Roasted Coconut Fish Curry / Varutharacha Meen Curry

Rich n Hearty Kerala Style Roasted Coconut Fish Curry … made with Spices, Tamarind, Coconut and Balanced to  Perfection! Serve with a side of Mashed Tapioca and you have a Match made in Heaven…!!

The tale of Fish Stories continues…. my endless love for fish and seafood dishes…!

Like all my other South Indian fish recipes, this Roasted Coconut Fish Curry is also an All-Time Favorite… an Amalgamation of some Authentic Flavors! The memories of this dish go all the way back to my childhood and my mom’s hometown; a small village called Pathiyoor in Kerala. My grandma was the master of this recipe and she perfected this dish so well that even today the taste and aroma unravel a vision of hidden childhood memories which make me nostalgic and homesick. Grandma used to serve this curry with mashed tapioca, a combination called Kappayum Meenum (കപ്പയും മീനും) which is every Malayalee’s meal to die for. And, if the fish came with roe (പരിഞ്ഞിൽ), then this dish just tastes a whole new level!

The key to this dish’s perfection is the roasted coconut gravy. Dry roasting the coconut properly is a heinous task, which you can master by stirring it on a low flame with a little patience. It should not be under or over done (coconut turned dark brown) and should have a light golden color, which is ideal to proceed with adding spices.  When you blend it, a perfectly roasted coconut will release oil making it a thick n rich paste.

Roasted Coconut based dishes are a staple to every Keralite. Be it a street food meal or a luxury hotel dish, vegetarian or non-vegetarian, a regular home meal or a feast… you will come across endless varieties of curries made with this thick brown gravy. And it doesn’t matter either if served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. In fact, visit any Toddy shop in Kerala and Kappayum Meenum is the go-to meal with a bottle of fresh coconut toddy.

You can also check out my Roasted Coconut Chickpeas Curry and Cashew Theeyal recipes which also have a similar gravy base.

It is this rich and thick gravy which makes this dish stand out among other fish recipes. The aroma of the roasted coconut along with the spices and the combination with the sourness from the tamarind, makes this curry a lip-smacking dish which you can savor with the classic side of kappa (tapioca/yuca). You can also enjoy this dish with steamed rice, roti or naan.

Interested in more Kerala style fish recipes, check this out:

• Anchovy Fry/ നെത്തോലി നിറവ്
• Fish Fry / മീൻ വറുത്തത്
• Fish Molly / Kerala Style Fish Stew
• Fish Curry with Coconut Milk /തേങ്ങാപാൽ ഒഴിച്ച മീൻ കറി
• Red Fish Curry/മീൻ മുളകിട്ടത് 
• Fish Biriyani 

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Roasted Coconut Fish Curry / Varutharacha Meen Curry

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

Rich n Hearty Kerala Style Roasted Coconut Fish Curry … made with Spices, Tamarind, Coconut and Balanced to a Perfection! Serve with a side of Mashed Tapioca and you have a Match made in Heaven…!!

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: fish curry, kerala

Servings: 4

Author: Akhila

Ingredients

For Roasting Coconut

• 2 cup grated coconut
• 3 small onions (sliced)
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp chili powder (add more if you like it hot)
• 1½ tsp coriander powder

For the fish Curry

• 5 അയല / mackerel (or fish of your choice, cleaned and cut)
• 2 green chilly (slit)
• 2-3 കുടംപുളി / gambooge (malabar tamarind)
• ¼ tsp fenugreek powder
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves
• 1½ cup water (or more as required)
• Salt (as required)

Instructions

For Roasting Coconut

1. Heat a pan and dry roast grated coconut along with small onions on a low to medium flame until it starts turning lightly golden brown.
2. When you start seeing a golden / light brown color, add the spices; chili, coriander and turmeric powder. Stir on a low flame for another 2-3 minutes until roasted well, be careful not to overdo nor turn dark brown. Turn off the flame and allow it to cool. If you are using whole spices, you need to roast them from the beginning along with the coconut at step 1.
3. Once cooled, grind all the roasted ingredients into a smooth paste. While grinding, the roasted coconut will release its oil, indicating that you roasted it perfectly.

For the Curry

1. In a manchatti (earthern pot) or pan, add the roasted coconut paste along with gamboge (kudampuli), curry leaves, green chilies and water, stir and mix well. Heat the pan on a medium flame bringing the curry to a boil.
2. Once the curry starts boiling, add the fish and reduce the flame to a low. Check the tanginess and salt. As the curry reaches a boil, add fenugreek powder.
3. Allow the curry to boil on the low flame for another 10-15 mins or until the desired consistency is reached.
4. Switch off the flame and cover the pan with a lid. The curry should sit undisturbed for 30 mins at least before serving. Ideally it tastes best when served the next day.
5. Enjoy with steamed rice, mashed tapioca or chapathi.

Notes

• Fishes like mackerel (അയല), king fish (നെയ്യ് മീൻ), tuna (ചൂര), pompano, tilapia, sardine (മത്തി), big pink perch (ഉണ്ണിമേരി) can be used.
• Add more water if you prefer your curry with more gravy.