Chettinad Fish Curry

Hot and spicy curry with a beautiful fiery color, without the use of much spices and red chilis, this fish curry is a yummy and wonderful companion with boiled rice and makes for an awesome meal for those who love Indian style fish curries (and those who don't are sure to fall in love with this one)!!

Ingredients:

Fish: 400 gm (I used salmon fish)
Curry leaves: a handful
Fenugreek powder: 2 tsp.
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.
Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Fennel seeds: 1 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Dried red chili: 1
Onion (chopped): 1 large
Ginger-garlic (crushed): 4 tsp.
Tomato (chopped): 2
Salt to taste
Red chili powder: 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Tamarind: 2 tsp.
Coconut milk: 1/2 cup

1. Clean and cut the fish into desired size and marinate it with fenugreek powder, half the curry leaves and lemon juice and leave for 30 minutes. 
2. Heat oil and fry the marinated fish from both sides until crispy and golden. Remove from the pan and keep aside. 
3. Heat up the same oil on medium flame and splutter mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Add the dried red chili. 
4. Add the chopped onions and fry until the onions are transparent. 
5. Add the crushed ginger-garlic and fry until the raw smell disappears. 
6. Add the chopped tomatoes and sprinkle salt. Cover and let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. 
7. Remove cover and add the dry spices: red chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Mix well. Add the tamarind and mix well again. 
8. Add the coconut milk, mix everything well and cover again. 
9. Remove cover after 5 minutes and add 3 cups of water. Cover again and let simmer and boil for 10-12 minutes. 
10. Remove cover and let cook open for another 5 minutes. Give a good stir and add the fried fish. Turn off the flame and cover. 
11. Remove cover after 10 minutes and the yummy, spicy curry is ready to eat. Serve with plain boiled rice or jeera rice. 

   
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Bengali Fish Curry

Neither am I from Bengal nor do I have any connection to Bengal, but still sharing a Bengali Fish curry recipe; and no, this is not an online recipe I tried. This is a recipe I got from a dear friend Writu who is a fun loving and cheerful Bengali girl and her name means season (ऋतु). I have never met anyone with a name beginning from letter 'W' and so when I heard her name for the first time, I believed her name spells as Ritu. There was a big confusion around her name and I once messed up things for her because of how her name was spelled and I thought it was something else; and then in a guilty attempt of getting things right for her, we became close friends. Today we have drifted apart as friends but I still remember the time I had this simple yet subtle taste of fish curry with rice at her place, and she wrote the basic recipe her mom and she follows for the fish curry.

This blog did not exist at that time and the memories of the recipe and the fish curry also faded as the friendship drifted apart. But last year, when I visited my parents in India, I was going through my old things in the wardrobe and there I found in an old diary a dusty page stuck in the diary with this amazing recipe and on the top was written her name "Writu". All the old memories came back of the awesome time we had, and I decided to try the recipe in my kitchen. I can't say for sure if this is an authentic recipe or is this how it is made in all or many Bengali households, but that's what she told me and said this is a very basic recipe.

To our friendship! Writu!

Ingredients:

Fish: 400 gm (I used salmon fillets)
Mustard oil: 4 tsp.
Panch phoran (5-spice mix):

• Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
• Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp.
• Fennel seeds: 1/4 tsp.
• Black cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp.
• Fenugreek seeds. 1/4 tsp.

Dried red chilli: 1
Onion (finely chopped): 2
Ginger-garlic paste: 4 tsp. (I used grated ginger and garlic)
Tomato (chopped): 2
Green chili (chopped): 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Tamarind extract: 1 tsp.
Coriander leaves to garnish

1. Wash and clean the fish fillets and marinate them with salt, 1/2 tsp. red chilli powder, turmeric, 1 tsp. mustard oil and tamarind for 20 minutes. 
2. Heat the remaining mustard oil and fry the fish from both sides, flipping alternatively so that it cooks nicely from both sides. 
   
