Venad Paal Konju

A recipe by Chef Suresh Pillai. I am an ardent fan of Chef Suresh Pillai's most recipes. They are simple to make and taste just out of the world. Here I am sharing one of the simplest yet most delicious prawns recipes. Thank you Chef for introducing this beautiful authentic prawns recipe.

 Ingredients

500gm cleaned prawns 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp crushed pepper 1/4 tsp pepper powder 1 tbsp chilli flakes salt to taste 5-6 garlic cloves (with skin) few curry leaves 2 tbsp coconut milk + few curry leaves 1 inch ginger chopped 3-4 green chillies slit

1 tbsp + 1 tsp + 3 tbsp coconut oil

Method

Check out my video to see how this incredibly delicious dish is prepared👉👉 Venad Paal Konju

• Marinate the prawns with turmeric powder, crushed pepper, pepper powder, chilli flakes and salt.
• Crush the garlic cloves(with skin) and add them to the prawns. Add a few curry leaves and 1Tbsp coconut oil and mix everything well and marinate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl take 2Tbsp coconut milk. Chop a few curry leaves and add them to the milk. Add 1tsp of coconut oil and mix everything well. Keep this aside.
• Chop the ginger and slit the green chillies and keep aside.
• In a pan heat 3Tbsp coconut oil and shallow fry the prawns along with the crushed garlic.
• Sprinkle the chopped ginger and green chillies over the prawns while frying.
• Fry the prawns on both sides for not more than 2 minutes. (If you cook for a longer time the prawns will turn rubbery)
• Drizzle the prepared coconut milk mix over the prawns and roast the prawns until the coconut milk is fully absorbed. (This will take just 2-3 minutes)
• Serve the delicious venad paal konju with piping hot steamed rice and a curry of your choice.

Chemeen Roast/Prawns Roast

Ingredients
 For marination
500 gms chemeen/prawns(cleaned and deveined)
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp roasted fennel powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
salt

For roasting
1/4 tsp fenugreek/methi/uluva seeds
2 onions sliced
1 tomato chopped
2 green chillies slit
a few curry leaves
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp grated coconut
1 whole red chilli
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 tsp pepper powder
1/4 tsp fennel powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
a few curry leaves
salt to taste
3-4 Tbsp coconut oil

Method

• Marinate the prawns with the ingredients mentioned under marination and keep aside for 10 minutes. 
• Shallow fry the marinated prawns in coconut oil, until slightly browned on both sides and keep aside.
• Into the same oil add the fenugreek/uluva seeds, whole red chilli broken, curry leaves and the grated coconut. Fry for sometime and then add the slit green chillies. Fry until coconut starts to turn into light golden colour.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and fry again for a few seconds. Toss in the sliced onions and add salt. Fry until onion turns translucent. Then add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, pepper powder, fennel powder and garam masala powder. Mix and fry for a few seconds
• Add the tomatoes, mix and cover and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.
• Now toss in the fried prawns and mix everything well and roast well.
• Serve hot with garnished with curry leaves.

Fish Curry - Thrissur style

Kerala is famous for its fish curries. Each part of the state serves different types of fish curries, which are all remarkable in their own way. Some have coconut milk in them whereas some don't. Some are cooked in a tomato based gravy, some with the tanginess of kokum, tamarind or raw mango, whereas in some places it is cooked in  the gravy of roasted and grinded coconut. Each place you go in Kerala , they will be having their own style of cooking the fish curry. Here I am sharing a fish curry recipe which is commonly found in the Thrissur district of Kerala. In Thrissur itself there are various ways of cooking fish curry, this is just one of them. 

