Meen Moilee

I have consciously refrained from talking about dishes that we all know of, the most common example being Maach-er-jhol or Fish curry, which my part of the World is synonymous with, rather more like a mark of identification, if I may say so. Well, mustard or no-mustard, Fish curry can be called the revered flag bearer of Bengali cuisine. without a doubt.However, today is different day. Not very different set of thoughts though, yet I have landed with a fish curry in here, keeping in mind your dinner table for the weekend.

"Meen Moilee" needs no introduction et all, right? Thanks to the huge rise of cookery shows and dedicated recipe pages on social media, we all know this humble one, hails from the well endowed & fertile lands of God's own country, Kerala. Though I have always been aware of it's existence, seldom had it made it's way to my kitchen, which I know is a shame, considering how I always hanker for hassle free comfort food. And trust me, on this, any thing that pairs well with steamed rice, Bengali's (the progenitors of the current crop of Bongs) are going to lap it up, maybe even for life.

This recipe got made couple of days back at my kitchen for pre-dominantly two reasons. 1> Mom got Pomfret fish from the market, 2> The most important one, to put my new fantasy toy to use. My new acquisition, the earthen clay pot for cooking. 

Here is an image ( bear with my enthusiasm) of the same. Guys, isn't it beautiful? Sadly, the lid is broken though, my bad!!

Without further adieu, let us get straight to how I made it. I am eager for you to cook this and feed your family 7 friends, but most importantly yourselves. The ingredients are simple as always.

1. Let's start by cleaning and gutting 4 medium size Pomfert fish, and then cutting into half. I gash the tail part for the spices to penetrate well, during marintion.  In a wide bowl, place the fish and add in 1/2 tsp turmeric + 1 tsp red chili powder ( feel free to adjust it, according to your taste) & a generous pinch of salt. Massage the fish gently, coating them well. Keep aside and come back after 30 minutes or so, maybe.

2. In a mortar & pestle  or mixer, make a rough paste of the following: 12 cloves of garlic & 1" ginger. Keep aside once done.

3. Now it's time for some no fuss chopping: 1 no tomato, choose a fat and juicy one and chop into chunks, 4 green chilies: 2 sliced into half and the other two finely chopped & 1 no big red onion, thinly sliced. Done!

4. It's time to turn on the hob. In a wide shallow pan, heat 3 tbsp of vegetable oil and fry the marinated fish, in batches of course, 2 minutes each side. We are looking only for a light colour on them, cooking happens later. Place them on a tray and not on an absorbent paper ( you will know the reason soon!). Keep aside.

5. In the same pan now, add in 2 tbsp of vegetable oil , and add in 3 dried red chilies, broken. Once they start to darken, add in the copped onion + a pinch of salt, stir and cook them for a couple of minutes on medium flame. Once they soften and turn brown on the edges, add in the pounded ginger & garlic paste + chopped green chilies  & the essential bit,  about 10 curry leaves. Give a good mix.

6. Increase the flame to high, and once the aroma hits your nose, time to add in the chopped tomatoes and give a good stir. Add in about 1 tbsp of rice flour (or flour, the regular kind) along and mix again. Allow it to cook for a couple of minutes, till the skin of tomatoes soften a bit. 

7. Add in  about 2 cups of thinned coconut milk + 1 tsp salt and mix everything well. Put the fish pack to the pan, along with all the oil that has accumulated into that plate (with absorbent paper, we would lose that flavor). Stir in lightly, reduce the flame to low-medium. Put the lid on and cook for 5 minutes.

8. After 5 mins, lift the lid, gently stir in 1 cup of thick coconut milk. Taste and adjust seasoning. I added in 1/2 tsp of sugar for balance. Cover and allow it cook for 5 more minutes. Time to increase the flame, and bring it to a bubble. Finish the dish with a handful of torn coriander leaves ( you are most welcome to chop them as well, if you have the patience). Take them out in your serving dish.

9. Goes without saying, that this needs to be served with some steamed rice. Time to enjoy that piping hot meal. Br creative, and imagine, lunch amidst the serene, green and peaceful backwaters.

NOTES:

a. Please feel free to use coconut oil, in case of vegetable oil, if you are mad about being authentic or being adventurous is your nature. Me neither!!

b. As always, use chilies, according to your taste-buds. A good way to add less heat would be to add the dry red chilies whole & use Kashmiri red chili powder.

c. You can choose any white fish of your choice, just remember that needs to be firm & meaty. I somehow always prefer this dish with Pomfret.

d. It would be a matter of utter madness, if you think of buying a clay pot only for this dish. You have full liberty to buy one, only if you happen to be a fanatic of some sorts, about pots & pans. I am not  fanatic, I am mad. Period.

e. If you notice carefully, the image containing the ingredients, shows a couple of tiny round-ish red chilies. That's Dalle, local chilies from Sikkim, adored for their heat and the fruity flavor. I used them up, since they were at my disposal. However, you do not need to go berserk sourcing them, the recipe mentioned above, has been given eliminating them.

f. If you ask me, may be the next time I make this at my kitchen, I might omit the rice flour or flour, whichever is your preference.. Rice flour gives it a a body, just like cornstarch makes a thick gravy fr your Chili Chicken. For a more runnier gravy, you can do the same probably.

After all of these, here is the apology. This clay pot proved to be a tad bit difficult, when it comes to clicking WIP (work-in-progress) pictures. Never mind, in case you have more questions in mind, just ask me in comments section or e-mail me. It's time now to mention the source of this recipe. I adopted it from the book " The Suriyani Kitchen" by Lathika George, they say it can't get more authentic than this. Here's an image of the same for your reference. 

This process of landing at Kerala or anywhere in the world, by taking a few steps to your kitchen, can be our ideal way of saving up money, if you happen to be an extravagant or travel freak like me (while people call me so, to the best of my knowledge I am always a pauper). Me thinks, this can be a superb way to feed a group of few after a couple of drinks. and a super comforting Monday dinner. 

                    Till then happy cooking, happy eating. Cheers to a great flavorful weekend!!