3. Drain and remove, keep aside. 
4. Heat the same oil and add the panch phoran or the five spice mix (cumin, mustard, fennel, black cumin and fenugreek). 
5. When they crackle, add the dried red chilli and add ginger-garlic after few seconds. Let cook until the raw smell goes away. 
6. Add the onions and fry until they are transparent and beginning to get brown; but don't let them brown. 
7. Add the tomato and green chilli and sprinkle little salt. Cover and let cook for 5-7 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. 
   
8. Remove cover, add the red chilli powder and mix well. Add a cup of water and cover again for 15 minutes on medium flame. 
9. Remove cover. The entire curry will be done and the tomatoes and the masala is nicely absorbed together. Let cook uncovered for 5 more minutes.
10. Turn off the flame and add fried fish pieces. Cover and leave for 10 minutes so that the fish absorbs the curry's flavor in the steam. 
11. Remove cover and garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with rice. 

Tamarind Fish Cury

I love my fish and I love to prepare it in various styles almost every week. I love to use Salmon fish for my curries because it's so easy and versatile, has no bones and quick to cook; also I can experiment with flavors and almost all of the flavors I have tried have come out extremely well. So here's another of my experiments: Tamarind fish curry.

I marinated the fish in a mix of tamarind and also used tamarind in my curry. That, combined with tomatoes and spices made it bursting with flavors and it was almost finished in no time when I served it with jeera rice. Another special thing with this recipe is that I made it the previous night and served the next evening, it tasted rather amazing as the complete flavors of curry had seeped inside the fish, making it all the more delectable.

Other fish recipes from the blog:

Achaari Fish masala
Green Meen Kuzhambu
Lehsuni Fish curry
Mint Fish Curry
Rustic Salmon Curry


So, here's the recipe:

Fish (I used salmon fish): 350 gm

For the marination:

Ginger-garlic paste: 4 tsp.
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp.
Black pepper: 1/2 tsp.
Tamarind: 2 tsp.

For the curry:

Mustard oil: 3 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Dry red chilli: 1
Garlic (crushed or grated): 2 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 2
Tomato (chopped): 2
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Ginger (grated): 1 inch
Tamarind: 3 tsp.

1.  Wash and cut the fish into desired size. Marinate in the ingredients mentioned in the marinating list: Salt, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste (you can also use grated ginger and garlic, it gives a nice texture), black pepper and tamarind. Keep aside for 20 minutes.
2. Heat the mustard oil in a pan and add the marinated fish pieces. Fry from both sides, keep turning sides so it doesn't stick to the pan. It won't take a lot of time, 5-10 minutes each side. 
   
3. Remove from the pan by draining the oil and keep aside.
4. Now we prepare the curry: Heat the same oil and crackle cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Add fenugreek seeds and dried red chilli. 
5. Add the garlic after 30 seconds and fry a bit until the raw smell disappears.
6.  Add the onions and fry until they are transparent. 
   
7. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle salt. Mix and let cook until the tomatoes are cooked and are soft and mushy. 
8. Add the red chilli powder and ginger. Mix well and add the tamarind. Mix everything and let cook for about 2 minutes. 
   
9. Add 2 cups of water, give a stir and cover. Let cook on medium flame for about 15 minutes. 
10. Remove cover and turn off the flame. Let the curry cool completely. 
11. When the curry is cooled, gently add the fried fish pieces to the curry and transfer the whole fish curry to a big bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. I refrigerated about 24 hours and it gave the curry an amazing taste, with all the flavors seeped inside the fish. 
12. Take out from the fridge 30 minutes before serving. Warm it gently and serve hot with jeera rice. 

Disclaimer: Please note that this is an original recipe of the author and may not be copied or reproduced in any form without prior permission.

Loved this recipe? Please leave a comment in the comments section below as it really motivates me. Don't forget to join me on my Facebook Page for regular recipe updates.

