Meen Moily Fish Curry

Ingredients:

Pomfret/sole darnes or small whole fresh fish 900 gm
Cardamoms 2
Cinnamon 1” stick
Cloves 2
Coconut, grated 120 gm/ ½ cup
Coriander, chopped 10 gm/2 tsp
Fenugreek (methi) seeds 2.5 gm/ ½ tsp
Groundnut oil 80 ml/ 1/3 cup
Lemon juice 30 ml/2 tbs
Mustard (sarson) seeds 5 gm/1 tsp
Oil to fry fish
Onions, sliced 80 gm/ 1/3 cup
Red chillies, whole 6
Salt to taste
Tamarind (imlee),
soaked in ½ cup water 25 gm/5 tsp
Tomatoes, chopped 120 gm/ ½ cup
Turmeric (haldi) powder 5 gm/1 tsp

Method:

* Apply lemon juice to fish and leave for half an hour. Then wash with fresh water, squeeze lightly and pat dry. Fry the fish lightly in oil and set aside. In a small pot heat 1 tablespoon/15 ml groundnut oil. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, whole red chillies and sauté lightly then cool. Blend to a smooth paste in a blender with the grated coconut. Mash the soaked tamarind with your fingers, then squeeze out and discard the pulp. Keep the extract aside. Heat the rest of the groundnut oil in a pot and sauté onions till brown. Add the tomatoes and turmeric and stir-cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
* Add the tamarind extract and bring to boil. Reduce flame and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Add coconut paste to the gravy. Cook till gravy thickens. Add salt and curry leaves. Gently add the fried fish to the curry and simmer for 5 minutes.