Nadan Vaala Meen Curry/BeltFish Curry

Nadan Vaala Meen Curry

This is a nadan style fish curry. It is my grandmothers recipe. When ever she gets vaala meen/ribbon fish/belt fish she makes a similar curry . This is a varutharacha meen curry/roasted coconut gravy. You can also make it without roasting the masala. But the roasting gives a distinct aroma and enhances the taste of the curry. You can add regular tamarind as souring agent or fish tamarind/kudampuli. Try this you will surely love it.

Ingredients

Vaala meen- 1 kg
Pearl onion- 2 cup (roughly chopped)
Dry Kashmiri red chilly-12-15
Coconut grated- 1 cup
Thondan mulaku/banana peppers-2
Ginger- 1/2 inch thick
Muringakka/drumstick- 10-12 pieces
Kudampuli/Malabar Tamarind- 3 pieces
(or tamarind lemon sized ball)
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Mustard- 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds- 1/3 tsp
Curry leaves- 1 spring
oil and salt to taste

Clean the fish, sprinkle salt on a broad and a rub the fish with salt. Rinse and cut into small pieces. Soak kudam puli/ Malabar tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water and set aside.
Heat two tsp of oil and roast dry red chilly and coconut for 5-6 minutes till the coconut turns brown. Into this add the chopped pearl onions and saute till it turns translucent. Allow this to cool and then make a fine paste.
In a heavy bottom pan add the ground paste,soaked kudampuli, banana pepper/thondan mulaku, drumstick,ginger,crushed curry leaves and 2 cups of water. Mix well and allow this gravy to boil. Slide in the fish pieces, cover and cook high flame for three minutes. Remove the lid and simmer in low flame for another 15 minutes or till the gravy thickens.
In a heavy bottom pan heat oil and add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When it splutters add chopped onions and curry leaves. Pour this over the fish curry. Serve with rice.