South India Fish cooking

Fish kulambu and Fish Fry

Seafood is one of my favourites...fish,prawn,crab..Hmmm..what more I have even tried scallops,mussels and oyesters which failed to amuse my tastebuds but oh yeh Olive garden's Calamari is a delicacy.When i came to USA,I cooked again and again with only two fishes i could find,Catfish and Tilapia which actually tasted good.Someone showed me a farmer's market where i get so many kind of fishes now like snapper,pompfret,and the bestof all,king mackerel.

But the fish kulambu recipe stays the same for all.Here it goes,

Swarna's Meen Kulambu
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Ingredients
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Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds- 1 tbsp
Garlic (medium sized) - 20 cloves
Green chilli - 6
Curry leaves
Gingely Oil - 1/2 cup
Tomato -1
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 3 tbsp
Tamarind water -1/2 cup
Fish (of your choice)
Salt as required

To grind
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Onion - 1 (if you have small onions or shallots it is great)
Shredded coconut - 3 tbsp (skip coconut for a healthier choice)
Cumin - 2 tbsp

Method
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Heat oil in a kadai.put mustard seeds.After it crackles put fenugreek,garlic and 3 green chillies and roast till the garlic gets some brown color.add curry leaves.add red chilli powder in the oil.saute it exactly for 2 seconds or else the red chilli powder would burn.puttinnog the red chiili powder in the oil would give a nice color and smell.now add the grounded mixture.(keep this handy to put it immediately after the red chilli powder).saute it well.add tomato and tamarind water.Now add the fish and salt.let it cook.atlast add 3 slit green chillies and some curry leaves and switch off.This will taste better if you just close it and keep it for atleast 3 hours before eating.

Swarna's Fish Fry
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Now the recipe varies for fish fry.If it is fillet that you want to roast.Then this is the recipe.

Ingredients (Amount as required for the amount of fish)
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Louisiana Fish fry powder - as required (u get it in walmart and all stores)
Garlic powder
Cumin powder
Chilli powder
Coriander powder
pepper powder
salt
lime juice

Mix it all with some water and let it marinate in the fridge for atleast an hour.Overnight is great.Add oil in a pan and fry till it gets its golden color.Adding the fish fry flour keeps the pieces intact.

South Indian fish fry
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Vanjeeram (king mackerel) works great for this type of fry.Any other steak cut of fishes would do too.Take a bowl.For 5 pieces of fish,Add 2 tbsp chilli powder,2 tbsp coriander powder,salt,lime juice,little cumin powder,little pepper powder .mix it with water and make thick paste.apply over fish, marinate and fry.

Onion Salad
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This salad goes great with fish kulambu.Mix thin cut red onions,tomato,green chilles(few),coriander leaves,lime juice and salt.

Tips:
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• Remove the skin of the fish for kulambu if you don't like the strong flavour.
• Add some fennel seeds for river fishes.
• while frying turn the fish only once.don't keep on turning.
• Always add less salt and not too much tamarind while cooking.you can add later after tasting.