KERALA RED FISH CURRY
RECIPE
Combining heart warming spiciness with a tangy sourness, this Red Fish Curry is sure to become your new household favorite.
Careful though, it’s extremely addicting… especially with rice!
THE GREAT
FLAVORS OF KERALA
Lovingly known as “God’s Own Country”, Kerala is a melting pot of natural beauty interspersed with a rich cultural diversity of ethnicities, religions, cuisines, and much more.
A southern state on the Malabar coast of India, Kerala is first mentioned (as Keralaputra) in a 3rd-century-BCE rock inscription left by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka. In the last centuries BCE this region became famous among the Greeks and Romans for its spices (especially pepper).
One folk etymology derives Kerala from the Malayalam word Kera ‘coconut tree’ and alam ‘land’; thus, ‘Land of Coconuts’, which is a nickname for the state used by locals due to the abundance of coconut trees.
That’s just a small taste of the land’s rich history, so if do you get a chance to visit this precious and bountiful land, you really should.
Today we’re going to create one of the most beloved dishes in Kerala, and that’s the Red Fish Curry.
Kudampuli (Garcinia Cambogia) a.k.a Malabar Tamarind/Fish Tamarind is what makes this Kerala Red Fish Curry revel in a league of it’s own. Its spicy, tangy-sour flavors will be soon become an irresistible, lip smacking memory that will haunt your nightmares and turn them into pleasant dreams.
It’s extremely simple to prepare and you can absolutely do it too!
Let’s dive in!
THE INGREDIENTS AT A GLANCE
TURMERIC POWDER
MUSTARD SEEDS
COCONUT OIL
KASHMIRI CHILI POWDER
FENUGREEK SEEDS
GINGER GARLIC PASTE
CURRY LEAVES
TOMATOES
KUDAMPULI (Garcinia Cambogia)
KINGFISH STEAKS
KERALA RED FISH CURRY
2
servings5
minutes20
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
500 grams 500 grams Fish (your choice) - serves 2
6 6 Kudampuli a.k.a Garcinia Cambogia/Malabar Fish Tamarind (Medium size)
4 tablespoons 4 tablespoons Coconut Oil (for first stage)
3 tablespoons 3 tablespoons Coconut Oil (for final stage)
1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon Mustard Seeds
1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon Fenugreek Seeds (level)
4 4 Curry Leaf branches (for first stage)
4 4 Curry Leaf branches (for final stage)
2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons Ginger Garlic Paste
1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon Turmeric Powder (level)
4 tablespoons 4 tablespoons Kashmiri Chili Powder
3 3 Tomatoes (Medium size)
3/4 cup 178 ml Water (for first stage)
2 cups 475 ml Water (for final stage)
1/2 tablespoon 1/2 tablespoon salt
Directions
- Let's start with the tomatoes!
- Cut them into quarters so it's easier to blend
- Next, in your blender (Nutribullet used here), add the diced tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, chili powder, turmeric powder, salt (1/2 tablespoon) and 3/4th cup (178ml) of water
- Heat up a wok and add the first 4 tablespoons of coconut oil. Once the oil is nice and hot, add the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds so they start to pop, and immediately add the curry leaves (4 branches)
- Add the blended red paste (from the blender) into to the wok, turn heat to HIGH until the paste bubbles and then switch to MEDIUM heat. Keep stirring for about 5 mins to cook the paste and until most of the water has evaporated
- Now add all 6 kudampulis (along with the water they were soaking in), to the the wok. Then add 2 cups of hot water. Turn heat to HIGH until it starts to boil and bubble!
- While the gravy is still bubbling, add the fish pieces in one by one.
- This is the consistency we're looking for
- When you start to add the fish, the boiling and bubbling could slow down or come to a halt because the fish is room temperature. Depending on your cooking method (induction, stove, etc.) you might want to keep the heat high until it boils to bubbles again.
- After fish has been added and bubbles appear that second time, shake the wok gently by the wok's handle(s), not a spatula. This is because the spatula could easily bruise the delicate flesh of the fish, and also so that the fish doesn't stick to the bottom of the wok.
- Now close with lid and bring heat down to MEDIUM. Let the fish cook in that gorgeous red gravy for 10 mins.
- Open the lid and taste for salt. If you taste for salt without opening the lid you will have a mouthful of glass. Add extra salt if necessary. If you feel it's too "tangy" (pleasantly sour), you can remove the kudampuli.
- Next add the remaining 4 branches of curry leaves and drizzle the 3 tablespoons of coconut oil. You can now turn off the heat.
- Shake the wok (by the handles) gently in a circular motion one final time, before placing the lid back on.
- You can go ahead and serve it immediately if you can't resist, but let it rest overnight (outside, not in the fridge) for the most enhanced taste as the fish and the gravy exchange combine their rich flavors. Don't worry it won't go bad.
