Kerala Kottayam Fish Curry

Ingredients

King Fish - 1 kg
Chilly powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek(Uluva/Methi) - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red onions(Kunjulli) - 4 cut pieces
Garlic pods - 3 nos
Ginger - 4 pieces
Kukum star(Kudam Puli) - 5 pieces
Coconut oil - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves - 10 stems
Salt - As reqd
Split green chilies - 6 nos
Paprika - 1 tbsp
Water - 3 cups

Preparation Method

For the gravy:
1)Heat about a quarter of a cup of coconut oil or vegetable oil in a frying a pan.
2)Add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add the chopped onions, few curry leaves and split green chilies and stir fry.
3)Add a mixture of turmeric, chilly powder and paprika powder in half a cup of water and allow it to cook.
4)When the oil begins to clear, add the remaining spices previously ground, half a cup of `puli water` and sufficient additional water to make enough gravy to cover all the fish pieces when cooking subsequently.
5)Add salt and cook until the gravy is thick. Keep this aside.
For cooking the fish in the gravy:
1)Take a fairly large frying pan.
2)Prepare a bed of curry leaves.
3)Arrange the pieces of fish on this bed.
4)Pour the previously prepared gravy over this. The pieces of fish should be completely covered.
5)Add the remaining curry leaves and
`PULI `pieces , cover with a lid and cook slowly. Do not stir.