Fish Curry | Meen Kuzhambu | Fish Gravy Tamil Style | Fish Curry Recipe

Growing up, Saturdays would always be fish (and other seafood) days: piping hot meen kuzhambu with red rice or white rice or finger millet balls (ragi balls), accompanied with fried fish (usually the 3-ingredient fish fry) or fried prawns. Lunchtime was simply glorious! We’d enjoy polishing off the fresh, tender fish in a piquant, yet tangy fish curry and rice, whilst biting into the firm and crispy fried fish every now and then. Fingers were licked, lips were smacked, second and third helpings had, and the heads, tails and roe fought for.

Ah, what fun. The preparation though, took hours. First, my father would travel far and buy from only the best fish stalls. Then my mother spent the good part of the mid-morning descaling, cleaning and cutting the fish (our fishmongers do that for us now) on a special knife that stuck out of its stand at a 60º angle. She held it down with her foot while she held the slippery fish firmly in her hands as she descaled them. If you happened to go for a drink of water to the kitchen you’d be sure to get some scales on you! Saturdays were usually spent outside playing games with friends, so a trip to the kitchen for water was inevitable. All of the fish parts that weren’t going to be eaten, like the gills, were left outside on a piece of newspaper for the local cats. Meanwhile, my father would help in chopping and preparing some of the masala. And then both of them would work in perfect harmony to produce this outstanding Tamil style fish gravy.

The effort they put in, showed, and we kids would gleefully and deliriously slurp our meen kuzhambu along with the màu sadam. We just couldn’t get enough of it! With so much food inside us, we’d nap, dreaming of dinner. Ah, those were the days… and I do miss them!

This fish curry recipe is my mother’s as it was her mother’s. It is usually made in an earthen pot. Like an iron pot, a clay pot holds in heat long after the heat is turned off. In fact the fish gravy made in a clay pot would continue to boil and simmer for a few minutes. The fish gravy would then continue to cook for a long time thanks to the heat from the pot. And then, in an hour, it’d still be hot and ready to eat!

Adjust the chilly according to the amount of heat your can handle. This fish curry recipe is not too spicy, but it doesn’t skimp on it either. I do hope you enjoy this family favourite. Let the chilly- and coriander-rich masala tickle your nose as your fry it, and then you can smell the lovely aroma of roasted coconut cooking. Don’t worry, the chilly won’t hold all of its bite — not with the tomatoes and the tamarind. The tomatoes and the tamarind work their tangy and acidic magic and blend the spices beautifully and give the fish that bite. Before long, the distinct and heady smell of this gravy will beckon your stomach.

Related Links:

3-Ingredient Fish Fry South Indian Style (not just spice)

Finger Millet Balls | Màu Sadam | Ragi Muddè | Ragi Kali | Ragi Balls (not just spice)