Meen Peera
Firm river or sea fish simmered with a coarse coconut, shallot and turmeric masala, a Syrian Christian home-style preparation from central Kerala.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 220 kcal
Equipment
- •Clay pot (meen chatti)
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- fat
- 12 g
- carbs
- 6 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 24 g
- calories
- 220 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Crush the grated coconut roughly with shallots, ginger, chilli powder and turmeric using a mortar and pestle.
- 2
Place the fish pieces in a clay pot. Spread the crushed coconut mixture over them.
- 3
Add slit green chillies, curry leaves and soaked kudampuli (dried Malabar tamarind) with its soaking water.
- 4
Add salt and drizzle coconut oil over the top.
- 5
Cover and cook on medium-low heat. Shake the pot gently instead of stirring too much.
- 6
Simmer gently until the fish is cooked through and the coconut masala (spice blend) coats the pieces thickly.
- 7
Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving so the flavours settle.
Chef's tips
Use a clay pot if possible for the best flavour. Shake the pot gently rather than stirring to keep the fish intact, and soak kudampuli well to release its sourness.
Ingredient substitutions
- kudampuli → tamarind pulp
Storage
Refrigerate up to 2 days; flavour improves the next day.
Reheating
Warm gently on low flame in the same pot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Stirring too hard with a spoon and breaking the delicate fish pieces.
Serving suggestions
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