Ingredients
1/2 kg fish(pomfret)-cleaned and cut into thick slices
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 inch ginger, peeled
4-5 shallots
2 pieces of kokum/kudampuli(soaked in 3tbsp of warm water)
3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
few curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 Tbsp kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp chilli powder
salt to taste
For seasoning
2 Tbsp coconut oil
3 shallots, sliced thin
few curry leaves

Method

• Crush the ginger and shallots together.
• In a thick bottomed vessel or preferably an earthern pot(manchatti), add the coconut milk, 1 1/2 cup water, turmeric powder, chilli powders, salt, soaked kokum pieces, crushed ginger and shallots, half of the curry leaves and salt. Mix everything well.
• Bring this mixture to a boil. Once it starts to boil, add the fish pieces.
• Cook on a medium flame until the fish is cooked. Once the fish is added do not stir the curry frequently, instead pick up the vessel and rotate it to mix everything well.
• Add the slit green chillies and remaining curry leaves.
• Cook until the gravy thickens to your preferred consistency.
• Remove from heat and keep aside.
• For the seasoning, in a small pan heat the coconut oil. Add the sliced shallots and curry leaves. Fry until the shallots turn golden brown in colour. Pour this seasoning on the prepared fish curry and cover the curry with a lid immediately, so that the aroma is trapped in the fish curry.
• Leave it undisturbed for 10 minutes. Mix well and serve.

*Any fish can be used. I have also tried this curry with anchovies and it has come out well.

* While cooking with small fish, a few pieces of drumstick can also be added. This imparts a unique taste to the fish curry.

* Kashmiri chilli powder has been used here so that the dish gets a rich colour without being too spicy either. It can however be omitted and the normal chilli powder can be used, but the quantity has to be reduced.

*For those who don't like the taste of kokum can substitute it with, raw mango pieces to impart the sourness to the dish.

Manthal/ Sole fish fry

Ingredients

 3 big sole fish/ manthal(approx 750gm)

2-4 shallots

6-7 garlic pods, peeled

1 Tbsp kashmiri chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp pepper powder

 few curry leaves

salt to taste

1Tbsp coconut oil

1tsp sesame oil

Method

• Clean the fish, wash and cut into medium size pieces.
• Grind together the shallots, garlic, curry leaves, chilli powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt with one teaspoon coconut oil  into a fine thick paste(you can sprinkle little water to make the grinding easy, but take care not to add too much)
• Marinate the fish with the grinded paste for atleast 15-20 minutes(the more the better).
• Heat a nonstick pan. Pour the remaining coconut oil and sesame oil.
• Once the oil is hot,turn the heat to medium low. Place the marinated fish on the pan and fry, flipping over after few minutes until both the sides of the fish is cooked and roasted well.
• Remove from the pan and garnish with curry leaves.
• Serve with rice and any curry of your choice.

Hyderabadi Prawns Biriyani

Ingredients

500 gms prawns, cleaned and deveined

500 gms basmati rice

3 big onions sliced thin

6 green chillies, chopped fine

1 cup mint leaves

1/2 cup coriander leaves

1tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

juice of 1 lemon

2 bay leaves

300 gms yoghurt, whisked

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp red chilli powder

6 Tbsp oil + extra for frying onions

1 Tbsp ghee

For the biriyani masala

1 tsp shahi jeera

1 tsp fennel seeds

4 cardomoms

5 cloves

4 half inch cinnamon sticks

Method

• The ingredients under the biriyani masala  have to be dry roasted for 2 minutes and then ground into a fine powder.  In this recipe 2 tsp of the this masala is only required(use less if you are prefer a milder biriyani).The remaining powder can then be stored in an airtight jar.
• Fry the sliced onions until they turn crisp and golden brown. Drain from the oil and keep aside.
• Soak the rice for 30 minutes and then drain and keep aside.
• Marinate the prawns with turmeric powder, chilli powder, 1 tsp of the prepared biriyani masala, ginger paste, garlic paste, half of the fried onions, chopped green chillies, half of the mint leaves, lemon juice, salt and yoghurt.
• In a large cooking pot, add water(three times the amount of rice). Add 1 tsp of the biriyani masala, bay leaves, 1 Tbsp oil(you can add the oil in which the onions were fried),  few mint leaves and salt.
• When you taste the water it should be salty. Bring this water to a rolling boil.
• Meanwhile in a heavy bottomed pan, add the oil and ghee. Spread the marinated prawns along with the marinade over the oil and keep aside.
• Add the soaked rice to the boiling water. Allow to boil for 4 minutes. Rice should only be half cooked. Remove from heat and drain the rice immediately.
• Once drained spread the rice over the prawns marinade evenly. Sprinkle the remaining mint leaves, coriander leaves and fried onion on top. (You can aslo drizzle 1Tbsp of saffron infused milk(a pinch of saffron strands soaked in 1 Tbsp of warm milk) on top of the rice at this step)
• Cover  with a tight lid and cook on high flame for 7 minutes. Then bring down  to a medium-low flame and cook for 5 minutes. Finally turn the flame very low and cook for 7-10 minutes. Switch off the flame. Do not open immediately. 
• Allow the biriyani to stand for atleast 30 minutes before opening the lid.
• Serve hot with raita, pickle and pappad.