100 Indian recipes for chappati and rice

It has always been a challenge for me to decide on "what to cook today".. phew !! I try not to eat out, not to heat up frozen meals, not to eat canned food. The biggest challenge that comes is always deciding the menu. Also, eating at home everyday the same kind of food can get boring as well, no matter how healthy and economical it is. So I try to come up with various versions of the same ingredients by making twists and changing the curry base or the spices base to present new flavors which do not get boring and monotonous but a new dish every time (not really every time but well...) So today I'm sharing 100 different types of dishes (vegetarian and non-vegetarian) you can prepare and serve with simple chappati/paratha or plain rice.

VEGETARIAN DISHES:

STIR FRIES AND DRY VEGETABLES: 

Aaloo Baingan Korma

Aaloo Methi
Achaari Tomato Masala (can also be used as a base for different curries)

Bharwan Bhindi

Bhindi Masala

Capsicum Tomato Masala

Corn Capsicum

Fried Eggplant masala

Hariyali Corn
Jeera Aaloo
Matar Do pyaaza
Mix vegetable fry
Navratan Korma
Plum Tomato Fry (can also be used as a base for different curries)
Pudina Lauki masala
Punjabi Tomato Fry (can also be used as a base for different curries)
Vegetable Jalfrezi
White corny spinach

CURRIES AND VEGETABLES:

Aaloo Matar Subzi
Aaloo Tamatar Subzi
Achaari Baingan Kadhi
Achaari Paneer Masala
Baby onion ka salan
Black Eyed beans curry
Bottle gourd (lauki subzi)
Instant Arugula Kadhi
Kaju Curry Korma
Kashmiri Rajma (No onion-garlic)
Mirch Ka Salan
Nawabi Rajma Masala
Paneer Makhani
Peas Masala Kurma
Pindi Chhole
Punjabi Dum aaloo
Punjabi Kadhi with pakoda
Punjabi Rajma Masala
Quick Chhole Masala
Stuffed capsicum tomato fry
Stuffed Paneer capsicum
Stuffed Tomato
Tamatar Ka Salan


DALS:

Beetroot Dal

Chana Dal

Dal Bukhara

Dal fry with a twist

Dal Makhni: The royal taste of Punjab

Hot and Spicy Sambhar 

Lauki-Chana Dal

Lehsuni Dal Tadka

Mint Dal Fry

Mix dal: Moong, moth and chana

Nepali Daal

Panchmel Dal with baati (Rajasthani delight)

Punjabi Dal fry

Shahdani Dal

Spinach Dal

Sprouted Dal with Spinach

Urad Dal

NON VEGETARIAN DISHES

EGG RECIPES: 

Achaari Egg Curry

Egg Curry

Egg Curry in Coconut Milk

Egg Rezala

Fried Egg Curry

Goan Egg curry

Goan Egg Vindaloo

Green Egg Curry

Maharshtrian Style Egg Curry

Roasted egg pulusu

Rustic Egg Curry (Dhaba Style)

CHICKEN RECIPES:

Amritsari Murg Makhani

Beetroot Chicken

Butter Chicken

Chicken Achaari

Chicken Cafreal

Chicken Curry Masala

Dahi masala kadhai chicken

Dhaba Style Chicken Curry

Green Walnut Chicken Curry

Herbal Chicken

Himachali Tawa Murg

Kashmiri Chicken Curry

Kodi Kura (Andhra Style Chicken Curry)

Mint Chicken Korma

Olive Green Chicken

Orange Chicken

Red Chicken

Simple Chicken Cury

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

Thai Chicken Curry

FISH RECIPES:

Achaari Fish Masala

Fish Curry in Mustard Sauce

Fish Molee

Green Meen Kuzhambhu

Lehsuni Fish Curry

Meen Vindaloo

Mint Fish Curry

Nepali Meen Peera (Fish curry in Coconut)

Red Fish Curry

Rustic Salmon Curry

Saffron Fish Curry

I hope you loved this post and found it useful. Please do leave your feedback and a comment in the comments section below as it really motivates me. Do join my Facebook Page for regular recipe updates. 

