Sardine fish roast cooked in a clay pan…
Seafood is a staple food for most non-vegetarian Keralites. Most people have fish on a daily basis & fresh catch of the day is available in fish markets or fishmongers will home deliver the fish. In Kerala, there are many kinds of fish curries & fish dishes. In fact, every district in Kerala has its own special way of making fish curry.
This is a rather dry dish with sardines or chala. Easy recipe & can be enjoyed with rice or chapati.
Kerala Style Sardine Fish Roast- Claypot Cooking
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Thasneen
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
- Whole Sardines- 5
For making spice mix
- Whole peppercorns- 1 tsp
- Dried red chilies- 3
- Fennel seeds- 1 tsp
- Fenugreek seeds- ½ tsp
For cooking
- Coconut oil- 2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
- Curry leaves- 10 leaves
- Ginger, grated- ½ tbsp
- Garlic, grated- ½ tbsp
- Onions or shallots sliced- 1 onion or 3 large shallots
- Salt- 1½ tsp
- Tomatoes, chopped- 2
- Coriander powder- ½ tbsp
- Tamarind extract- ½ cup
Instructions
- Use whole sardines or any kind of fish- cut into pieces.
- Clean the sardines well, put a few lines on the fish.
- In a blender jar, add the spices & coarsely grind them.
- Soak 2 inch slice fresh tamarind in ½ cup warm water for 5 minutes, squeeze the tamarind in water to extract the juice. Strain the extract & discard the skin.
- Place a claypan or a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add oil, let turn hot.
- Add mustard seeds, let splutter.
- Add curry leaves, ginger-garlic, saute for 2 minutes.
- Add onions, season with salt.
- Cook till onions turn light golden in color.
- Add tomatoes, cook covered till tomatoes are mashed up.
- Add the ground spice mix, combine well.
- Add coriander powder, combine well.
- Add the fish, gently combine well.
- Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the tamarind extract, gently combine everything.
- Cook covered till the fish has cooked through.
- Cook over high heat, let the gravy thicken & the fish turns slightly brown. This is a dry roast.
- Tastes better when the fish turns brown, will have a fried taste.
- Garnish with curry leaves.
- Enjoy with rice or with chapati.
