to the presence of curd in it; instead, boil water separately and add to the curry.

Fish Fry /Meen Varuthathu.

Fish slices-1/2 kg(the fish used here is Kanambu or Mullet)
Red Chilly Powder-2 tbsp-more or less as you prefer
Ginger-1” piece
Turmeric powder-3/4 tsp
Pepper powder-1 tsp
Curry leaves-A small sprig-(optional)
Salt-to taste
Oil-1/2 cup more or less-for deep frying

Clean the fish,wash and slice.Keep aside.
Grind ginger, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt altogether, with just enough water to a smooth paste.Pulse the curry leaves last.This is the marinade which is applied on the slices(let the pieces be not wet after cleaning).Apply marinade on the slices making sure it is coated all over the surface liberally.Arrange flat on a plate and let it stay for at least 30 minutes.


Heat oil in a shallow pan with high edges,Slide in the pieces,2-3 at a time, carefully.Close it with a lid to avoid any spluttering out due to the moisture content on the fish and the marinade.Check after 3-5 minutes whether done, esp the under side of the pieces which is in contact with the pan.Turn over carefully so as to let the other side to get fried as well.Keep the flame medium to facilitate a balanced sort of frying and avoid the marinade seeping into the oil or the slices getting burnt on surface and uncooked, inside.

While the just brown pieces are cooked and soft, a little more time makes the pieces crisper. The deepness of frying is purely according to ones own preference.A tsp of vinegar or lime-juice added to the marinade is to contribute a touch of tanginess and is optional.

Ayala Varuthathu or Fried Mackerel

Are you looking for Ayala Varuthathu or Fried Mackerel? Click here for the recipe!

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Pearl spot/Karimeen Pollichathu-A Kerala Delicacy.

Location-A house in exact Kottayam, enroute Kumarakom.
Characters-Amma, Appa, Uncle, Brother, Big sis, Li'l sis.
Date and Time- 27th Jul '07-- 12.15pm.

Act-1 : Scene-1

Big Sis enters home, back from her last minute shopping, whistling an old malayalam song.Steps into the kitchen, pulled by a wonderful aroma, to find her Li'l sis a little gloomy.She seems to be little desperate with the fish getting cooked on the stove about it getting burnt outside with the inside, left a little (again)uncooked.The big sis, a lazy cook, gives some suggestions, out of her sheer experience in cooking, who is a fish lover,( with not much of experience with Non-veg cooking) falling for any kind of it, doesn't bother about the taste.Sampling some she admires her sister, a perfectionist in cooking.Together they decide to continue with their improvised tips.

Scene-2

Amma,who has helped her daughter with the marinade, enters the kitchen,after an urgent work upstairs.She too tastes a bit of it and admires her little daughter.The big sis is giving a hand to her li'l sister with the cooking part,simutaneously digging and fishing(the fish,of course)out the beauty, attempting to photograph the best one.The li'l sis stares angrily at the big sis now with her clear cut words that she is more concerned about her brother, to please him, who wanted the dish to be done and got the fish that morning, with much effort, paying through his nose.

Scene-3

The big sis with her camera focuses the fish,laid on the dining table.Big sis, who had been more used to picturing veggie dishes, learns the hard fact that fish is Not photogenic.Appa and Uncle encourage her and help her out with a few tips to improve the presentation.

Scene-4

In the kitchen, the sisters finish off with the fish.Brother,who has been away to the town enters and the family gather round the table and settle down for the Lunch, with all the fun and laughter appreciating the skills of their youngest family member.

***Curtains down.***

Verdict of the Sisters-

Pollichathu, especially when it comes to fleshy Karimeen/Pearl spots, require 20-30 minutes of slow cooking for EACH.A number of 9 fish were done that noon,on a twin stove and the whole procedure, lest the time to marinate, from start to finish took 3-4 hours.Blame the delicacy.

Here is my sister's recipe, reproduced;

What I Used:

Pearl Spot/Karimeen - 4, cleaned and slit on the side.

For the paste:

Shallots - 10
Onions - 1 big
Ginger - a 2" piece
Garlic - 10 cloves
Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Pepper powder - 2 tsp
Vinegar - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 strands
Salt - to taste
Coconut oil - for frying
Tender banana leaves - to wrap the fish in while cooking

How I Made It:

1. Make a paste with all the ingredients mentioned.

2. Marinate the fish well in the paste.It may not completely stick tothe fish, but make sure that it is mostly covered.


3. Place the fish in the banana leaf and wrap gently.

4. Pour some oil in a wok.Gently place the wrapped fish in, close with a lid and cook on a low fire till both sides are done. This took me around 30 mins, per fish.Garnish with onion rings, tomatoes, cucumber and a piece of lime.

I found an interesting version cum video clipping of the same dish.

Click HERE to view.
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P.S-Thanks a lot for going through the long story(if you had) :)....
Wishing you all a Happy Independence day!

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