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    Home

    Meen Kuzhambu Recipe

    Last Updated On: Apr 6, 2025 by Aarthi

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    Meen kuzhambu Recipe, a South Indian favorite home cooked fish curry recipe made with a spicy coconut masala, vegetables, fish and tamarind. This classic staple fish curry or kuzhambu is a family favorite.

    Kuzhambu is Tamil name for curry, and this meen kuzhambu or kulambu is a popular South Indian style coconut based fish recipe. Learn how to make the perfect spicy meen kuzhambu with step by step pictures and video.

    Meen Kulambu Recipe

    I should admit to you a truth my friends. I am not a expert in cooking fish dishes, i never liked fish recipes, we don't cook fish recipes often, most of the fish recipes which i try has been a flop for me, THESE ALL HAPPENED BEFORE MARRIAGE.

    Jump to:
    • About Meen Kuzhambu
    • Watch Meen Kuzhambu Video
    • Meen Kuzhambu Ingredients
    • How to Make Meen Kuzhambu (Stepwise Pictures)
    • Expert Tips
    • 📖 Recipe Card

    Once I got married to a total fish addict. I started learning fish recipes slowly. One of the basic recipe is this fish curry, I usually make it in my style, but my hubby was not very keen into that curry. So he taught me how to make the perfect fish curry in the world. And I should say that it was yum.

    He would say that a fish curry should not be bland, it should be spicy, tangy, salty, aromatic, flavourful all at the same point. Also adding these veggies makes it more flavourful. So now I make this often for my hubby and I would wait for him to take his first mouthful, to hear his wordings. During my first attempts he would say "not bad", now he says " yum". So here I am sharing you my hubby perfect fish curry recipe.

    About Meen Kuzhambu

    Kuzhambu is also known as kulambu, is a South Indian term used for curry or gravies. Traditionally a kuzhambu is served with rice. You can find my kuzhambu recipe collections here.

    I have already shared a fish curry recipe earlier, this one is a staple meen kuzhambu recipe which is native to Nagercoil my hometown. It is coconut based and has vegetables added for flavour and taste. We used to add drumstick, brinjal, tomatoes, raw mango in this curry for flavour. This simple meen kuzhambu takes place in the menu atleast twice a week.

    The curry is entirely coconut based. So getting the base ready is important. I used to grind coconut with dry red chillies, coriander seeds, shallots, pepper. Optionally we use cumin and garlic. Make the kuzhambu spicy, tangy and flavour packed to get the right taste.

    Similar Recipes

    Meen Curry

    Kudampuli fish curry

    Fish fry

    Madras Fish Curry

    Watch Meen Kuzhambu Video

    YouTube video

    Meen Kuzhambu Ingredients

    Fish - I used sardine fish also known as mathi meen or chala meen for this recipe. You can use any fish to make meen kuzhambu.

    Coconut - coconut is base of the curry. I used fresh coconut, if you are using frozen coconut, you might need to grind it with hot water.

    Spices - chilli powder, coriander is ground with coconut. I also used turmeric powder. You can use cumin seeds and black pepper when grinding coconut.

    Vegetables - We used to add drumstick, brinjal, tomatoes, raw mango in this curry for flavour. This simple meen kuzhambu takes place in the menu atleast twice a week. Raw mango add tangy taste to the fish curry.

    Curry Leaves - be generous with curry leaves as it adds a earthy flavour to the kuzhambu.

    Tamarind - Tamarind can be added to taste. If you are using raw mango, you might need to add less tamarind.

    Why This Meen Kuzhambu will be a Hit

    Zero Oil Meen Kuzhambu - This recipe is literally zero oil recipe. Oil is not required in this fish curry since this a coconut based recipe. But You can add a tbsp of coconut oil in the end once fish curry is cooked for aroma and flavour.

    Easy & Affordable - the ingredients used in this is very affordable. Also this can be made under 20 minutes from start to finish making this a great everyday meen kuzhambu.

    Taste great - even though the recipe is simple, it taste so good with rice. You can enjoy with idli or dosa too.

