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–+ servings

Village Style Fish Curry Recipe

Village fish curry also known as “ Grammathu Meen Kulambu “ is popular in Tamilnadu rural areas. The key to the recipe is cooking them in a mud pot. The recipe is so rustic, spicy and tangy, perfect for idli, dosai and rice or even with ragi mudde. The taste gets even better when you serve it the next day for breakfast. 
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 257 kcal

Equipment

  • Cooking pot
  • Blender

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoon Gingelly Oil / Indian Sesame Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
  • 5 no Shallots / Sambar Onion peeled & chopped finely
  • 1 medium Tomatoes chopped finely
  • 2 sprig Curry leaves
  • 1 lemon size Tamarind
  • 300 grams Fish
  • Salt to taste

For Grinding

  • 1 cup Fresh Coconut grated
  • 10 no Sambar Onion

For Roasting & Grinding

  • 8 no Dry Red Chillies
  • 2 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

Instructions
 

  • Soak tamarind in water and squeeze to remove the pulp. Strain and set aside.
  • Roast ingredients given for roasting, grind it to a fine paste. Grind coconut and shallots to a fine paste as well. Take both the masala in a bowl, add in tamarind juice. Mix well. Masala done.
  • Heat oil in a kadai. Add in mustard seeds and let them sizzle. Now add in shallots, tomatoes and curry leaves. Sprinkle some salt and cook for 2 mins or so.
  • Add in masala and mix well. Add more water if needed, Cover and simmer till oil separates.
  • Now add in fish pieces and cook till fish is done. Serve.

Notes

  • Add a handful of garlic cloves for traditional fish curry. 
  • Don’t stir the curry after adding the fish, it may break apart. ● You can use store bought tamarind pulp for tanginess. 
  • Add a pinch of jaggery at the end of cooking, which helps to balance the overall profile and elevate the taste to the next level. 
  • Slowly roast the aromatic spices in low flame, don’t brown it. ● Store bought canned coconut milk can also be used to achieve the body of the curry. 
  • Rest the kulambu at least for an hour before serving. It helps to blend all the flavours in the fish. 
  • Some people may add drumstick or chopped raw mango in the fish curry for unique taste and sourness. 

Storage

Allow the fish curry to cool down completely before storing. Transfer the curry to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. It tastes even better the next day. Generally tamarind based curries have a longer shelf life, but we have added coconut in this recipe so it lasts for 2 to 3 days. 

Serving

Village style fish curry is so versatile. You can serve them with hot plain rice, Kerala matta rice, brown rice, idli, dosai and ragi mudde. Serve it along with hot appalams and spicy fish fry. The fish kulambu tastes better the next day, because the flavours get beautifully into the fish. It turns out to be a finger licking meal. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingsCalories: 257kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 17gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 47mgPotassium: 429mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 320IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Fish curry, meen kuzhambu
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