Karimeen Pollichathu

Ingredients

Karimeen /Pearl Spot-2 medium

Shallots/small onion -500gm

Big Onion-1 small

Tomato-2 small

Coconut Oil-for frying

Aluminium Foil or banana leaves -2

Karimeen Pollichathu

For marination

Kashmiri Chilly Powder-1tsp

Pepper powder-1/2tsp

Turmeric Powder-1/4tsp

Salt-to taste

Lemon Juice-1 tbsp

For Grinding

Green chilly-2

Kashmiri Chilly Powder-1tbsp

Pepper Corns-1tsp

Ginger-1 medium Piece

Garlic-2big pods

Curry leaves-10 leaves

Salt-1/2tsp

Method

Clean the fish and wash them with salt and lemon juice thoroughly .

Then make 3 gashes on each side of the fish .

Now make a paste of chilly powder,turmeric powder,pepper powder,salt and lemon juice .

Marinate the fish with this paste and keep aside for at least 1 hour .

Then heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the fish for 2 minutes in each side .

Karimeen Pollichathu

Now transfer the fish to a kitchen towel to remove excess oil .

Keep aside .

Now grind garlic,ginger,pepper,chilly powder,green chilly,curry leaves ,turmeric powder and salt together by adding less amount of water and make a very fine paste .Keep aside this masala paste

Now heat  2tsp of oil preferably the oil we used for frying the fish .

To this add thinly sliced big onion .Saute for 1 minute .

Now add sliced shallots to this and saute till they become light brown colour .

At this stage add the masala paste and saute till the raw smell of the masala goes .

Then add finely chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are well cooked .

Cook for another 5 minutes in low flame .Check the salt .Remove from the fire and let it cool for 10 minutes.

(If u can peel the tomato b4 putting .)

Now take banana leaves and wash and wipe away the water.Cut into medium sized pieces .

Soften the leaves by putting over the flame for a second ,so that the leaf wont break while wrapping.If u don’t have banana leaves u can use foil paper (but the taste differs !!)

Now  take 1 1/2 tbsp of masala and place in the centre of the leaf or foil paper.

Then place the fried fish above this masala and again place one layer of masala on top of the fish.

Karimeen Pollichathu

For garnishing place green chilly slits,1 tomato slice  and curry leaves and then wrap the fish tightly with banana leaf or foil paper .

If u r using banana leaf u can tie it with a thread .

Now take a heavy bottomed fry pan and heat 1 tsp of oil and place one piece of banana leaf and place  the wrapped fish on top of that .(If u are using foil paper,no need to add oil,just place the wrapped fish in the hot fry pan .)

Cover the fry pan and cook each side for 10 minutes in low flame.

So the simple karimeen pollichathu is ready to serve .

Serve with rice or dish of ur choice

Karimeen Pollichathu

Love

🙂

Veena