MEEN PEERA (FISH COOKED IN MILD SPICY COCONUT MIX)

Ingredients

1.      Fish-250gm (any small sized fish like anchovy ,small sized sardine etc…)

2.      Ginger-1"(inch) piece

3.      Pearl onion-4nos or half of 1 pink onion

4.      Garlic-4pods

5.      Green chilly-3nos

6.      Turmeric powder-3/4tsp

7.      Chilly powder-1tsp

8.      Grated coconut-1/2 cup

9.      Cocum(kudampuli)-2nos

10.  Oil-1tbsp

11.  Salt

12.  Water-1/2 cup

13.  Curry leaves

Method of preparation

1.      Clean and cut the fish(sardine) into small pieces .wash kudampuli 3 times ,soak in ¼ cup of salt water for 15 minutes.

2.      Crush the ingredients 2-4 using mixie. Add the ingredientes5-7 into this. Give one more rotation just to incorporate all. Take care not to grind the coconut.

3.      Transfer this into your cooking pot (preferably cheenachatti or meen chatty).now add fish,kudampuli,little salt and water,mix well. Cook in medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes or until the water dries up.

4.      When it is cooked switch off the flame. Add oil and curry leaves. Give a stir without breaking the fish. Serve with rice or puttu..

NOTES: Here I used sardine. You can use any small sized fish ,that can be used whole with head and tail removed.kudampuli can be substituted with raw mango or irumban puli(Averrhoa bilimbi).the curry tastes best when it is added with coconut oil.