Rayalseema Chepa Vepudu - Fish Fry

Sandhya Reddy

Ingredients
500 gms Seer Fish ( slices from the end of the fish without stomach holes )

½ Cup Copra (or roast freshly grated coconut)
1 large Tomato
8 pods Garlic
Lime sized Tamarind - soak in hot water
½ tsp Methi

2 large Onions chopped fine

½ tsp Turmeric
2 tsp Chilli Powder
3 Tbsp Oil

10 -15 Curry leaves
a sprigs of coriander leaves chopped for garnish
Salt to taste


Method
Wash seer with salt and turmeric and clean.  Then cut each slice into 4 without the centre bone and set aside. 

Grind the copra, tomato, garlic and tamarind into a fine paste.

Take a non-stick pan with a flat bottom.  Add oil.  When warm add methi.  Next add onions and curry leaves.  Saute till the onions turn pink.  Add the ground masala, salt, chill and turmeric and fry till the raw smell leaves and the oil separates from the masala.

Arrange the fish around the pan in such a way that the masala coats the fish pieces evenly both the top and the bottom.

Use a medium to low flame and continue frying for another 15-20 minutes.  Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Fish Curry Variations

Devidas & Pushpa Prabhu



I have had the basic recipe on this blog for 5 years now.  Finally I made fish/prawn curries under my parents supervision several times over a fortnight and learnt a few variations too.   As mentioned earlier the Bedgee mirsange (Red Chillies) and Teppal (Tirphal) are key elements.



Ingredients:
For all 3 variations
1/2 Kg Fish/Prawns
1/2 Coconut (grated)
12-15 red chilies (lightly roasted)
1/4 teaspoon haldi powder
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
Salt to taste

Variation 1  the original
1 tablespoon coriander seeds (lightly roasted)
1 large onion
3/4 of the onion chopped and set aside.  1/4 put in with the coconut and grind.  the coriander seeds roasted and added to the coconut paste.  Fry the onions till golden brown before adding the paste to it.  This variation used by my mother for Prawns and Pomfret.



Variation 2 with Teppal (Tirphal)
Skip the fried onions and coriander seeds in the paste for this variation
Set aside 15pcs of Teppal in a katori with hot water for 1/ 2 an hr.  Then crush the seeds with a pestle so that the flavour mixes with the water.  Dont turn it into a paste.  Lightly crush.   And add along with coconut paste to the curry.  Remember not to eat these as they have been added just for the flavour and aroma.   Used mostly with stronger smelling fish like Mackerel and Seer.

Variation 3 with  Onion / Ginger and Garlic
1 large onion (finely chopped)
1" pc ginger grated
6-10 garlic pods chopped small
fry the onions till golden brown.  Add the ginger and garlic and fry for a few more minutes.  Then jump to the step of adding the paste.  Also add a tablespoon of coconut oil after adding the paste. Used with stronger smelling fish like Mackerel and Seer.

For all variations...
1. Clean and cut fish into pieces. Put aside with salt and haldi (note the fish needs to be washed before it is added to the curry)
2. Grind coconut and spices into a fine paste (should have the consistency of a gravy)
3. Fry onion in a pan to golden brown (skip for variation 2)
4. Add coconut paste to the onions and bring to a boil
5. Add prawns and cook for 5 minutes (till prawns are cooked and it doesnt take long max. 10mins!!) In the case of fish you could wait for the oil to rise to the surface.

A couple of references for Teppal and the special Red Chillies with some recipes
1. Tirphal
2. Teppal - 1 and 2
3. aka Szechuan Pepper
4. Bedgee ( Red Chilli )
5. List of variety of Indian Chillies

Calamars Basquaise

Recette Sorreguieta (but we got it from Nicolas)
Nicolas Moulin

Nicolas got this recipe from a friend and made it for us. That was several years ago, in Banglaore. And when it turned out to be delicious, he gave us the recipe in case we ever felt adventurous enough to try it on our own. Cleaning the squid had been quite a task but I still have the recipe and I do plan to try it out again.

Cleaning the squid
Remove the tentacles
Remove the inside cartilage
Remove what is left inside the body
Remove skin
Wash thoroughly with lemon water

Cut the squid into two pieces lengthwise.
If they are big enough, then cut them in two widthwise too

Preparation of the Sauce
Peel off and cut a few carrots into cubes
Cook sliced onions and garlice in a half regular half olive oil mixture
Add salt, pepper and chilly
Add four peeled tomatoes

Drop the prepared squid in the sauce. Cook until they whiten. Flambe with 3 spoons of whisky. Add white wine and thyme. Leave it to simmer for sometime.

Optional - add fresh cream before serving
Ideally should be prepared a day in advance.

Fish/Prawn Curry - 2 Varieties

Pushpa Prabhu

This is one dish that has been liked by everyone who has tried it. Ours have not turned out as good - at least my taste buds insist. I think it all has to do with the kind of red chillies that you use and figuring out how much of imli to add. Papa's variation which follows was to allow us to make it without coconut or coconut milk. Tastes rich and creamy too.

Ingredients:

1 Kg Fish/Prawns
1 Coconut (grated)
7-8 red chilies (lightly roasted)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds (lightly roasted)
1/2 teaspoon haldi powder
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
Salt to taste
1 large onion (finely chopped)


1. Clean and cut fish into pieces. Put aside with salt and haldi (note the fish needs to be washed before it is added to the curry)
2. Grind coconut and spices into a fine paste (should have the consistency of a gravy)
3. Fry onion in a pan to golden brown
4. Add coconut paste to the onions and bring to a boil
5. Add prawns and cook for 5 minutes (till prawns are cooked and it doesnt take long max. 10mins!!) In the case of fish you could wait for the oil to rise to the surface.

