Meen kuzhambu / fish curry is prepared with boneless tilapia in tamarind sauce. It goes well with white rice or idly.

Ingredients:

• 8 pieces – Tilapia fish boneless (wash with lemon juice and marinate with little red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt)
• 10 nos – Small onion or sambar onion (chopped finely)
• 1 no – Tomatoes (chopped finely)
• 1 no – Tamarind (gooseberry size)
• Salt as needed

For grinding:

• 1/4 tsp – Sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp – Cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp – Peppercorns
• 10 nos – Sambar onion
• 2 clove – Garlic
• 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp – Red chilli powder
• 2 tsp – Coriander powder

Seasonings:

• 2 tbsp – Sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp – Mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp – Split black gram / Ulunthu
• 10 nos – Fresh curry leaves
• 1 pinch – Asafoetida

Preparation method:

1. Wash tilapia fish pieces thoroughly with turmeric powder and water for 2 to 3 times. Finally wash fish with lemon juice because it helps to remove stinky smell from the fish. Then marinate fish with a pinch of turmeric powder, little red chilli powder and salt, set aside.
2. Soak tamarind in a 1/4 cup water and squeeze out the pulp, set aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan, season with cumin seeds and peppercorns. Add sambar onion, garlic followed by turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder, saute until raw smell goes. Allow them to cool and grind them to a puree. Set aside.
4. In the same pan, add sesame oil and season with items given in the list for seasoning. Add chopped onion along with required salt, saute until translucent. Then add tomatoes saute till mushy.
5. Add ground masala paste and saute for few seconds. Then add 1 cup of water and bring it to boil, allow them to cook for 5 to 10 mins. Add tamarind juice and cook until raw smell goes.
6. Finally add fish pieces and do not stir it for 5 mins. Cook until it reach gravy consistency. Switch off the stove and sprinkle fresh curry leaves, serve hot with white rice.

Notes:

• You can use tilapia with bone for this recipe. But I always prefer to boneless for my kid’s sake.
• Always wash any meat with lemon juice at last because it removes stinky smell or kavuchi smell from any meat like chicken, fish or goat etc.