Fish/Meen Thoran

I wanted my first ever recipe on this blog to be really special. I spent almost two weeks wondering what it could possibly be. I came up with a big zero and that is when I made this fish thoran. It was a quick decision. I had few slices of fish left in the refrigerator and definitely did not want to fry it. That is when I remembered a dish my mother used to make. Without a minutes delay I messaged her and the next minute I had my recipe and in the next 45 minutes my dish was ready :)

So I guess no dish can be more perfect than this to start off. A recipe from my mothers kitchen and  a dish my husband devoured.
Thoran is a Keralite dish that is generally eaten with steamed rice and usually made from vegetables. Here is my attempt at creating a seafood version of the traditional thoran which is medium spicy and trust me quite crunchy too.

Ingredients

Fish  - 3 whole medium sized Mackerel( Use the fish of your choice - but I found Mackerel to be really tasty when steamed)
Onion - 2 medium sized finely chopped
Coconut - 5 tbsp heaped (grated)
Ginger - 2 tsp finely chopped ( you would not enjoy biting into big ginger chunks)
Green Chilly - 1 tsp finely chopped
Curry leaf - 1 whole sprig
Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Oil

Preparation

1. Marinate the mackerel in salt and turmeric powder and steam it till cooked. Alternatively you may also boil the fish in little water and make sure the entire water is dehydrated.
2. Once cooked, separate the fish from the bones. Ignore the very small delicate bones. Just mash the fish with your hands and keep this aside. ( Need not use a mixer for this)
3. In a Kadai, heat 2 tsp oil and throw in the finely chopped ginger and green chilly. Stir it for a minute and toss in the finely chopped onion. Stir till cooked.
4. Add the chilly powder and stir for a minute before you add in the cooked fish. Mix well and sprinkle the grated coconut. Stir well to combine all the ingredients. Keep it on low flame for another five minutes. Adjust salt as per your taste.
5. Garnish - In a pan add little oil, toss in the curry leaves and once it splutters mix it with the dish. Your fish thoran is now ready to be served for lunch.

This is a very simple and quick recipe. Hope you do attempt making this and love the taste of it just like I did.