Mangalorean Fried Squid

Ingredients
1/4 kg squid,cleaned,cut into rings
1 medium onion,finely sliced
2 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon vinegar
Salt to taste
3-4 sprigs curry leaves
Coconut oil for frying

Method

• In a bowl,add  chilli powder,cumin powder,turmeric powder,vinegar and salt.Mix the ingredients with water and make a paste.
• Marinate the squid with the above masala and refrigerate for half an hour.
• Heat a pan with 3-4 tablespoon coconut oil.
• Sauté onion and curry leaves on medium flame and stir until the onion turns golden brown.
• Turn up  the heat to high and carefully add the squid.
• Stir on high flame for 1 - 2 minutes.
• Turn-off the flame when the squid  turns opaque or white.(over cooking will make the squid rubbery).
• Serve hot with rice.

Prawns tomato roast

Ingredients
500 gms prawns, cleaned and deveined
a handful of shallots, sliced
1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 large tomato chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
lots of curry leaves
 3-4 Tbsp coconut oil
salt to taste

Method

• Marinate the prawns with turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt.
• In about 3 Tbsp of coconut oil saute the sliced shallots. Once it starts turning golden brown add the ginger-garlic paste and fry well until the raw smell is gone.
• Add the kashmiri chilli powder and fry for a minute more.
• Now add the tomatoes and mix well. Cover and cook for few minutes until the tomatoes turn mushy.
• Once the tomatoes are fully mashed and oil layer starts to show from the sides, tip in the prawns. Mix well.
• Add some curry leaves and let the prawns get cooked in the tomato gravy(don't add water, the prawns should get cooked in the juice of the tomatoes).
• Fry well until the prawns are cooked, dark in colour and coated with the tomato masala.
• Remove from heat and add some more curry leaves and drizzle 1 Tbsp of coconut oil on top and serve hot.

Prawns Vada

Ingredients

500 gram prawns,cleaned,deveined

1/2 cup grated coconut

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2-3 shallots

4-5 green chilies

2 sprigs curry leaves

2 garlic cloves

1"ginger

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Method

• In a grinder, crush the prawns slightly  and keep aside.
• Grind coarsely the coconut, shallots,green chilies,curry leaves,cumin seeds,garlic,ginger and turmeric.
• Mix prawns with the above mixture and add the required amount of salt.
• Heat oil in a kadai.
• Wet the palm of your hand with water and place a small ball of vada mix on it.
• Press it down slightly and make a small hole at the center using one finger.
• Drop it slowly into the hot oil.
• Fry the vada until golden brown on both sides and drain on to a tissue paper.
• Serve hot with chutney of your choice. 

Grilled Amritsari Machli

 Ingredients
500 grams fish fillet
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon gram flour
Salt as required
For Batter
3 tablespoon flour/maida
4 tablespoon cornflour
3 tablespoon gram flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon ajwain
2 teaspoon kasoori methi /dried fenugreek leaves.
2 teaspoon garlic paste
2 teaspoon ginger paste
1 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil (approximately)
1/4 cup water (approximately)
Salt to taste
Method

• Rub fish with turmeric,salt, lemon juice and gram flour.
• Keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
• Wash well to remove all smell.
• Pat dry on a clean kitchen towel.
• Mix together all ingredients of the batter to get a pouring batter which is of a thin coating consistency.
• Leave the fish to marinate in it for at least 1- 2 hrs in the refrigerator.
• Pick up the fish pieces and shake off the excess batter.
• Brush some olive oil on top. 
• Grill until golden colour on medium low heat until the fish is cooked and crisp.

