Simple fish curry prepared with boneless tilapia fish and onion tomato based masala. I prefer tilapia fish that too boneless but you can always use any fish with or without bones. Tomatoes added in this recipe gives tangy taste to the curry that goes well with white rice, idly and dosai.

Ingredients:

• 6 pieces – Tilapia fish boneless (wash with lemon juices and marinated with turmeric powder and salt)
• 10 nos – Small onion or sambar onion (chopped finely)
• 1/2 no – Tomatoes (chopped finely)
• 1 or 2 nos – Green chillies
• 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp – Red chilli powder
• 2 tsp – Coriander powder
• Salt as needed

For grinding:

• 1/4 tsp – Oil
• 5 nos – Small onion / sambar onion (remove skin)
• 1/2 no – Tomato (chopped roughly)

Seasonings:

• 2 tbsp – Sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp – Mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp – Split black gram / Ulunthu
• 1/4 tsp – Cumin seeds
• 5 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 and little salt, set aside.
2. Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan, fry small onion and tomatoes (given in the list for grinding) and grind them to a puree. Set aside.
3. In the same pan, add sesame oil and season with items given in the list for seasoning. Add chopped onion and green chillies along with required salt, saute until translucent. Then add tomatoes saute till mushy.
4. At this stage add ground onion tomato and saute for few seconds. Then add all masala powder given in the list saute until raw smell goes. Add 1 cup of water and bring it to boil, allow them to cook for 10 to 15 mins.
5. Finally add fish pieces and do not stir it for 5 mins. Cook until it reach gravy consistency. Switch off the stove and serve hot with white rice.

Notes:

• You can use tilapia with bone for this recipe. But I always prefer to boneless for my kid sake.
• Tomato added in this recipe gives tangy taste to the dish so there is no need for tamarind water.
• Always wash any meat with lemon juices at last because it helps to remove stinky smell or kavuchi smell from any meat like chicken, fish or goat etc.