- Preethi C.Vijay
Chettinad Fish Curry
Steaming hot rice served with hot and spicy Fish curry leaves me in all smiles on a cold day. Chettinad Fish curry is quite different than the usual fish curry but definitely a more aromatic, flavorful fish curry you will ever have.
What makes chettinad fish curry more special? Absolute simplicity. This recipe requires no fancy ingredients but a little bit of patience to roast the masalas in a perfect way, which is the base for this gravy.
Shallots, tomatoes, garlic roasted along with spices and coconut gives an exquisite flavor to this dish. Chettinad fish curry is slightly thick from the regular meen kuzhambu we make at home. But feel free adjust the consistency as per your preference.

Ingredients
Fish 500gm cleaned
Shallots 5 finely chopped
Ginger thinly sliced 2 tablespoon
Garlic 5 cloves thinly sliced
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Green chillies 4 slit
Fennel seeds 1 teaspoon
Mustard 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek 1 teaspoon
Sesame oil 5 tablespoons
Salt as needed
Chettinad Masala
Shallots 10 to 15
Garlic 6 cloves
Tomato 3 finely chopped
Tamarind 1 big gooseberry size, without any seeds
Coconut 1/4 cup
Pepper 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds 1 /2 teaspoon
Chilli powder 3 tablespoon
Coriander powder 4 tablespoon
Salt 2 teaspoons
Sesame oil 1/4 cup
How to Start?
In a kadai heat oil, and roast the ingredients given under " Chettinad Masala". To start with add the shallots and garlic; fry until it turns slightly brown, add tomatoes, salt and saute it well. Once the tomatoes get mushy, simmer the flame and add the chilli and coriander powder. Fry until the raw smell goes off in a low flame, and let the oil ooze out from the sides.
Add pepper and cumin seeds, fry it for 30 seconds. Before switching off the flame add the tamarind and coconut, roast on low flame until the tamarind turns soft.
Let it cool and ground it into a fine paste adding enough water.

Heat a claypot, add sesame oil. Temper with fennel seeds, mustard and fenugreek. Fry for 30 seconds. Add the shallots, ginger and garlic and saute until the shallots turns brown in colour. Add curyy leaves and green chillies. Saute for a minute.
Add the freshly ground masala, salt and 3 cups of water depending upon how you want your gravy consistency to be. Allow it to boil for 5 minutes. Check for salt. Add if needed. After 5 minutes simmer the flame and drop the fish into the gravy gently. Let the fish cook on medium flame for 7 minutes.
Switch off the flame once you see oil floating on top.
Serve hot with rice.