Recipe for Kerala Malabar style Varutharacha Meen Curry with coconut. Varutharacha Meen Kulambu Recipe with step by step pictures.
A simple Kerala style Varutharacha Meen Curry which has a robust heat from the spices and is balanced with a rich coconut sauce. One of our house staples! Here is how to do it.
Salt the fish Salt the fish steaks. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt on both sides of the fish. Set aside.I have used the fish variety called Milk Shark (paal sura) today.
For the masala paste Heat coconut oil in a pan (preferably an earthen pot) and add in the ginger and garlic along with chopped Indian shallots (Indian small onions). Add in the salt. Adding the salt now will help prevent the ginger and garlic from sticking to the pan. Saute till the onions are soft and starting to brown. Add in the fresh shredded coconut and saute for a few minutes.
Remove from heat and let the mixture briefly cool. Grind the mixture in a mixie with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Making the curry Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the curry leaves and chopped Indian shallots (Indian small onions).
Spice paste – In the mean time, make a paste of turmeric powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder and red chilli powder.
Add few tablespoons of water and make a paste. If you want a fiery looking red curry, use Kashmiri red chilli powder.
Add a chopped tomato to the pan. Also add the spice paste to the curry and saute well for 3-4 minutes until the masala paste is completely cooked.
Streaks of oil will start appearing from the mixture. Its a sign that the masalas are cooked.
Soak the tamarind in a cup of water and squeeze the tamarind to extract the pulp. Discard the seeds and the pith. Add the tamarind pulp to the pan.
Let the mixture simmer for five minutes. Now add in the ground paste.
Add in the fish steaks.
Cover the pan and let the curry simmer for 10-12 minutes on a medium flame. Mix the curry once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom of the pan.
Final tempering Heat ghee in a pan and add in mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add in the the curry leaves and sliced small onions. Saute the small onions until golden. Add in the black pepper powder to the pan.
Immediately add the tempering to the stew.
Varutharacha meen curry, Kerala style is ready. Serve with appam , idli or dosa .
Salt the fish
- 300 grams fish steaks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Masala paste
- 2 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1/2 inch piece ginger
- 5 cloves garlic
- 10 Indian shallots (small onions)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup fresh shredded coconut
Making the curry
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 5 Indian shallots (small onions)
- 2 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 black pepper powder
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1/2 inch piece tamarind
Final tempering
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 5 Indian shallots (small onions)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
Salt the fish
- Salt the fish steaks. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt on both sides of the fish. Set aside.I have used the fish variety called Milk Shark (paal sura) today.
For the Masala paste
- Heat coconut oil in a pan (preferably an earthen pot) and add in the ginger and garlic along with chopped Indian shallots (Indian small onions). Add in the salt. Adding the salt now will help prevent the ginger and garlic from sticking to the pan. Saute till the onions are soft and starting to brown. Add in the fresh shredded coconut and saute for a few minutes.
- Remove from heat and let the mixture briefly cool. Grind the mixture in a mixie with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Making the curry
- Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the curry leaves and chopped Indian shallots (Indian small onions).
- Make a paste of turmeric powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder and red chilli powder with water. Add a chopped tomato to the pan. Also add the spice paste to the curry and saute well for 3-4 minutes until the masala paste is completely cooked. Streaks of oil will start appearing from the mixture. Its a sign that the masalas are cooked.
- Soak the tamarind in a cup of water and squeeze the tamarind to extract the pulp. Discard the seeds and the pith. Add the tamarind pulp to the pan.
- Let the mixture simmer for five minutes. Now add in the ground paste. Add in the fish steaks. Cover the pan and let the curry simmer for 10-12 minutes on a medium flame. Mix the curry once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom of the pan.
Final tempering
- Heat ghee in a pan and add in mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add in the the curry leaves and sliced small onions. Saute the small onions until golden. Add in the black pepper powder to the pan. Immediately add the tempering to the stew.
- Varutharacha meen curry, Kerala style is ready. Serve with appam, idli or dosa.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Kerala
Salt the fish
- 300 grams fish steaks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Masala paste
- 2 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1/2 inch piece ginger
- 5 cloves garlic
- 10 Indian shallots (small onions)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup fresh shredded coconut
Making the curry
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 5 Indian shallots (small onions)
- 2 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 black pepper powder
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1/2 inch piece tamarind
Final tempering
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 5 Indian shallots (small onions)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
Salt the fish
- Salt the fish steaks. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt on both sides of the fish. Set aside.I have used the fish variety called Milk Shark (paal sura) today.
