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

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.

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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

Bhakres

Pushpa Prabhu

Ingredients
1 cup rice flour
1 cup sooji (roast all the sooji you buy - very lightly - before storing)
3/4 cup coconut grated
2-3 green chillies - deseed and chop finely
1 cup sliced onions ( quartered )

Preparation
First take a spoon of salt and one of sugar. With the back of a spoon mix this with the chillie pieces on the chopping board. Then add the onions and mix well. In a mixing bowl add the sooji and then add a little water and mix. Next add the onions mixed with salt and chillies. Stir well. Then put in the rice flour and water and mix well. Thin to the consistency you need.

Method
Heat the dosa tava till hot. Take a ladleful of the bhakre mixture and pour into the centre of the tava. Spread in dosa like fashion - as far as possible. Put a teaspoon full of oil around the bhakre and into any holes that may be there in the middle. Cover with a lid for 2-3 minutes. Open and turn. It should cook a bit on the second side too. The main side should be brown and the bhakre a bit crisp.

You could replace the onions with grated cucumber for the cucumber bhakres only remember that you need to add 2 teaspoons of sugar to that mixture.

Green Chicken Curry

Pushpa Prabhu

Sundays at home when we were growing up wouldnt have felt like Sundays without mama's chicken soup and green chicken curry with parathas and onion rings. Got to get hold of the Chicken soup recipe too!

Total Ingredients:
I kg chicken2 onions
1-cup mint (~50 gms)2 cups coriander (~100 gms)
6 tablespoons oil1 cup grated coconut
12 green chilies1 lemon (juice)
12 garlic cloves3-inch ginger
1-tsp garam masala3 cloves
3 cardamoms1 inch cinnamon stick
10 peppercornssalt to taste

Marination of chicken
Marinate chicken pieces with 1-teaspoon ginger and 1 teaspoon garlic and half cup yogurt for 1 hour

Green chutney ingredients (has been included above) should be ground with all the ingredients listed below
100 gms. Coriander
50 gms mint
12 green chilies
10 garlic cloves
2 inch fresh ginger
1 cup grated coconut
3 cloves
3 cardamons
1 inch cinnamon stick
10 peppercorns
Put all the ingredients for the green chutney in a blender. Add 8 tablespoons of water and blend to a pastekeep aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok over high heat. When oil is hot add the finely chopped onionsstir and fry for 3-4 minutes until they begin to brown. Add grated 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 1 teaspoon crushed garlic and stir once. Put in the chicken pieces and _ teaspoon of salt. Stir and fry for 2-3 minutes (heat should be high). Add the remaining marinade and then add 120-ml/1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Heat the remaining 3-tablespoon oil in a separate pan over high heat. When hot add chutneystir and cook for 6-8 minutes until the oil separates from the chutney. Add chicken pieces, their juices and _ teaspoon salt. Stir and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced to just coat the chicken and check to see that the chicken is tender. Add the lemon juice and garam masala and mix well.

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.