Chettinad Fish Curry

Chettinad Fish Curry

Chettinad Fish Curry

Chettinad cuisine hails from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Their cuisine is known for using lots of whole spices and having robust flavors. Typical spices that they like to use include fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and black peppercorns. This fish curry is a great representation of Chettinad cooking. I used king fish, which is a type of mackerel, in this recipe. You can use cod, tilapia, monkfish, or pomfret if you can’t find king fish.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: fish, Indian, main course, South Asian
Servings: 4
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • Spice grinder
  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 15 curry leaves
  • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 2 small tomatoes finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tsp tamarind concentrate
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • salt to taste
  • 1 1/2 lbs king fish steaks
  • 2 tbsp coconut milk

Spice Powder

  • 2 tbsp urad dal
  • 3 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns

Garnish

  • cilantro chopped
  • 5 curry leaves

Instructions

  • Lightly dry toast the whole spice powder spices in a small skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes.
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  • Grind in a spice powder. Set aside.
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  • Process the red onion into a paste in a food processor. Set aside.
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  • Heat up cooking oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Fry the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves for 30 seconds.
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  • Add in the onion paste and fry for 5 minutes.
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  • Add in the ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes.
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  • Add in the tomatoes and fry for 5 minutes.
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  • Add in the Kashmiri chili powder and turmeric. Fry for 30 seconds.
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  • Pour in the water. Add in the spice powder. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
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  • Stir in the tamarind, sugar, and salt. Add in the fish steaks. Simmer for 5 minutes.
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  • Stir in the coconut milk. Simmer for 1 more minute. Garnish with chopped cilantro and curry leaves.
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Serve with steamed rice and paratha.
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