Meen kudampuli ittu Vekichathu (Fish cooked in gambooge)

This is an easy and delicious fish curry which is prepared for weddings and can be used for 3 or 4 days if prepared with care.

Ingredients.

1. Fish(Seer Fish or any big fish which can be cut into small pieces) –half  kg
2. Kudampuli/Gambooge (tamarind which is used in central Kerala for fish dishes) -4 pieces which is placed in hot water half an hour before the fish is prepared
3. Small onions - 5nos chopped thinly.
4. Ginger- 1inch piece chopped thinly
5. Green chillies - 5 nos sliced
6. Garlic –half a pod sliced
7. Red chilli powder-2 tbsp
8. Pepper powder-1 tea spoon
9. Oil -1tbs
10. Salt to taste, curry leaves –a big bunch


Method

Clean the fish pieces and mix it with some red chilli powder, turmeric, pepper and salt and keep aside for sometime. Put 2 tbsp of kashmiri chilli powder in tamarind water, keep the kudampuli pieces separate.

Keep an earthenware pot on the flame add chopped onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies and sauté well. Keep half of it aside. Leave the remaining half in the pot, add kudam puli pieces and curry leaves  with its branch then place half of the fish pieces. Over that, place the remaining sauteed onion-mix, puli pieces and curry leaves. Then place the remaining fish pieces and then the chilli powder soaked in kudampuli water putting  putting sauted onions and fish in two layers.

While doing all these you can place the pot in simmering heat, but be careful that the fish does not smoke. Then if needed add some more water and swirl the pot so that everything mixes well. Cook the fish curry on medium fire till it boils. When the fish is cooked, slow down the fire and heat it till the gravy thickens.

Serve hot with rice/puttu/chapathis.