Karimeen Pollichathu

My husband recently visited Kerala for 10 days, while returning he brought few Karimeen / Pearl Spot Fish. He asked me, why you don’t prepare Karimeen Pollichathu with it. I readily agreed thinking, “I can add this to my CURRYLIVES” J. Now a days everything and every cooking revolves around CurryLives…: D

The backwaters of Kerala are famous for its Karimeen. Due to its popularity and demand it has become a costly fish.

The part of Vembanad backwaters, called kaithapuzha kayal(backwaters) and Poothotta kayal (backwaters) runs around South Paravur a small village near Udayamperoor. This is where this little guys came from…

Karimeen/Pearl spot fish Pollichathu is a Kerala delicacy where fish is marinated and wrapped in banana leaf with flavorful and aromatic masala prepared in coconut oil and cooked on a very low flame. The aroma and flavors of this delicacy is lip smacking… I can’t explain in words you should try it…

So here is it…

Karimeen Pollichathu Recipe

Ingredients

2 Karimeen / Pearl Spot Fish
1 tsp. Chilli powder
¼ tsp. Turmeric powder
Salt – To taste
Oil as Required (Coconut oil preferred)
20 Pearl Onions Sliced
4 Green Chilies
Ginger
Garlic
Curry Leaves Few Sprigs
1/4 tsp. Turmeric Powder
1 tsp. Chilli powder
1 tsp. Pepper powder
½ Tomato Chopped
2 piece Kudampuli/ Cambogia
Salt – To taste
½ cup Coconut Milk Thick

Instructions

Clean wash and make slit marks on the both sides of the fish.
Marinate the fish with chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt for at least half an hour.
Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the fish slightly.(this is not a must step but just to ensure not to break the fish.
Remove the fish and keep it aside.
In a pan heat oil, add sliced pearl onion and saute till slightly brown.
Next add ginger, garlic, green chillies and saute until their raw smell is gone.
Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and pepper powder.
Saute for few seconds at low heat.
Add finely chopped tomato and saute until they turn soft.
Now place the fried fish inside the frying pan and coat both sides well with the sautéed masala.
Cover and cook fish is well-coated with the masala on both sides.
Add kudampuli/ cambogia along with the fish.
Spoon in the coconut milk as the gravy thickens, don’t pour altogether.
Once the gravy thickens remove and serve with rice, appam or so..

Heat a banana leaf over low flame for a few seconds, so that it will be pliable.
Grease the leaf with little oil.
Prepare the masala as mentioned above.
Spoon on the masala on to the leaf and slightly spread it.
Keep one fish over the spread masala add one more spoon of masala over the fish.
Wrap the masala coated fish in the greased banana leaf and tie with a banana string tightly like parcel.
Do the same with the other fish.
Now take a chatty(clay pot) or any wide pan will do.
Keep the fish parcel in it.
Add Kudampuli/cambogia and spoon in the coconut milk as the moisture evaporates and oil starts to show up.
Cook it for about 15 minutes or all the moisture evaporates, at medium heat.
Serve hot enjoy…