MOCHAIKOTTAI BEANS WITH DRY SALTED THREADFIN CURRY / KODUVA MEEN KARUVADU MOCHAIKOTTAI KOLUMBU

A big hello to all my valued readers. Thanks for keep following with my blog Ruku's Authentic Kitchen Flavors where real food recipes are shared. Today, I am glad to share with you a very delicious and aromatic dish. It is called Mochaikottai Beans with Dry Salted Thread-fin Curry / Mochaikottai with Koduva Meen Karuvadu Kolumbu. For those who have not seen dry salted Thread-fin fish / Koduva Meen, I have added a picture of the dry fish and mochaikottai beans. This is my family way of doing it. 

All spices used in my recipes are homemade which gives the curry a different taste and amazing aroma. I use either powdered form or straight away use the full spices and blend them to a paste. You can do that too.  Hope you would try it at home. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups of mochaikottai beans (soaked over night) 

6-7 pieces dry thread-fin fish / koduva meen karuvadu (including bones and meat)

2 big onions

2 big tomatoes

4 drumsticks / murangaikai (scrap the skin off and cut into 2 cm sticks and pull out the skin)

1 tablespoon of garlic paste

1 tablespoon of ginger paste

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

7 - 8 dry chilies (blend to paste) (depends on the level of heat you want) 

2 tablespoons cumin seeds (make it to a paste)

2 tablespoons coriander seeds (make it to a paste)

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 cups of thin coconut milk

1 cup of thick coconut milk

2 tablespoons tamarind juice

2 sprigs curry leaves

Oil

PREPARATION METHOD

FIRST, PREPARE THE BEANS

Wash and boil the over night soaked mochakottai beans. Add in a bit of turmeric and salt. Cook till beans are soft. Keep aside.

cooked Mochaikottai Beans

SECOND, PREPARE THE DRY SALTED FISH / KARUVADU 

In a pot, add water and bring it to a boil. Then add in the salted fish to take out the excess salt. Boil for about 10 minutes. Then pour out the water. Keep aside.

Dry Thread-fin/Koduva Meen

THIRD, TO PREPARE THE CURRY

1. Heat oil in a pot, add mustard seed, fenugreek seeds, onions, ginger garlic paste and curry leaves. Saute the onions till a bit brown and ginger garlic paste raw smell goes away. 
2. Now add in the cumin, coriander paste and turmeric powder. Mix well in the oil till it raw smell of the spices are gone. 
3. Into that, add in the washed drumstick / murangaikai and tomatoes. Combine all ingredients well.
4. Then add the chili paste. Cook till the oil breaks.
5. Now pour in the thin coconut milk and let it boil. Cook till the drumstick is half cooked.
6. Then add in the dry salted fish and cook till it is tender. At this point, taste the curry to check on the salt and add in the tamarind water. (Note: In the beginning, the salted fish was boiled and the excess salt was taken out but there will be some salt remain in the fish and also salt was added to the beans during boiling process, so go easy on the salt and the tamarind water. Always remember to taste your food before adding salt) 
7. Now add in the beans and pour in the thick coconut milk. Cook for another 10 minutes.
8. Ready to be served. Best eaten with rice.