Flavorful & aromatic fish curry in roasted coconut gravy & with Ajwain seeds…
In South India, especially in Kerala, there are many ways of making fish curries, among all those recipes my favorite is fish cooked in roasted coconut gravy.
The other day, when I had a chat with my mom she told me to add Ajwain seeds when I make fish curry. At times, my mom used to add Ajwain seeds to the fish curry & the curry has a nice aroma & flavor.
Ajwain seeds have amazing health benefits, they help to relieve indigestion, stomach aches & bloating. Ajwain seeds infused water is given to babies & infants.
Added Ajwain seeds to this fish curry & it turned out awesome. Ajwain seeds have a nice herbal fragrance so a little bit of it goes a long way.
If you like the taste & aroma of Ajwain seeds, do add that while making this curry. Otherwise, you can skip adding the seeds.
Other Fish Curry Recipes Click Here
- Grated coconut- 1½ cups
- Curry leaves- 1 sprig
- Whole black peppercorns- 1 tsp
- Whole dried red chilies- 3
- Coriander seeds- 1 tbsp
- Kashmiri chili powder- 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder- ⅛ tsp
- Ground roasted coconut
- Water- ½ cup
- Curry leaves- 1 sprig
- Green chilies, halved- 2
- Tamarind extract- 2-inch slice soaked in ½ cup lukewarm water
- Fish pieces, 6 to 8- I’ve added whiting fish
- Salt- 1½ tsp
- Ajwain or carom seeds- 1 tsp
- Firstly, let's roast the coconut.
- Place a pan over medium heat, add the grated coconut & curry leaves.
- Roast till most of the coconut turns golden brown.
- Add whole peppercorns, dried red chilies & coriander seeds; roast for 2 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat, add Kashmiri chili powder & turmeric powder, combine well.
- Let the roasted coconut cool down.
- Add to a blender jar along with 1 cup water & grind to a smooth paste.
- In a bowl, soak 2-inch slices fresh tamarind in ½ cup lukewarm water for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, squeeze the tamarind in water, strain the tamarind extract & discard the skin.
- To a clay pan or saucepan, add the ground coconut.
- Add curry leaves & green chilies.
- Add the tamarind extract.
- I've added whiting fish pieces, any kind of fish can be added like sardines, sea bream, sea bass, kingfish, mackerel, pomfret, etc.
- Add salt, gently mix everything well.
- Place the pan over medium heat, close with the lid & cook for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, add 1 tsp Ajwain or carom seeds, combine well.
- Cook covered for another 10 to 15 minutes till the fish turns soft.
- Take the pan off the heat & keep it covered for a few minutes.
- Enjoy the fish curry with rice, appam, idiyappam, puttu, chapati, etc.