Natholi/Anchovies Peera

Ingredients

1/2 kg natholi/anchovies

1 cup grated coconut

4-5 green chillies

1' ginger piece

5-6 cloves garlic

1 lemon size tamarind, soaked in water and strained

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

2-3 tablespoon coconut oil

a handful curry leaves

salt

Method

• Crush or grind coarsely the coconut, green chillies, ginger, garlic, tamarind, cumin seeds and curry leaves together.
• Cook the cleaned natholi/anchovies in one cup water with salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder.
• In a separate pan, heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. 
• Add the mustard seeds. Once they start to splutter add the grinded or crushed coconut mixture . Mix well.
• Make little space in the centre of the coconut mixture and add the cooked natholi . Cover it with the coconut mixture from all sides.
• Cover the pan with a lid and allow this to cook on very low flame for 2-3 minutes.
• Open and mix gently. Check for salt and add more if required. Then cook uncovered till all the water is absorbed. 
• Remove from flame and finally add few more curry leaves(slightly crushed with your hands).
• Drizzle little more coconut oil on top and serve hot with rice.

Nadan Mathi/Sardine curry

Ingredients
8-10 sardines
5 shallots
4 garlic cloves
1/2" ginger piece
6-7 sprigs curry leaves
4-5 tablespoons Kashmiri chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
2 gambooge/kudampulli, soaked in water and torn into small pieces
salt
coconut oil

Method

• Clean the sardines well. Rub little salt all over the fish and wash again. Make slits on each fish and keep aside.
• Grind the shallots, ginger, garlic, chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, fenugreek powder and few curry leaves into a fine paste.
• Marinate the fish with the grinded paste, kudampulli pieces and salt and keep aside.
• Heat a wide bottomed pan, preferably a mann chatti(earthen pot). Pour 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and rotate the chatti, so that the oil spreads all over the bottom of the chatti.
• Arrange 4 sprigs of curry leaves in the hot oil. Now place the marinated fish over the sprigs of curry leaves.
• Pour little water so that the water covers the fish. Allow this to boil.
• Rotate the chatti at regular intervals so that the curry is well mixed. Do not stir as this will cause the fish pieces to break off.
• Once it starts boiling, put the remaining sprigs of curry leaves on top the curry and reduce the flame to low.
• Allow this to simmer for 20 minutes or until the gravy thickens and the water is evaporated. Do not forget to rotate the chatti in between.
• Now switch off the flame and drizzle little coconut oil on the curry and serve.
• This nadan fish curry tastes best the next day!!!

Note: This is a very spicy dish. Kerala nadan fish curries are supposed to be very spicy. However you can adjust the chili powder levels according to your taste.

Chemmeen Kurukki Varattiyathu

Ingredients

For Marination

1kg prawns, cleaned, deveined

1 ¼ tablespoon red chili powder

3 tablespoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt as required

For The Gravy

6 medium onions thinly sliced

2” ginger, crushed

5-6 cloves garlic,crushed

2 sprigs curry leaves

2-3 green chilies,chopped

4-5 shallots,thinly sliced

1 tablespoon pepper powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

2-3 tablespoon chicken masala powder

3 medium tomatoes,chopped

2-3 tablespoon coconut oil

¼ cup water

Salt to taste

Coriander chopped for garnishing

Method

For Marination

Fry chillipowder and coriander powder in a non stick pan without adding oil on low flame.

Marinate the prawns with the above mixture along with lemon juice and salt.

Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

For The Gravy  

• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and sauté onions until dark brown.
• Add ginger, garlic, curry leaves, shallots,green chilies and fry for 3-4 minutes.
• Add chicken masala, pepper powder,turmeric powder and sauté for a minute.
• Reduce the flame and add chopped tomatoes.
• Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes are mashed.
•  Add the marinated prawns along with required salt and water.
• Cook for 35-40 minutes on very low flame until the gravy thickens. Stir
• In between.
• Garnish with chopped coriander on top.
• Serve hot with plain rice. 

