Meen Kuzhambu (Fish Curry)

Dear All,


Back with another receipe.  This weekend I finally achieved to prepare "Meen Kuzhambu" which I am trying to keep for the last 3 weeks.

Yesterday itself I bought "Parai Meen" from the nearby srilankan shop, I dont know what is exact engligh name for this.  Bought only one small fish which will be sufficient for one person, Idea is to take same curry to office tomorrow.  So ideally this recipe is for 2 -3 person.

Ingredients :
Fish of your choice, ask for kuzhambu meen not the fry one.  I bought 'Parai meen'.
challots alias chinna vengayam 12 - cut finely
tomato - 1  chopped
green chill - 2
tamarind - small lemon size
jeeragam - 1 spoon
venthayam - 1 spoon
garlic - 8 pods finely cut
perangaya thool (asoefitida) - a pinch
curry leaves
Fish masala thool (available in all stores) - 4 spoons
corriander powder - 2 spoon


Preparation:
First clean the fish and marinate with following :
           melagai thool  (chilli powder) - 1 spoon
           manjal thool    - 1/2 spoon
           little salt
           little lemon drops

mix them with little water and soak the fish pieces in that.  This should be left like for 1 hour.


Soak the tamarind in water.


Then start preparing your fish curry :
1. Chop the small onions in to bigger pieces
2. Chop your tomato into small pieces
3. Chop garlic into fine pieces
4. Heat the pan in gas and pour 2 spoon oil ( i used sesame oil)
5. when its heated up, put mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.
6. then add seeragam and venthayam and fry them
7. then add small vengayam, garlic, curry leaves, green chilly and fry them slowly
8. when onion turns golden brown, add tomato and mix them well and allow them to boil.
9. then pour the soaked tamarind water, make sure its little thick.
10. add manjal thool, corriander powder, fish curry powder and add 3 cups of water
11. add salt to your  taste
11.  Keep the flame in full and allow the curry to boil
12. when the curry boils and when you find the quantity of water reduced, add marinated fish pieces into it.
13. keep the flam in low now and close it with lid.
14. Allow the curry to boil for anther 5-7 mins.
15. open the lid and see whether the fish boiled or not by just piercing it with fork
16.  switch off the gas and allow the curry to cool down.


Normally fish curry tastes good next day when all fatty acids of fish mix well with curry.  So allow the curry to cool down as much as possible before you eat.


This receipe is told to me my Wife over phone from India and I prepared here.  I couldn't believe the taste of my fish curry, it tasted fantastic and its exactly how it will be if my wife cook.  I prepared 'Muttai poriyal' along with this and both combinations were fantastic.

Chettinaad Muttai Kuzhumbu (Egg Curry)

Well, this is my first blog, please excuse me if you find it bad.

After arriving to Switzerland for my second onsite term, I am again in a fix for my cooking.  I tried several dishes after referring online cooking receipte in my first onsite term in swiss.  But once I am back to India and joined my family, I left the cooking to my wife :).  So for past 2 years I never cooked and again forced to do so now since I am alone.

After few days of bad cooking, now I am coming to terms of my old cooking skills.

Thought of sharing few with you all so that people like me who are forced to cook :) can try it out.

Enough of introduction. let's now see how to make chettinad muttai curry in my style...

Ingredients:
Egg - 2 to 3 depending on your love for Eggs
small onions - minimum 10
garlid pods - 5,
ginger - chooped 2 spoons
Tomato - 1 chopped
green chilli - 2 chopped
curry leaves - as required,  i chopped the leaves
chilli powder - 1 tbsn
corriander powder - 1 tbsn
garam masala - 1 tbsn
sombu (sauf) - 1 tbsn

Grinding ingredients:
coconut - 5 small pieces
kasa kasa - 1 tbsn
sombu - 1 tbsn
jeeragam - 1/2 tbsn
small onion - 2 chopped

Preparation:
Grind all the 'Grinding ingredients' with small water into a good paste and keep aside.

Boil the eggs, remove shell, make a small cut, keep them aside.

In a pan pour 2 spoon oil ( I used sesame oil, but you can use Olive oil or sunflower oil.  I will try Olive oil next time.  Once the oil is heated put the sombu and allow it to saute.  Add curry leaves and chillies and fry them.  Add onions, garlic, ginger and saute them well.  (I crushed the garlic and ginger together before in a kuzhavi).  when the onions turn golden color, add chopped tomatoes.  Allow them to mix well and let tomato get to a paste.  Add chilli powder, corriander powder, garam masala powder, 2 cups of water, salt to taste and allow the mixture to cook for 5 mins.  Keep the stove at high.

After 5 mins, add your coconut paste to the boiling curry, which will make the curry little thick, also add the boiled eggs and allow the egg curry to cook for 5 more minutes.

after 5 mins, switch off the stove, dress the egg curry with some corriander leaves.  Delicious 'Chettinad Egg Curry' is ready to eat.

Ok my egg curry and rice is ready for my Sunday lunch.  Bon apetite.