Kerala Appam and Fish Molly

Fish Molly

Kerala style fish molly/molee is a mild and delicious curry. It is a fish stew cooked in spiced coconut milk. Fish molee is made with a generous amount of coconut milk and has a creamy and rich taste. It's got a class of its own and will surely tickle your taste buds. Perfectly made soft appam and fish molly is a pure joy to indulge in and is personal pride that every Malayalee share in common. This is one classic combination that you got to try. You will be surprised how easy it is to make appam and fish molly. So if you want to try this delicious combo, check this recipe!
Appam is the perfect breakfast and goes well with any curry. But fish molly and appam are a match made in heaven. It is indispensable for lunch or dinner parties in Kerala.

Kerala is the land of coconuts, fish, and spices. Coconut is quintessential in Kerala cooking. Coconut gives a creamy richness to this curry, and there is a tangy acidity from vinegar and tomatoes. Coconut oil also adds flavor to the curry. Fish Molly is a traditional dish and is said to have originated from colonial influence. It was an adaptation of Kerala fish curry to suit the palate of European colonists. It is now an integral part of Kerala's Christmas feasts. The recipe is simple to follow, get your ingredients together, and try this recipe, you will surely love it. This stew also goes well with freshly baked bread.

Kerala Appam and Fish Molly

To Make Fish Molly

Ingredients
For the marinade
Fish -1 lb ( I used King fish)
Pepper powder- 3/4 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice/vinegar- 1 tsp
Oil for frying
( I used coconut oil)

For the sauce
Shallots finely chopped- 10
Onion thinly sliced- 1/2
Tomato- 1
Ginger garlic paste- 1 1/2 tsp
Green chilly- 4-5
Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
Cinnamon stick-2 pieces
Cloves-3-4
Fennel seeds- a pinch
Whole pepper- 5-6
Thick coconut milk- 3/4 cup
Thin coconut milk- 1 cup
Curry leaves- 2 springs

Cut fish into medium-sized pieces and marinate pepper powder, salt, and vinegar/lemon juice and keep aside for twenty minutes.
 Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the fish till both sides are golden brown. Set this aside.
In the same oil, that you fried the fish, add mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter.  Next, add the whole spices, like cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and cardamon, and slightly roast till there is a roasted aroma. Add curry leaves, green chilly, sliced onion, shallots, and salt fry till they change color. Add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, and fry for one more minute. Now add thin coconut milk, the fried fish, and chopped tomatoes. Cover and cook till the sauce thickens and the fish becomes soft. Finally, add the thick coconut and simmer for one more minute. Do not allow it to boil. Remove from heat and add some fresh curry leaves and a tsp of coconut oil. Serve warm with appam or bread.

 

  Easy Appam recipe with rice flour.

Easy Appam recipe with rice flour.
Ingredients
Appam podi/ Roasted rice flour- 2 1/2 cups
Grated coconut- 1 1/4 cup
Coconut water- 1 cup
(or coconut milk- 1/2 cup
Parboiled rice cooked- 1/3 cup
Instant Yeast - 1 tsp
Sugar- 2 tbs
Salt to taste

Into a blender add grated coconut, coconut water, and cooked rice. Grind till it is a smooth paste. In the meantime, take a cup and add in the yeast along with sugar and half a cup of barely warm water. Let it foam up for five minutes.
Into a large mixing bowl add two and a half cups of store brought appam podi/ roasted rice flour and salt. Pour the ground coconut paste and proofed yeast and enough water to make a smooth lump-free batter. The batter should be of pouring consistency, a little thinner than dosa batter. It should rest for at least six hours or allow this to rest overnight at room temperature to ferment.
Heat appam chatti and grease with some oil. Pour a ladle full of the batter(roughly 1/4 cup batter) and swirl the pan around in a circle so that batter spreads around the pan. Cover with a lid and the steam will help the appam to cook. Cook for two minutes and make sure the center is cooked. It will turn fluffy in the center and the edges slightly crisp. If you like the laced sides to be a little bit browned and crispy cook for one more minute. Remove the appam from the pan. Similarly, cook the rest of the appams. Serve with fish molly. Enjoy!

If you like to make appam with soaked rice and coconut check this recipe.