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Meen
Pollichathu is a favourite dish of Keralites and is sought after by
tourists as well.
Ingredients:
(for 1/2 or 1 kg of fish):
Onions (big) - 1 or 2 (slice it long)
Green chilli - 2 (cut it into long pieces)
Ginger - a piece (cut it into long pieces)
Coconut - half (grated)
Oil - 2 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1 or 1 and a 1/2 tablespoon
Coriander powder - 2 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves
Method:
Grind the coconut with a bit of water,
squeeze it and strain the milk, and keep that 'thala paal' separate;
add a cup of water to the coconut again and squeeze and strain it
again and collect that milk in a separate bowl; do the same once more.
Put a flat, but quite deep pan on the stove, pour the oil and when the
oil is hot, add the sliced onions, green chilli, ginger and curry
leaves, and stir until it is light brown.
Then add the turmeric powder, coriander
powder, and chilli powder to it and stir for few seconds and then add
the coconut milk (not 'thala paal'), and when it starts boiling, add
the fish pieces, cover it and cook for few minutes in medium flame
(make sure that it wont overflow), and then let the water evaporate
until the gravy is quite thick; then add the 'thala paal' and take it
off before it boils, so that it wont go watery again. Serve when hot.
Note 1: You can use desiccated coconut instead. Soak two cups
of it in boiled water for half an hour and then use. I don't know if
the taste will be different, but the fresh coconut that we get here
also are not good, as it is imported from Fiji, Malaysia, Srilanka,
etc. and so takes months to reach here in the ship.
Note 2: Actually this curry is made by placing a banana leaf on
the pan, and adding all the ingredients to it and cook it and serve,
which has a real distinct, nice taste.
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