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You just have to smell the scent of the fresh coconut being roasted. It is so alluring. Roasted to golden perfection and ground to a fine paste, it adds a dimension of flavor to this Delicious fish curry. It is great served with rice and ‘puttu’ as well.
♦Prep time:20 MIN ♦Cook time:30 MIN ♦Yield:4 Servings.
Varutharacha Meen Curry
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Varutharacha Meen Curry
Description
A Varutharacha meen curry is a classic and highly flavorful fish curry from Kerala, India. The name itself, "Varutharacha," is the key to its unique taste profile, as it translates from Malayalam to "roasted and ground."
The distinguishing feature of this curry is its thick, dark gravy, which gets its rich color and deep, nutty aroma from the special preparation of a roasted coconut paste.
This is a staple in many households in Kerala and is typically served with steamed rice, appam, or tapioca (kappa).
Ingredients:
Instructions
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Heat a nonstick wok or pan. Add 1 Tbsp coconut oil, the grated coconut, shallots, and 2 dry chilies.
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Stir continuously till the coconut becomes a lovely golden brown color. This step will require some elbow grease and patience, keep stirring as you don’t want the coconut to turn black at all- it will ruin the aroma of the curry.
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In a mixer/blender, grind the coconut with a splash of water to a fine, smooth paste.
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In a small bowl, combine 2 tsp coriander powder, 2 tsp chilly powder, aniseed powder, ¼ tsp turmeric, aniseed powder, and fish masala powder. Add 3 Tbsp water and stir to a smooth paste. Set aside
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To a pot (clay pot-‘mann chatty’ preferred), add fish, about 1 tsp salt, turmeric, 2 ½ tsp chilly powder, 2 ½ tsp coriander powder, coccum, and just enough water to submerge the fish.
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Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes till the fish is cooked and the gravy thickens slightly.
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In another pan, heat coconut oil, and garlic, followed by onion, then ginger and green chilli. Saute till golden. Add the spice paste and stir till the oil separates.
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Add the coconut paste and curry leaves and stir to combine.
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Add to the pot of cooked fish and bring to a boil again. Swirl the pan to mix- Do not stir as you will break the fish.
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Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired.
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If your fish tamarind is very sour, you may want to remove it from the curry after allowing to sit for a while.
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Pour 1 tsp coconut oil over the top
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Allow resting for a while before serving. The color and flavor will get richer after resting.
Note
- You can use King Fish, Tuna, Golden Pomfret, or Mackerel for this dish. Use firm fillets or large chunks of fresh fish. Fish like pomfret is best to have the skin removed.
- You may add tomato if you would like your curry to be sourer. Taste after adding the ground coconut and add only if necessary.
- Gambooge may also be replaced with tamarind if you prefer it. See the difference between tamarind, kokum, and gambooge.
- Key Ingredients: Fish, Coconut, Onion, Shallots, Garlic, Ginger, Green Chillies, Curry leaves, Gambooge, Spices, Oil, Salt.
