Clean the fish, cut it into medium- sized cubes and pat dry. Mix all the ingredients under 'to marinate' in a bowl. Add the fish, slowly mix it with the marinade, and keep aside for 5 to 7 minutes.
Malvani masala
Heat a saucepan over a medium flame and dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, black peppercorns, and grated coconut for at least 5 minutes, until well roasted.
Now, grind all the roasted ingredients and dry red chillies to a smooth Malvani masala powder.
Gravy
Heat a kadai or a pan, drizzle mustard oil, and allow the mustard seeds to splutter for a few seconds over a medium flame. Add in curry leaves.
Add sliced onions and sauté until it softens or turns golden brown. Then add ginger and garlic.
Add chopped tomatoes, sprinkle salt and turmeric, and sauté until the tomatoes turn slightly mushy.
Now add the freshly prepared Malvani masala as well and sauté for a minute. Add 1/2 cup of tamarind water and allow it to cook in the masala and with the tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes.
Simmer the flame, add coconut milk and bring it to a boil. Slowly add the marinated fish pieces into the boiling curry; you can also add any extra marinated masala left in the bowl.
Add a little water to adjust the consistency, and add salt to taste.
Give the fish curry a light stir. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the fish curry for at least 10 minutes until the fish is thoroughly cooked.
Once the fish curry is cooked, turn off the heat. Transfer it to a serving bowl and serve hot.
Tip
Don't overheat the mustard oil, as it can taste bitter. While sauteing, it's always best to keep it over a medium flame. Turn it off and let it cool for a minute before adding the ingredients.
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