For the Masala paste
- Heat coconut oil in a pan (preferably an earthen pot) and add in the ginger and garlic along with chopped Indian shallots (Indian small onions). Add in the salt. Adding the salt now will help prevent the ginger and garlic from sticking to the pan. Saute till the onions are soft and starting to brown. Add in the fresh shredded coconut and saute for a few minutes.
- Remove from heat and let the mixture briefly cool. Grind the mixture in a mixie with half a cup of water to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Making the curry
- Heat coconut oil in a pan and add in the curry leaves and chopped Indian shallots (Indian small onions).
- Make a paste of turmeric powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder and red chilli powder with water. Add a chopped tomato to the pan. Also add the spice paste to the curry and saute well for 3-4 minutes until the masala paste is completely cooked. Streaks of oil will start appearing from the mixture. Its a sign that the masalas are cooked.
- Soak the tamarind in a cup of water and squeeze the tamarind to extract the pulp. Discard the seeds and the pith. Add the tamarind pulp to the pan.
- Let the mixture simmer for five minutes. Now add in the ground paste. Add in the fish steaks. Cover the pan and let the curry simmer for 10-12 minutes on a medium flame. Mix the curry once in a while to avoid scorching at the bottom of the pan.
Final tempering
- Heat ghee in a pan and add in mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add in the the curry leaves and sliced small onions. Saute the small onions until golden. Add in the black pepper powder to the pan. Immediately add the tempering to the stew.
- Varutharacha meen curry, Kerala style is ready. Serve with appam, idli or dosa.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Kerala
Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/varutharacha-meen-curry-fish-curry-in-coconut-sauce/
Recipe for sorakkai dosa / bottlegourd dosa. This is a no fermentation dosa recipe popular across Tamilnadu. Recipe with step by step pictures.
This recipe for sorakkai dosa / bottlegourd dosa is a keeper as its easy to make and requires no fermentation. The idli rice / parboiled rice is soaked and ground along with spices. To the batter, veggies are added and made into dosas. The sorakkai dosas are very flavourful. Do try at home. This recipe is from my friend.
Here is how to do Sorrakkai Dosai, Bottlegourd Dosa Recipe Soak the idli rice / parboiled rice for three hours. Drain and add it to a mixie. Add in cumin seeds and dry red chillies to the mixie. Grind it along with a cup of water to a very slightly coarse paste.
We will use about two inch of peeled bottle gourd today for this recipe. (about half cup grated bottle gourd). If the bottle gourd is very ripe, remove the seeds and then grate. If its a young bottlegourd, the seeds wont be very prominent. So one can grate as is.
Add the grated bottle gourd to the ground batter. Also add in finely chopped onion, tomato, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Add in the salt.
Mix well.
I like to make the batter thin as the dosas will crisp up nicely on the griddle. Add water and adjust the batter to desired consistency. Heat a dosa griddle until hot on medium flame. Ladle half a cup of batter and spread it on the pan. As the batter is thin, you will not be able to swirl the dosa. Just spread the batter evenly with a ladle on the griddle.
Cook the dosas for a minute on one side. Flip and cook for one more minute. I love the crisped edges. They are the best part of this dosa. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Mix the batter well before making each dosa.
Sorakkai dosa is ready. This dosa needs to be served hot just out of the griddle. Serve with coconut chutney.
- 400 ml idli rice / parboiled rice
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 dry red chillies ( Add more for a spicy dosa)
- 1/2 cup grated bottlegourd
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tomato, finely chopped
- 1 sprig curry leaves, finely chopped
- 2 sprigs coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Oil for making dosas
- Soak the idli rice / parboiled rice for three hours. Drain and add it to a mixie. Add in cumin seeds and dry red chillies to the mixie. Grind it along with a cup of water to a very slightly coarse paste.
- Add the grated bottle gourd to the ground batter. Also add in finely chopped onion, tomato, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Add in the salt. Mix well.
- I like to make the batter thin as the dosas will crisp up nicely on the griddle. Add water and adjust the batter to desired consistency. Heat a dosa griddle until hot on medium flame. Ladle half a cup of batter and spread it on the pan. As the batter is thin, you will not be able to swirl the dosa. Just spread the batter evenly with a ladle on the griddle.
- Cook the dosas for a minute on one side. Flip and cook for one more minute. I love the crisped edges. They are the best part of this dosa. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Mix the batter well before making each dosa.
- Sorakkai dosa is ready. This dosa needs to be served hot just out of the griddle. Serve with coconut chutney.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Tamilnadu
