Sweet & Sour Chilli Fish
Another heirloom from my grandmom passed on with love.
A couple of ingredients combined to create an oomph of a dish!!
We all cook a variety of dishes using fish. Kerala is known for its distinctive fish flavors and varieties among different districts as well as places. From Curries to the fried, the choice is endless.
The most preferred ingredient for a tangy fish curry in Kerala is the Kokum/ kudampuli/Garcinia cambogia. Coconut is ground along with spices to create yet another variety.
Ammachi aka my grandmom learned this recipe during her days in Malasiya. This recipe has a Malaysian-Chinese touch to it.
Authentically made by pounding the deseeded dried Kashmiri red chilies on the arakalku/grinding stone. She preferred the traditional way keeping aside the easily available chili powders. Oh my, the aroma, the taste was absolutely divine.
Pair it up with some porottas, rice, chapathis.....We have porottas and not parathas. Not a spelling mistake if some may feel so.
It has to be tried & tasted to believe that such few ingredients can create magic.
Ingredients
- Fish (firm fish cubes preferred) -1 Kg
- Dried Kashmiri Chilli- 18 to 25 deseeded
- Garlic -1 big pod full (crushed)
- Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
- Pepper powder – ½ teaspoon
- Vinegar - 3 table spoon
- Tomato – 1 or 2 Medium blanched
- Celery stem- 6 inches
- Salt - to taste
- Sugar a pinch to 2 teaspoon, as per your taste
- Flavour less Oil as required
- Shallots - 500 grams
Instructions
Wash the fish cubes in cold running water. Marinate with ½ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon pepper powder and salt. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Deseed the Kashmiri chillies and soak in vinegar for 15 minutes. Grind the chilies to a very fine paste, adding little water.
Heat a tava, add little oil and shallow fry the fish cubes for few minutes each side.
In the same pan, add the crushed garlic, sauté well, followed by addition of sugar, crushed shallots and celery sticks; sauté well at low fire till it turns golden.
Then add the ground kashmiri chilli paste, turmeric powder, chopped tomatoes and sauté well till the raw smell goes and the oil separates.
Add in the fish pieces and salt. Cover with the gravy, add little water (as required), close and cook on low heat till done.
The curry looks and packs a whole of punch with its fiery red colour. But it’s not spicy as it looks. A perfect blend of flavors. Garnish with chopped celery leaves.
(Option : you can reduce the amount of vinegar and add crushed blanched tomatoes, I used vinegar and tomato)
Note 1: Do not use chilli powder, grind whole dried kashmiri chillis. Makes a whole lot of difference.
Note 2: Use shallots only, not large onions.
Hello,
Can we make this dish without celery..
yes