SNAKE-HEAD MURREL FISH CURRY [VIRAL MEEN KOLUMBU]

Hi! Everyone, Welcome back to Ruku's Authentic Kitchen Flavors where real food recipes are shared. Today I am going to share with you another family recipe which has its health benefits and delicious too. It is consumed to heal wounds, anti-inflammatory and other benefits too.  It is snake-head murrel fish curry. In my family, we do it on weekends and it is a tasty dish. 

I can still remember in my younger days, our family friends would go for fishing and bring it back alive. So it is straight from the fresh water to our palette. 

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 will try my recipes with success. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

2 large size snake-head murrel fish (cut into about 2- 2½ cm per piece)

2 big onions
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

2 sprigs of curry leaves

3 small eggplants (brinjal) (cut into quarters)

2 small tomatoes (cut into quarters)

10 small okra (ladies fingers) (cut out the stems of each end)

2 green chilies (just split it into half not to cut through fully)

2 tablespoon of plain chili powder (depends on the heat level you can take)

1 1/2 tablespoons coriander powder

1 1/2 tablespoons cumin powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon black peppers powder

1 1/2 glass of thick fresh coconut milk

1  glass of thin fresh coconut milk

2 tablespoons of tamarind water (add according to the sourness you want)

4 tablespoon of oil

Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Once the fish is cleaned. Rub the fish with turmeric powder and salt and leave it for about 5 minutes to take out that fishy smell. Then wash it. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok / pot. Add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leafs and green chilies. 
3. Add in the onions. Saute till it gets a bit brown, then add in the ginger and garlic paste till the raw smell are gone.
4. Into that, add in the eggplants and tomatoes. Saute well till the eggplants turn light color and the tomatoes are soften.
5. Now add in the chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder and turmeric powder. Mix well and cook till the raw smell are gone.
6. Then add in the thin coconut milk. Combine well all the ingredients.
7. Close the lid and bring to a boil. Cook in high flame.
8. Now add in the tamarind water, okra and salt to taste.
9. Close the lid and boil for another 3 minutes till the okra is slightly cooked.
10. Add in fish and the thick coconut milk. Cook in medium flame for 3-4 minutes till the fish is cooked. Taste for salt again and add if needed. 
11. Turn off the stove.
12. Best be eaten with rice, thosai, Indian flat bread (paratha) or bread.

Note:The fish is cut into thicker pieces so that the fish does not break when we stir the curry. But if you are frying the fish before putting in the curry then you can cut slightly thinner.