--------------------------------
Alternative method
Devidas Prabhu

Ingredients:

1 Kg prawns
1/2 liter cream
1 tablespoon red chilly powder (lightly roasted)
1 tablespoon coriander powder (lightly roasted)
1/2 teaspoon haldi powder
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
1 large onion (finely chopped)
Salt to taste

1. Shell and clean prawns. Put aside with salt and haldi (note the prawns needs to be washed before it is added to the curry)
2. Fry onion in a pan to golden brown
3. Add spices to the onions and fry
4. Add water and tamarind paste and bring to a boil (salt to taste)
6. Add prawns and cook for few minutes basically till the prawns are almost cooked. will not take more than 5 mins max.
7. Add cream and heat for a minute (note, do not boil as cream might curdle)

Categories: pushpa, devidas, prawn, fish, curry, coconut

Prawn Wadis (Cutlets)

Manjula & Roopa Nayak

Though this recipe is originally for shell fish. We made these wadis once with prawns and the next day with cabbage, both very tasty. I think its all the coconut! Gals the cabbage version for you - sorry!

Ingredients
250gms prawns OR shredded cabbage ( v.small bits )
1 and 1/2 medium onions chopped fine

For the Masala
1/2 a coconut grated
4 red chillies } saute a
1/2 tsp coriander seeds } bit
a pinch of turmeric
a marble sized bit of tamarind
salt to taste.

For coating
a mix in equal parts of sooji and rice flour

Method
Grind the masala. Make sure you only add water as required as you want a thick paste and definitely not a watery one. If it does turn out to be too watery add a bit of rice flour to thicken.

Add the onions and prawns and mix well using your hands ( kallay )

Take a bit of the mixture in the palm of your hand and make a ball the size of a laddoo and roll in the coating mixture. set aside on a plate. Do this with all the mixture.

Then put a griddle on the flame and wait for it to heat well. Add a teaspoon of oil. Tilt the tava in different directions till the surface has a coating of oil.

Lower the flame. Take one ball of mixture and flatten on the tava. Repeat till the tava is filled but leave enough place around the wadi for you to be able to turn them.

Do not turn too quickly as the wadis then just break up. Wait for the first side to cook and brown well before turning and then let it brown well on the other side too. Add oil while turning to ensure that it doesnt stick to the tava.

Serve hot. We cooked them in coconut oil but I dont think that that is necessary.

Prawn Malai Curry

Cant remember if i got this one from Loli or from the web. Shall check with her and correct. The Bengali malai curry tastes quite close to ours - just the mustard bit is different.

Ingredients
500gms Prawns
1/2 cup Coconut milk
1/2 cup Onions chopped
20-30gms Paste of mustard seeds
2-3 Green chilis chopped
1 tsp Turmeric
5 tbsp Mustard Oil
Salt to taste


Method
1) Clean and de-vein prawns and marinate
with the paste made from mustard seeds and
little water, 2 tbsp of oil, chopped green chillies, turmeric and
salt. Keep it aside for a while.
2) In a pan take 3 tbsp of oil and fry in the chopped onions till pale golden brown.
Then add the marinated prawns into the pan
properly fry for sometime while stirring.
3) Next add the coconut milk to the contents of the pan
and cook for 10 minutes till the gravy has become thick.

Fish Fry Paste

Pushpa Prabhu

This paste is easy to make and store and the fried fish is absolutely yummalicious!

Ingredients
2 tspns Red Chilli Powder (heaped)
1/2 tspn Haldi (level)
1 tspn garlic paste
1 tspn imli paste
1 tspn salt

For Coating
heaped tbspn of rice flour
half a tbspn of rava

Method
Mix all the ingredients together and adjust after tasting.

Apply a generous layer to the fish piece. Then roll it in rava + rice flour mixture and pan fry. Excess Paste can be stored in a glass jar in the fridge. For something so easy to prepare the taste of the finished product is outstanding

Hilsa Huggi

Pushpa Prabhu

I can remember eating Hilsa Huggi as a kid. I enjoyed the masala a whole bunch but though the Hilsa tasted delicious I didnt enjoy it so much because of the zillion bones that each morsel had. But the masala, the flavour was outstanding. It's one of my mum's top 10 recipes.

This has been a recent attempt of mine and even though I havent used Hilsa the dish has been enjoyed by the friends we've served it too. Ramesh has liked it both the times that I've made it but then he hasnt had the original. I need to get him to try it at home so that he has good benchmark to judge my efforts against. I havent been satisfied so far. Will see mama make it this time when I go home and shall add any tips that I pick up.

I used a kilo of King Fish (Surmai) instead of Hilsa. Apparently it is a sea fish. As it was a large fish, I could easily get it deboned.

Ingredients
1kg fish, 1 coconut grated, 12-15 whole red chillies, one tspn of imli, 10-15pcs of Tirphal (must have ingredient), 2 tspns of salt

Method
Put the Tirphals in some water in a small bowl and set aside, cut the fish into approx 1 and 1/2" cubes, apply haldi and salt liberally and set aside, grind the coconut, red chillis, imli, salt into a rough paste, add the water in the tirphal bowl while grinding, pound the wet tirphal seeds and add to the masala, wash the salt and haldi off the fish pieces and mix in with the masala in a bowl.

Set the oven to 200deg or cake baking strength :P, take a oven proof dish and spread a thin layer of oil to prevent the huggi from sticking to its surface, spread the fish and masala evenly in a single layer, add in the remaining masala into the gaps, put in oven for half an hour, check after 20 mins to see that the top is not getting too dark, if it is and the fish is cooked (feel with fork) shut oven and leave inside.

Serve Hot.