Meen Peera | Nethili Meen Avial Recipe | Fish with Coconut
Meen Peera, also known as Nethili Meen Avial in some parts of South India & Kerala is a delicious fish preparation with coconut, chillies, shallots & spices. This delicious fish is made with anchovies(nethili), raw mango & coconut masala. Learn how to make Kerala style meen peera with step by step pictures and video.
Grind all the ingredients in the list to a coarse mixture. Don't add water when grinding. The mixture has to be dry and coarsely crushed. Set aside.
Now take cleaned anchovies, sliced raw mango, slit green chillies, curry leaves, salt, tamarind paste in a kadai. Add the ground masala into the fish. Pour ¼ cup of water into the blender jar, swirl it around and add it into the fish.
Use your hands to mix the coconut masala well with the fish. Press the fish into the mud kadai. Now Cover with a lid and put it over heat. Let it cook for 5 minutes on high heat covered. After 5 minutes open the lid, the mixture will be boiling. Now use a fork to gently mix the fish, don’t mix too much else the fish will break. Once it is mixed gently, cover again and cook on medium heat for 5 more minutes.
Open the lid and check whether the fish is cooked. Turn off the heat, Now pour in coconut oil and a handful of curry leaves. Cover again and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Serve this with rice.
Video
Notes
Nethili or anchovies are tiny delicate fish. Don't over mix or over cook, else it may fall apart and disintegrate.
Mix the masala with the fish and then start cooking.
Coconut oil and curry leaves added in the end imparts so much flavour so don't skip that step.
It is best to cook this in a clay pot, you can use any pot as you like.