Peechinga -Chemeen Ularthiyathu (Ridge gourd-Prawns Stir fry)

The first time I had this dish was from my Mother In Law’s kitchen…She never gets tired of cooking. She loves experimenting on dishes. She normally uses small prawns for this dish which makes it more delicious. But since we don’t have it available here I used large prawns.
 

Ingredients

2 large ridge gourds

10-15 large prawns,cleaned and cut into small pieces

5-6 shallots,crushed

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 sprig curry leaves

¼  teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder

1 small cocum/kudampuli

Salt to taste          

2 tablespoon oil

 

Method

• Peel the hard outer ridges of ridge gourd and cut into small cubes and keep separate.
• Cook prawns with cocum and salt.
• Pour 2 tablespoon oil in a pan and shallow fry shallots,curry leaves and garlic.
• Add  chili powder and turmeric powder on low flame and stir for a minute.
• Add ridge gourd, mix well,cover and cook on low flame for about 5-10 minutes. Stir in between.
• Remove the cover and stir on high flame until water from the ridge gourd completely evaporates.
• Mix prawns to the above ridge gourd and cook on low flame for 5 more minutes.
• Add more salt if required.
• Turn off the flame and serve hot with plain rice and curry of your choice.

Chemeen Chatti Curry

Chemeen Chatti Curry

Ingredients

500 grams prawns cleaned and deveined

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

2 medium tomatoes chopped

¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 medium onion chopped

2 sprigs curry leaves

1 cocum/kudampuli

1” julienned ginger

1 slitted green chili

3-4 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder

1 ½ - 2 tablespoon coriander powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ cup water

1 ½ cup thick coconut milk

Salt to taste

2 tablespoon coconut oil

Method

• Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a chatti (earthern pot) and splutter mustard and fenugreek seeds.
• Sauté onion, green chilies, curryleaves and ginger for 2 minutes.
• Add Kashmiri chillipowder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and sauté for a minute on low flame.
• Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are mashed.
• Add prawns along with cocum, salt and water, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Once the prawns get cooked and gravy thickens, add thick coconut milk and turn off the flame.
• Serve hot with rice/chapatti.

Kanava Ularthiyathu

Ingredients

1 kg squid, cleaned

2 small onions chopped

2”ginger,chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic,chopped

2 green chilies,chopped

1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 talespoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon garam masala powder

1 tablespoon black pepper powder

2 sprigs curry leaves       

2 pieces of cocum/kodampuli

4-5 tablespoon coconut pieces

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

2-3 tablespoon oil

Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
• Add ginger, garlic, curry leaves, green chilies, coconut pieces and stir for a minute.
• Add in chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, black pepper powder and mix well on low flame.
• Add squid along with coccum and salt and mix well.     
• Cover the pan and cook on medium flame for 4-5 minutes.
• Once the squid is well cooked, remove the cover and dry the water completely.
• Turn on the flame to high and roast it until the color turns dark brown.
• Garnish with chopped green chilies.

Unakka Chemmen Chammanthi/ Dried Prawns Chutney

My kitchen welcomed a new member the other day. This traditional beauty is the inventor of all grinding equipments. Inspite of all other modern facilities that have replaced her, the taste that evolves from her is simply irreplaceable. A cute version of our traditional 'ammi kallu - grinding stone' has been installed in my kitchen counter. Now this chammanthi was made using this ammi kallu and I must say the taste was simply awesome. Though I have made this many a times before it was all made in the blender and so there was a specialty to it this time.

Ingredients
3-4 tablespoons of dried prawns(very small ones) or around 20-30 dried prawns
4 tablespoons of grated coconut
3-4 whole red dried chillies
4 shallots
1/2 inch ginger piece
few curry leaves
salt
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Method

• Dry roast the prawns for 3-4 minutes on a medium low flame. Take care not to burn them.
• Grind the prawns with the remaining ingredients, except the coconut oil into a thick paste without adding water.
• Drizzle coconut oil and serve with steaming rice.