Saffron Fish Curry

Ingredients:

Fish: 250 gm (I used Salmon fish)

For the marinade:

Coconut milk (thick): 1/2 cup
Saffron: 2 pinches
Coriander powder: 1 tsp.
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.

For the curry:

Mustard oil: 3 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Dry red chilli: 1
Onion (chopped): 1
Ginger-garlic paste: 3 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp.
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Tomato (chopped): 6 (I used small cocktail tomatoes, can be replaced with 2 big sized tomatoes)
Salt to taste
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.
Coconut milk: 1/4 cup
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.
Coriander leaves to garnish
A pinch of saffron to decorate

1. Wash and clean the fish and marinate in the marinade ingredients and keep aside for about 15 minutes. 
2. Heat oil on medium flame and add the fish and the marinade. Fry well on both sides, turning carefully and drain from the oil and keep aside. This frying will take about 5-7 minutes as the fish is very delicate. 
   
3. Heat the same oil and splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add the whole chilli and the onions. Fry until they become transparent.
4. Add the ginger-garlic paste (I used grated ginger and garlic, it gives a rustic flavor) and fry until the raw smell goes away. 
5. Add the dry spices: coriander, cumin, red chilli and turmeric and mix everything well. 
6. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle salt. Let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. 
   
7. Add the garam masala and the coconut milk and mix everything very well. Add a cup of water and cover. Let cook on medium flame for about 10-15 minutes. 
8. Remove the cover and add lemon juice. Mix and add the fried fish. Turn off the flame and cover again. Let sit for about 10 minutes so the flavors get blended.
9. Remove cover, garnish with coriander leaves, decorate with a pinch of saffron and serve with rice !!

Meen Vindaloo

Ingredients:

For the marination:

Fish: 250 gm (I used Salmon Fish)
Garlic (grated): 5 cloves
Garam masala: 1 tsp.
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.

For frying:

Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.

For the curry:

Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Curry leaves: a few
Dried red chilli: 1
Onion (chopped): 1
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 2 big (I used cocktail tomatoes so I used 7-8)
Salt to taste
Coriander powder: 1 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Tamarind extract: 2 tsp.

1. Wash, clean and marinate the fish in the ingredients for marination and keep aside for 15 minutes. 
2. Heat oil in a pan and crackle the mustard seeds. Add the marinated fish and sprinkle some red chilli powder. Fry the fish on both sides for about 2-3 minutes, turning carefully so the fish does not break. 
   
3. Remove from the pan and keep aside. 
4. Heat the same oil and add more oil to the pan. Crackle the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. 
5. Add the curry leaves and the dried red chilli and give a stir. Add the onions after about half a minute and mix well. Let cook until the onions start becoming transparent.
6. Add the tomato and green chilli and sprinkle salt. Mix well and cook until the tomatoes start becoming soft. 
   
7. Add the dry masalas: red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Give a stir and add the tamarind extract. 
8. Mix everything together and add a cup of water. Cover and let cook on medium flame for about 10 minutes till all the spices are blended and the wonderful curry is prepared.
9. Remove cover and mix. Add the fried fish pieces and mix well carefully. Turn off the heat and cover again, let the fish sit in steam for about 10 minutes. 
10. Remove cover and garnish with coriander leaves (optional) and serve hot with jeera rice.   

Red fish curry

Ingredients:

Fish: 250 gm (I used salmon fish)

For marinating fish:

Dry red chilli: 1
Coriander seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Peppercorns: 1/2 tsp.
Dry ginger: 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Curry leaves: a few
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.
Mustard oil: 2 tsp. (for frying marinated fish)

For the curry:

Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Dry red chilli: 1
Onion (chopped): 1
Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsp.
Tomato (chopped): 2
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Mango powder: 1/4 tsp.
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.
Tamarind extract: 1 tsp.
Coriander leaves for the garnish

1. Dry roast all the spices for the fish masala: red chilli, coriander, peppercorns, cumin, dry ginger, fenugreek and curry leaves. 
   