- The next day when you taste it, will be perfect!
- Serve it with rice, or Indian roti, chapati, naan, or just have it all by itself.
- And that's it! CONGRATULATIONS if you attempted this mouth wateringly delicious spicy, tangy authentic Kerala Red Fish Curry! ????
Notes
- Remember that everyone's taste buds are going to naturally be slightly different, so if you still feel it's too tangy, just add less "Kudampuli" the next time.
Welcome to
ALEXANDER’S
GARDEN
May our insatiable love for life, food and laughter be immortal.
Today, we feast our eyes and bellies on India’s famed…
KERALA RED FISH CURRY!
The fish we’ll be cooking with today is the Kingfish, also known as Seer fish or “Neymeen” in Malayalam, the local language. With just a single bone in the center, its rich, buttery, delicate soft flesh is perfect for this dish and you are gonna absolutely SAVOR it.
FISH LOVERS, REJOICE!
Fish is an excellent source of high quality protein and an important source of a variety of nutrients, such as n-3 (omega-3) fatty acids, proteins, selenium, iodine, vitamin D, and taurine!
Consuming fish one to three times a week is the dietary recommendation from various governing bodies and that’s GREAT news for us fish lovers!
Fish can either be lean, medium-fatty, or fatty depending on the amount of fat in its body tissue which does contribute greatly to the flavor. Concentration of nutrients and the content can vary between the species, with the largest differences being between lean and fatty fish.
Fatty fish has a higher level of n-3 fatty acids and the fat-soluble vitamin D, but in contrast lean fish contains more iodine and taurine. So you can always choose the fish that you love or that which suits your nutritional needs.
Hey, why not both? 
FISHING IN KERALA
Kerala’s backwaters are truly a sight to behold, with a network of brackish lagoons and canals lying parallel to the Arabian Sea of the Malabar coast of Kerala state in south-western India.
Both Marine and Inland Fish are plentiful in Kerala!
Marine fisheries are the only source of livelihood for over 10 lakh marine fishermen of the Coast of Kerala. Since the state is blessed with abundant fresh water resources consisting of rivers, backwaters, estuaries, fresh water lakes, reservoirs, minor irrigation tanks and ponds, Inland fisheries have a great scope in Kerala.
Kerala is also the leading fishing state but fishing is practiced along the entire length of India’s coastline and on virtually all of its many rivers.
Karimeen known also as Pearl Spot or Green chromide (Etroplus suratensis) is a species of cichlid fish that is native to these backwaters and is ohh so tasty!
But what’s really admirable about this fish is that it smiles even in the face of death. That’s because Karimeen knows just how delicious it is, having lived the great aqua life. They call it Fish Life. Kinda similar to thug life, but not even close.
Karimeen loves gorging on aquatic plants, including filamentous algae and diatoms, but it won’t say no to the occasional mollusk and other animal matter.
This species engages in attentive parental care in which several adults care for each brood, and then they become our food.
The Great Circle of Life.
Wait, why are we talking about Karimeen here? This a recipe for Kerala Red Fish Curry.
There’s another recipe for Karimeen coming soon.
Let’s take a minute to be grateful to the hard working fishermen and women all over the world.
Thank you for your courage in weathering the tides, the brutal storms and all the other grave dangers of the high seas, to bring back food; that which many of us take for granted.
THANK YOU.
YOUR
CULINARY KINGDOM
AWAITS
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quick recap
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
KERALA RED FISH CURRY
CAN I USE ANY FISH FOR THIS RECIPE?
Absolutely. Traditionally, Sardines (Matthi) are used for this recipe, but any fish you have on hand is perfectly fine. What we’ve used here were steaks of King Fish (Neymeen).
WHAT IS KUDUMPULI?
Kudumpuli also known as Garcinia Cambogia or Garcinia gummi-gutta is a tropical species of Garcinia native to South Asia and Southeast Asia.
It also goes by Brindle Berry, Malabar tamarind or Fish tamarind. The fruit looks like a small pumpkin and is pale yellow in color. Once ripe, it’s plucked and sun-dried to a leathery black texture and appearance.
Kudampuli is undoubtedly the unsung hero of this dish; quietly working it’s tangy magic while expecting nothing in return. Gracias Garcinia!
HOW DO I MAKE MY GRAVY THICKER?
When you’re at the first stage of making the paste using the blender don’t add too much water. Definitely add a little water at least, because it’s necessary for the blades to do it’s job and offer you a nice workable blend.
Later, once you’ve added the paste into the wok, you can add as much water as you need to get the thick gravy consistency.
And if you added too much water in the wok by accident, no worries! Keep boiling it on high heat until most of the water evaporates and you’re left with a much thicker consistency. Just make sure to do this before adding in the fish!