    How to Make Meen Kuzhambu (Stepwise Pictures)

    1)Take all the grinding ingredients. Garlic is optional in this recipe.

    2)Add all the ingredients in a blender and add water.

    3)Grind this to a smooth paste. Set aside.

    4)Now take drumstick, brinjal, tomato in a kadai and add some water.

    5)Pour enough water to cover the vegetables.

    6)Season the vegetables with salt and turmeric powder.

    7)Add in tamarind extract.

    8)Mix this really well.

    9)Cover and cook this for 5 to 10 mins until vegetables is half cooked.

    10)Now the vegetables are half cooked.

    11)Add in the ground masala and mix well. Add water if needed.

    12)Once it reaches to a boil. Set the flame to simmer and let it cook for 5 to 8 mins.

    13)Now add in the sardine pieces and simmer for 5 more mins.

    14)Now the fish is cooked.

    15)Add in a handful of curry leaves and mix well. Let it simmer for 2 more mins.

    16)Fish curry is ready.

    17)Serve with rice.

    Expert Tips

    • If you have sour raw mango add it into the curry and reduce the tamarind used in the curry.
    • This curry gets more flavour and taste the next day when it is reheated.
    • Adjust the spice, tart and salt level as per your taste.
    • You can add dry red chillies instead of powder.
    • A small pinch of cumin seeds can be used when grinding.
    • You could use any fish of your choice.

    More Fish Recipes to Try

    • Crab Curry Recipe
    • Nethili Meen Thokku Recipe
    • Village Syle Fish Curry Recipe
    • Fish Biryani Recipe
    • Nethili Fry Recipe
    • African Fish Curry Recipe

    📖 Recipe Card

    Meen Kuzhambu Recipe (Meen Kulambu)

    Meen kuzhambu Recipe, a South Indian favorite home cooked fish curry recipe made with a spicy coconut masala, vegetables, fish and tamarind. This classic staple fish curry or kuzhambu is a family favorite.
    Kuzhambu is Tamil name for curry, and this meen kuzhambu or kulambu is a popular South Indian style coconut based fish recipe. Learn how to make the perfect spicy meen kuzhambu with step by step pictures and video.
    4 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 226kcal

    Equipment

    • Blender
    • Cooking pot

    Ingredients

    • 20 pieces Sardine Fish / Chala Meen cleaned & washed (you can use any variety of fish)
    • 1 medium Brinjal cubed
    • ½ no Drumstick slit in middle and cut into pieces
    • 1 medium Tomato cubed
    • 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
    • 2 tbsp Tamarind Pulp or to taste
    • 3 sprig Curry leaves
    • Salt to taste

    For Grinding

    • 2 cups Fresh Coconut grated
    • 2 tbsp Chilli Powder or use 8 dry red chillies
    • 1 tbsp Coriander Powder or use 1 tbsp coriander seeds
    • 4 no Shallots | Sambar Onion peeled and left whole
    • 2 cloves Garlic optional
    • 1 tsp Whole Black Pepper
    • 1 cup Water

    Instructions

    • Take all the grinding ingredients in a blender and add water. Grind into a smooth paste. Set aside.
    • Now take drumstick, brinjal, tomato in a kadai and add some water. Add in salt, turmeric and tamarind and mix well. Cover and cook this for 5 to 6 minutes until vegetables is half cooked.
    • Add in the ground masala and mix well. Add water if needed and bring it to a boil. Once it reaches to a boil. Set the flame to simmer and let it cook for 5 to 8 mins until raw smell from coconut leaves.
    • Now add in the fish pieces (sardine) and simmer for 5 to 10 mins on low. Add in a handful of curry leaves and mix well. Let it simmer for 2 more mins.
    • Now switch off the flame and let it sit covered till ready to eat. Serve with hot rice.

    Video

    YouTube video

    Notes

    • If you have sour raw mango add it into the curry and reduce the tamarind used in the curry.
    • This curry gets more flavour and taste the next day when it is reheated.
    • Adjust the spice, tart and salt level as per your taste.
    • You can add dry red chillies instead of powder.
    • A small pinch of cumin seeds can be used when grinding.
    • You could use any fish of your choice.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servings | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 670mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1541IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @yummytummyaarthi or tag #yummytummyaarthi!
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    If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.

