Quick & Easy Beginner friendly Kerala Fish curry | Simple Meen Vattichathu | kukskitchen

This dish is a celebration of Kerala’s coastal flavors, where the tanginess of kudampuli and the richness of coconut oil come together to create a soulful, aromatic curry!

My quick & easy version requires no chopping and uses very few ingredients. The taste is but out of this world if you use the ratios below.

 

A few things before we start: 

Serve the curry hot with steamed rice or kappa (tapioca).

For a deeper flavour, allow the curry to rest for a few hours before serving.

I use Salmon, Seabass or Sea Bream.

If you like to sweat during meals, lol, like some of my uncles & aunties, please add addiitonal one tsp of red hot chilli powder to the mix. 

The trick to perfect balance of salt is to taste the gravy before serving. I say this because as much as one can give the measurement of salt, the saltiness of salt varies from country to country. For example you may need to add one and a half teaspoon of British salt in place of one teaspoon of Indian salt.

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Simple  Meen Vattichathu

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Ingredients:

1. Fish – 500 g (Wild salmon, kingfish, sardines, or your choice of firm fish)
2. Coconut Oil – 3–4 tbsp
3. Mustard Seeds – 3/4 tsp
4. Fenugreek Seeds – A pinch
5. Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
6. Red Chilli Powder – 1.5 tbsp (Use a blend of Kashmiri chili powder for color and regular chilli powder for heat)
7. Kudampuli (Gambooge) – 2 pieces (Wash and soak in 1/4 cup warm water for 15–20 minutes, then tear into small pieces)
8. Hot Water – 1.5 cups (adjust as needed)
9. Salt – 2 1/2 teaspoon 

Method:

1. Prepare the Spice Paste:
   In a small bowl, mix turmeric powder and red chili powder, with 1.5–2 tbsp of water to form a smooth paste. Set aside.

2. Heat the Base:
   Heat coconut oil in a traditional clay pot (meen chatti) or deep pan over medium heat. Splutter the mustard seeds, then lower the heat and add the fenugreek seeds for an earthy aroma.

3. Cook the Spices:
   Add the prepared spice paste to the pot, stirring continuously to prevent it from burning. Sauté for 2–3 minutes until the oil separates and the spices are fragrant.

4. Add Kudampuli:
   Stir in the soaked kudampuli pieces. Mix well to let the flavours meld.

5. Simmer the Curry Base:
   Pour in 1.5 cups of hot water and season with salt. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then simmer for a few minutes to let the flavours develop. If the curry isn’t sour enough, add a splash of the water used to soak the kudampuli.

6. Add the Fish:
   Gently place the fish pieces into the simmering gravy. Do not stir vigorously to avoid breaking the fish. Cover and cook on low heat until the fish is tender and cooked through (approximately 7–10 minutes, depending on the type of fish).

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Thank you xx 

Sherin Jos