2. Let cool and grind to a powder and marinate the fish pieces with this spice mix, lemon juice and turmeric powder. Keep aside for about 10-15 minutes.
3. Heat mustard oil and fry the fish pieces in the oil for about 5 minutes, turning on both sides and carefully so as to not break the fish pieces. 
   
   
   
   
   
4. Keep the fried fish aside. 
   
   
   
5. Prepare the curry: heat oil and crackle the mustard seeds and add the dry red chilli. Add the chopped onion and fry until the onions get transparent.
6. Add the ginger-garlic paste and mix well, fry until the raw smell goes away. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle salt, let cook until the tomatoes are completely soft. 
7. Add red chilli powder, mango powder and garam masala. Mix well and add the tamarind extract. Mix everything and add about a cup of water and cover. Let cook on medium flame. 
8. Remove cover and add the fried fish pieces and turn carefully to coat with the curry and masala. Turn off the flame after 2 minutes and cover.
9. Remove cover after 10 minutes, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot !!

Mint fish curry

Ingredients:

Fish: 250 gm (I used Salmon fillets)

For the marinade:

Mint leaves: a handful
Bay leaves: 2
Yogurt: 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp.
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.

For the curry:

Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Whole red chilli: 1
Asafoetida: a pinch
Onion (chopped): 1
Ginger-garlic paste: 3 tsp.
Tomato (chopped): 2
Salt to taste
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.

1. Make a paste of mint leaves, yogurt, bay leaves in a mixer and add salt, garam masala and lemon juice and mix well. Add the washed and cubed fish to this paste and leave aside for about 10-15 minutes. 
   
2. Heat oil in a pan on medium flame and carefully add all the fish pieces on the pan. Save the marinade paste for adding later. Fry the fish from all sides for about 5-6 minutes and keep aside.
3. Prepare the curry: heat oil in the same pan and crackle mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and add the dried red chilli and asafoetida. 
4. Add onion after half a minute and let fry until it starts becoming transparent. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw smell goes away.
5. Add the tomatoes and green chilli. Sprinkle little salt and let fry until the tomatoes are soft. Add the dry spices: red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Mix everything well and let cook for another minute. 
   
6. Add the remaining marinade and about a cup of water. Cover and let cook for about 10 minutes on medium flame. 
7. Remove the cover and add the fried fish. Mix carefully so as not to break the delicate fish. 
    
   
8. Cover to let the flavors blend in completely and turn off the flame. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Remove the cover and serve hot with jeera rice !!

Rustic Salmon Curry

Ingredients:

Salmon Fish: 200 gm
Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsp.
Coriander seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Black peppercorns: 1/2 tsp.
Star Anise: 1
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.
Cooking oil: 2 tsp.
Dried red chilli: 1
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Onion seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 2
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Cashew nuts (soaked in water and ground): a few
Coconut (dessicated): 2 tsp.
Tamarind extract: 1 tsp.

1. Crush the coriander seeds, peppercorns and star anise in mortal-pestel. Add the ginger-garlic paste and lemon juice. Marinate the washed and sliced fish fillets in this mix for 15 minutes.
2. Heat oil and fry the fish pieces in medium heat for 5 minutes on both sides. Remove from the pan and keep aside, leaving the oil in the pan itself.
3. Heat the same pan again and add dried red chilli, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and onion seeds. When all the dry spices begin to splutter, add the onions and fry until they are transparent. 
4. Add tomatoes and green chilli and sprinkle salt. Let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Add the cashew paste, coconut and tamarind. Mix everything well and add 2 cups of water. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes.
5. Remove cover and add the fried fish. Mix and let cook for another 2 minutes, do not mix a lot as it will break the delicate fish. Remove from flame and serve with jeera rice.