Mean kuzhambu @ Fish curry

Mean Kuzhambu suits for Rice, Idli, Dosa, Chapathi, Puri. Best pair with hot rice and hot idli. Actually speaking this kuzhambu has to be served in next meal once it is prepared. So that fish gets soaked well in the curry and increase it's taste. For rice no side dish will be required, just fish from kuzhambu or fried fish is enough. I am great fan of Idli and Fish kuzhambu, I think most of the people like this combo.

About Fish:

   Usually in US, we get Salomon fish, small fishes from Bangladesh, few varieties like Sankara and Vancharam. Salomon fish doesn't have scales, can give it for kids. Bangladesh fishes from Indian store will be frozen, good for fry. While I get it from market, immediately I will clean it and marinate it with following ingredients. So that it will be handy for fish fry and can use it for kuzhambu.

To Marinate:

1.  Fish - 1 kg.

2. Salt - 2 Tea spoon

3. Turmeric powder - 2 Tea spoon

4. Chilly powder (sambar) - 2 Table spoon

5. Kashmiri chilly powder - 1 Table spoon

6. Gingelly oil - 2 Table spoon

 

Let's move on to make kuzhambu. Try adding Ladies finger, piece of Mango with fish kuzhambu, it goes very well, learnt from Chef Dhamu from cookery show.

Ingredients:

Onion Shallots - 7 to 8 no's

Tomato (small) - 2 no's

Ladies finger - 5 to 6 no's

Raw Mango - 1 piece

Garlic pods - 10 no's

Green Chilly - 3 no's
Sea Salt - required

Turmeric Powder - 2 Tea spoon
Tamarind - An big Amla size

Chilly powder - 2 Table spoon (Sambar Powder)

Curry leaves - for flavour

To Grind:

Peppercorns  - 1 Table spoon

Cumin seeds - 2 Tea spoons

Chopped Onions and Tomatoes - small fist.

To Temper:

Gingelly/Sesame Oil - 5 Table spoons

Fennel seeds - 1 Tea spoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1 Tea spoon
Cumin seeds - 1 Tea Spoon

Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Soak the tamarind and sea salt with less water till the tamarind got soaked. Tamarind extract should be thick. Chop the veggies required for this dish. Add Garlic bit more, as it gives nice flavor, Grind the items which is given in "To Grind" list. So that we have kept ready - Mea-some-plans.

Tip: Onions and Garlic as to be chopped as lengthier ones, so it will be crunchy while tasting it.
2. Place a pan and add oil, Gingelly oil tastes good for Mean Kuzhambu, once oil is hot, add the ingredients mentioned in "To Temper" list, one by one. Fennel and Fenugreek seeds if u dry roast, powder, try by adding it while temper, it gives nice aroma.

3. Then add garlic. Once garlic turns golden brown, add onion and Green chilly.

4. Once onion turns to translucent color, add tomatoes, close the lid to get cooked.

5. Once Tomatoes will be smashed, add Ladies finger and Mango.

6. Once veggies are cooked, add grounded paste just sauté it nicely, once the raw smell is gone, squeeze the tamarind, extract the juice add it with salt, turmeric, Chilly powder with required water, add it in pan, remember that we have added these spices while marinating as well, so add it half. Have a taste check for salt and spicy and close the lid.

6. Once the kuzhambu starts boiling add Fish pieces, let fish get cooked for 10 minutes, Kuzhambu gets its consistency, oil will get ooze out. Add half teaspoon of pepper powder while switching off from the fire will give nice aroma.

Tips:

1. Kara Kuzhambu should not be cooked in high flame after adding tamarind, keep it in medium fire, open the lid and Tamarind extract has to be thick, helps the kuzhambu to get thicker. Rather in our native they say "Kuzhambu Kaduthu Poidum"

2. Fish kuzhambu taste so well for the second meal that is fish get soaked in kuzhambu gives more taste later, goes very well with Idli, usually i cook for afternoon meal and carry forward for the dinner with Idli. 

Please share your comments while u try this recipe that motivates me a lot to post more recipes. Thanks.

Thengai Kanji

Thengai Kanji is delicious dish which has medicinal values. Very helpful to recover from cold and fever, stomach and mouth ulcer. It has medicinal values as it has ingredients like Fenugreek seeds, Garlic and Coconut milk. It's easy to swallow and as its not spicy, so kids love to have this dish, easy to intake while having mouth ulcer. My daughter love this dish and my mom prepare this dish for breakfast on Sunday after head bath to reduce body heat. Side dish can be Pickle/Milagai Vathal/Paruppu Thogaiyal.

Ingredients:

Raw rice/Sona Masoori rice - 1 cup
Garlic pod - full with all cloves

Fenugreek seeds - 5 Tea spoons
Coconut milk - Extracted

Salt - required

Method:

1. Soak the Rice with Fenugreek seeds for half an hour.

2. Boil 8 to 10 cups of water in a vessel for 1 cup of Rice.  Peel off the Garlic and add it as whole Garlic cloves to the boiling water with Fenugreek seeds, Rice once it's drained.

                                                    

3. Rice has to be cooked, reduce the flame till you get consistency to be well smashed.

4. Add required Salt and Coconut milk, usually I buy a can of Coconut milk, while extracting it add first and second extract of Coconut milk which will be more thicker.

5. Once u added Coconut milk texture become pure white and switch off the flame, don't cook it further, once Coconut milk is added, as it will change the flavor.

Tips:

1. Rice has to be cooked properly like Curd rice, Pongal consistency and Coconut milk should be thicker to get better taste.