Fish Chilly with crushed peanuts

I am in India on vacation and I did crazily hope to see the rains. As luck would have it, rains were not so benevolent on me and decided to stay clear! The weather is definitely good but to witness rains would have simply been bliss. I still have time left and I hope to see the showers of blessings at some point.

It is hard to be on vacation and stay off food!So I am busy eating, at the same time hoping that I do not add kilos on the scale! (All of us know how hard that is right!!)

Anyways, here is a recipe to try. What makes it special is, as the name states the addition of ground peanuts!Try it to believe it!

Ingredients

1. Fish - 400 gms
2. Onions - 3 finely chopped
3. Garlic - 2 tbsp finely chopped
4. Green chilly - 3 to 4
5. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Peanuts - a handful
7. Soy Sauce -  2 tbsp
8. Vinegar - 1 tbsp
9. Salt to taste
10. Vegetable oil

To marinate

1. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
2. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
3. Ginger- garlic paste - 1 tsp
4. Soy Sauce- 1 tbsp
5. Salt

Method

• Clean and pat dry the fish slices. Prepare a marinade of turmeric powder, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, soy sauce and salt. Marinate the fish in this for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Roast and coarsely grind the peanuts in a mortar and pestle.
• Shallow fry the fish in oil till crisp on both the sides. Drain excess oil on a kitchen towel.
• In the same pan add the chopped garlic and fry for a minute. Add the onions and saute until it wilts.
• Add slit green chillies and fry for another minute before adding in the pepper powder, vinegar, salt and soy sauce. Let this cook for a minute on low flame.
• Toss in the fried fish along with the ground peanuts. Give it a good mix before turning off the flame.

You may also note

1. Be careful while adjusting the salt level as soy sauce has salt in it already.

Meen Peera| Kerala style fish in grated coconut

Dubai can sometimes be a lonely place. Things took a huge turn a few weeks ago when the Malayalees of the firm which Shibin works for announced an Onam - Eid get together. That was something to look forward for. I got all the more excited when I was asked to join for Thiruvathira. Old traits seldom die:) I love dancing and this opportunity was just so perfect for me. What started off as a mundane Thiruvathira for the ladies and oppana for the kids geared up all the ladies who had let go off all the inhibitions and decided that they wanted to do more. As luck would have it Jimki Kammal Dance Challenge was going places and we decided to do our part as well. It was a simple suggestion by one of the ladies and others were more than eager to join in. The practice that started off in a single song, finally ended in a fusion of three. Despite stage fear, chances of forgetting steps and also the melodrama of having to dance in a saree - we did it! It may not have been the most perfect dance but there is no denying that we perfectly enjoyed every moment of it. We carry no regrets and we are proud our practice paid off!  The Onam celebrations started off with a pookalam, maveli varavelppu and continued to the cultural programs, sadya, tug of war, singari melam to name a few. Every event had its charm but it was the enthusiasm of the people that undeniably made an otherwise normal weekend - a one to remember for months to come. Age was not a bar as everyone present joined the singari melam ensemble and danced away into the evening. As for the employees of the company, 'hi-bye-smile' relationships turned more meaningful and for me I made some wonderful friends!

It is a week now, we still longingly look at the photos and videos that are being circulated. Having said that, it is time to post our next recipe - Meen Peera which is traditional to Kerala. It is a dry fish preparation usually using small fish varieties and grated coconut that serves as a side dish to the meal.

Ingredients

1. Fish - 1 kg ( preferably the smaller fish like Natholi/Anchovy, Mathi/Sardines, Cheriya Aila/Small Mackerel)
2. Coconut grated - 1.5 cup loosely packed
3. Ginger - 1 tbsp grated heaped
4. Shallots/ cheriya ulli - 8 to 10  can be replaced with onions
5. Kudampulli - 2 -3 pieces
6. Tumeric powder - 1 tsp
7. Green chilli - 5-6
8. Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
9. Salt to taste
10. Water

Method

• Clean the fish and drain off any excess water.
• Coarsely grind together coconut, ginger, shallots, green chilly and turmeric. This can be done on a grinding stone, mortar and pestle or in a mixer pulsing it just once or twice.
• Add this coarsely ground coconut masala to an earthen pot, add the fish along with curry leaves and kudampulli. Sprinkle salt and add half a cup of water.
• Cook this on low flame for 15-20 minutes until the fish is almost done and leave it open for 5 minutes for any excess water to drain off.
• Best when served along with rice.

You may also note- 

• Avoid stirring, this tends to break the fish. Using a kitchen towel, hold on to both the sides of the pot and gently toss if need be.
• Earthen pot has a very high smoking point, hence cooking on low flame ensures that the bottom does not burn.