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    IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR ANYTHING FROM YUMMY TUMMY, MAKE SURE TO POST IT AND TAG ME SO I CAN SEE ALL OF YOUR CREATIONS!! #YUMMYTUMMYAARTHI AND @YUMMYTUMMYAARTHI ON INSTAGRAM!

    More Kuzhambu Recipes

    • Pumpkin Theeyal Recipe
    • Udupi Sambar Recipe
    • Instant Rasam Recipe
    • Nadan Mambazha Kuzhambu Recipe
    • Spicy Mutton Masala Recipe
    • Puli kuzhambu Recipe

    69
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    Aarthi

    About Aarthi

    Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tina

      at

      looks tempting..

      Reply
    2. Nisha

      at

      Very nice meen curry

      Reply
    3. tamilsasikitchen

      at

      Delicious Fish Curry..Looks so perfect...

      Reply
    4. Suja Manoj

      at

      Yummy fish kulambu,nice recipe.

      Reply
    5. Lubna Karim

      at

      Wow...that's an delectable gravy....

      Reply
    6. divya

      at

      Lip smashing gravy..looks great.

      Reply
    7. Chitra

      at

      good u make sandwich in non-veg too.. i tried ur keerai masiyal and we loved it. i'll post in my blog next time i make this.. Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
    8. Saha

      at

      Super , thanks

      Reply
    9. Dipti Joshi

      at

      Never made fish curry with vegetables. Will try this recipe soon.

      Reply
    10. Rumana Ambrin

      at

      Very delicious fish curry..

      Reply
    11. Coral crue

      at

      wow this looks very tasty! and it has vegetables in it too. bonus!

      Reply
    12. Soumya Murali

      at

      Hello,

      I have never thought of fish curry using brinjal. Thanks for the idea 🙂
      Definitely I will cook this and taste..

      Reply
    13. Hamaree Rasoi

      at

      Simply awesome looking fish curry. Kudos to your husband for preparing this wonderful dish.
      Deepa

      Reply
    14. pria

      at

      literally i feel hungry , just the sight of this fish curry is making my mouth water. Looks so yummy dear. Nowadays canned sardines are at my rescue, and i have one in my draft too

      Reply
    15. kulwant

      at

      i have never tried sardines till now , gonna try it , nice blog 🙂

      Reply
    16. bindu suresh

      at

      I tried fish curry with vegetables... it came out with good taste. my bubby and kids liked a lot .thanks for the recipe. nice blog

      Reply
    17. keerthi

      at

      I HAVE TRIED THIS RECIPE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY. IT WAS SUPERB.I GOT GOOD COMMENTS FOR THIS RECIPE FROM MY HUSBAND

      Reply
    18. marutha

      at

      I tried it. Taste is very super. Thanks

      Reply
    19. madhu

      at

      Am jus 19 nd makng ds dish was lik a dream cme true ...t was perfctly gud ....tank u fa ds wndrful reciepe...

      Reply
    20. jayasubha

      at

      Is there no oil in this recipe?

      Reply
    21. Aarthi

      at

      @jayasubhaYes you need no oil

      Reply
    22. Anonymous

      at

      Nice

      Reply
    23. Anonymous

      at

      This came out very delicious yesterday! I added garlic and some fish curry powder for additional spiciness. Thanks so much for sharing!!

      God bless you for your kindness and making us all super chefs!

      Reply
    24. Anonymous

      at

      what to do to get fish curry thick?? when i tried its always watery... im nt getting gravy consistency like in the picture....

      Reply
    25. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousadding less water to the ground masala will give you thicker gravy

      Reply
    26. Anonymous

      at

      good one

      Reply
    27. Anonymous

      at

      Delicious

      Reply
    28. Anonymous

      at

      What hs to be added to get more amount of gravy? Coconut?

      Reply
    29. Anonymous

      at

      I too tried same.. But it's watery. What to be done to get consistency like in the picture?

      Reply
    4 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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