Prawns Roast

A very quick and easy prawns roast that requires only a few ingredients and is very yummy too. Just grind all the ingredients, marinate the prawns  and leave them to get roasted. The aroma of the curry leaves in the coconut oil is just indescribable. 

Ingredients
400 grams prawns, cleaned and deviened
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 tomato, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic
a handful of curry leaves
2 teaspoons red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
4 tablespoon coconut oil
salt

Method

• Grind the onion, tomato, garlic, chili powder  turmeric powder, pepper powder, salt, 1 tablespoon coconut oil and half of the curry leaves in to a fine paste. Marinate the prawns with this paste for 1 hour.
• Heat the coconut oil in a pan. Add the remaining curry leaves and the marinated prawns.

• Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Then open and dry roast the prawns on a medium flame stirring frequently until dark brown in colour. Serve hot.

*You can add 1/2 teaspoon of fennel powder and a pinch of garam masala too for an added flavour.

.

Dum Machhli

Ingredients
1/2 kilogram king fish or hamour cut into thick slices
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon oil plus extra for shallow frying
3 onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon red chili paste(blanch few whole dried red chillies and grind them into a paste)
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 1/2 cup yogurt, whisked
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
salt to taste
Method

• Marinate the fish with turmeric powder, lemon juice and salt for 30 minutes. Wash and pat dry.
• Shallow fry the fish pieces on both sides until slightly golden and keep aside.
• Heat 4 tablespoon oil in a pan. Splutter the mustard seeds. 
• Add the onions and fry till pink.
• Add the garlic and fry for a minute. Add the chili paste, cumin powder, ginger and salt. Saute for a minute.
• Remove from flame and stir in the yogurt. Mix and return back to flame.
• Stirring continuously cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the fried fish pieces and garam masala. Mix and cover with a tight lid. 
• Cook on a very low flame for 8-10 minutes. Serve hot.

Fish Molee

Fish molee

Ingredients

500 grams fish (preferably king fish)

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1tablespoon ginger chopped

1 tablespoon garlic chopped

1 green chili, slitted

3-4 whole cardamom

4-5 cloves

1 inch cinnamon stick

3 tomatoes sliced

1 teaspoon vinegar

2 cups thin coconut milk (randam paal)

1 cup thick coconut milk

2 sprigs curry leaves

1+ ½  teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon pepper powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt and oil as required

Method

• Marinate the fish pieces with 1 teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon pepper powder, turmeric powder and keep aside for 20-25 minutes.
• Shallow fry in oil until light golden colour.
• Heat 1-2 tablespoon oil in a pan.
• Splutter cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
• Sauté green chili, ginger, garlic, curryleaves and stir until raw smell goes off.
• Sauté onions until transparent.
• Add ½ teaspoon red chili powder and stir.
• Add  tomatoes and stir for 3-4 minutes.
• Add medium thick coconut milk and allow it to boil.
• Add fish pieces along with required salt.
• Add 1 teaspoon vinegar.
• Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes in medium flame.
• Finally add thick coconut milk and heat for 1-2 minutes.(do not boil)
• Serve hot with appam/rice.

*In order to make thick gravy add 1-2 teaspoon of corn flour.  

Prawns Ghassi

Recipe courtesy: My friend, Reshmi Menon. Thankyou Reshmi for sharing this wonderful Goan recipe.:)))
Ingredients
20 prawns cleaned and deveined
4 whole dried chillies
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
10 peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 cup grated coconut
2 large onion, chopped
11/2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 tablespoons oil
salt
Method

• Marinate the prawns with a little salt and keep aside for 10 minutes.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Saute the dried chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns and fenugreek seeds for a minute.
• Grind this with the grated coconut, half of the chopped onion, turmeric powder and tamarind pulp, adding a little water, into a fine paste.
• Now heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add the remaining chopped onion and saute until light brown.
• Add the grounded paste and fry for 3-4 minutes.
• Add 2 cups water. When it starts to boil, add the prawns and salt(very little, as the prawns are already marinated in salt) and mix well.  Simmer until cooked.
• Serve hot with rice.