Kerala-style fish mappas: Easy home recipe

Kerala-style fish mappas: Easy home recipe

This creamy curry, made with coconut milk, features a delightful blend of spices

Last updated:
Cuisine:Kerala
Cook time:20m
Prep time:15m
Servings:

Ingredients

700 gms Pomfret

250 gms Onion

3 tbsp Coconut oil

30 gms Ginger

6 Garlic cloves

8 Green chillies

Salt to taste

2 sprigs of Curry leaves

2 tbsp Coriander powder

¼ tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Black pepper powder

2 cups Second press of coconut milk

½ cup First press of coconut milk

250 gms Tomato or 20 gms Malabar tamarind

4 Shallots

 

Method

Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a pan. Add chopped onion, ginger, garlic, salt to taste, green chilli, and one sprig of curry leaves. Sauté them until the onion becomes translucent.

Next, add coriander powder, turmeric powder, and black pepper powder. Sauté these spices over a low flame for about two minutes or until the raw smell dissipates.

Pour in the second-press coconut milk, and once the gravy heats up, add the cleaned pomfrets. Stir gently by swirling the pan. Allow the gravy to start boiling, and add more salt if needed.

Spread the roundly cut tomatoes on top. Cover and cook for about five to seven minutes over a medium flame. Occasionally, swirl the pan to prevent the fish from sticking to the bottom. Avoid using a ladle or spoon to prevent breaking the fish.

Once the fish is well cooked and the gravy starts thickening, turn off the flame and add the thick or first-press coconut milk. Do not heat the curry after adding the first-press coconut milk.

Finally, heat one tablespoon of coconut oil in a small pan for tempering. Add the chopped shallots and sauté them until they turn golden brown. Turn off the flame and add one sprig of curry leaves. Pour this tempering over the curry. Serve hot.

Note:

Instead of Malabar tamarind, you can also use garcinia cambogia (kudam puli) to make the extract.

Sobha Varghese
Sobha Varghese
Sobha Varghese
A homemaker based in Mumbai, who runs a popular YouTube blog called ‘Sobha's Kitchenette’ that focuses on authentic and traditional Kerala recipes.

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