Chettinad Fish Fry | Meen Varuval Recipe | Fish Recipes

Chettinad Fish Fry or Chettinad Meen Varuval is fish fry in Chettinad style made with freshly made fish masala powder. I have posted the Chettinad Fish Masala recently and now it's time to share this easy yet delicious fish fry recipe. Chettinad non-vegetarian recipes are very famous as they are always flavorful and spicy. If you like fish fry then you have to try this style of fish fry too.

Besan Fish Fry Recipe | Pan Fried Fish with Chickpeas Flour

Fish recipes are something that I lately ventured into that thanks to my brother whom gets the fish and I have no choice but to make it. Generally I like to make different fish curry as it's easy task for me and doesn't have to cook much but my brother gets bored of only fish in gravy and ask me to make fish fry, normally I do South Indian style Fish Fry or Meen Varuval as it's called but this time I tried it something different and added besan (chickpeas flour) and other spices to make this fish fry in Northern style as it's called Besan Ki Fish Fry or Besan Ka Macchi.

Malvani Fish Curry Recipe

Remember my Malvani Masala? That masala I made to prepare this malvani fish curry on a fine Sunday.  As I mention in malvani masala post, west coast of Maharashtra in konkoni, malvani cuisine is infused from Konkani, Maharastrian and Goan cuisines that's why you can see amount of coconut used in this recipe is high at least to my standards, plus kokum is used to make the curry tangy instead of tomatoes.  This fish curry recipe looks more like a South Indian Style fish curry but it's doesn't taste like that due do the use of spices.

Chettinad Fish Curry | Chettinad Meen Kuzhambu

This is a spicy, flavorful authentic chettinad fish curry (meen kuzhambu) recipe.  I have mentioned in my other chettinad recipes posts that I have became fan of this flavorful cuisine.  You might find the ingredients list and procedure long but don't get afraid it's actually very straight forward recipe, just gather all the ingredients and this can be done with ease too and the end result is worth all the effect we take.

Fish Curry with Coconut Recipe

I am not cooking anything interesting nor I am taking any pictures for a long time now, thanks to my draft pictures am running this blog from couples of month.  This fish curry too I made quite a long ago and forgot to post,  to be precise I made this along with Pineapple Fried Rice and actually this was my first attempt in fish curry not the Fish in Mustard Gravy from there it took off.  This curry was so delicious that after that I made this multiple times but ya I never tried to take some decent picture again so you have to deal with this pictures only and not to mention I I'm bad with taking fish curry photo, you will know in my future fish curry posts too, the trend continue.  But then the focus is more on the recipe than the pictures right?  So if you like fish or never tried making a curry then try this and I am sure you going to love this one too. 

Ingredients for Fish Curry

Fish - 500 gms (I used Seer Fish/ King Mackerel/Vanjiram Meen variety)
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 3-4 tbsp
Onion - 2 Large
Green Chilli - 3
Tomatoes - 4 Large
Water - 1 Cup
Coconut Milk - 1/2 Cup
Chopped Cilantro - 2 tbsp

To Grind
Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Pepper Corn - 1 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds/Methi - 1/2 Tsp
Fennel Seeds/Saunf - 1/2 tsp
Minced Garlic - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Clean and cut the fish into medium pieces.
2. Marinate fish with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp turmeric powder for 10 minutesand rinse.  [This is optional step but I normally do this to remove fish smell]
3. Grind together all the ingredients listed under ‘To Grind’ with little salt and water.  Grind tomato to make puree, keep aside.
4. Marinate fish pieces with half of grinded masala for 30 minutes and shallow fry, I normally pan fry like we do for fish fry (meenu varuval).
5. Heat oil in a pan and sauté onion and chilly until translucent, add remaining grinded masala and sauté until oil starts to separate. 
5. Now add tomato puree, salt and cook for 2-3 minutes, add 1 cup water bring it to boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes. 
6. Add coconut milk and bring it to a boil, add fried fish pieces and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until gravy becomes thick.  Adjust salt if required, garnish with cilantro and off flame.
 
Serve warm with steamed rice. 

Have a nice day ~~

Fish in Mustard Gravy

I started to cook fish and try to look beyond my usual Fish Fry.  This fish curry  I made with my sister recipe, she gave me a bottle of whole yellow mustard seeds and recipe to use the mustard in different recipe.   Fish and mustard goes well and it makes me keep thinking of Bengali way of fish curry.   The recipe is pity simple and if you look for change from your  tamarind or coconut base fish curry then you should try this, I used mustard oil but you can do with any oil of your choice.  

 Ingredients

Fish - 500gms ( I used Seer Fish/ King Mackerel/Vanjiram Meen variety)
Onion - 2 large
Tomato - 2 large
Green Chilies - 4
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Nigella Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Oil - 3 tbsp
Water - 2 cups
Salt - to taste
To Grind
Yellow Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp [yellow ones]
Poppy Seeds - 2 tbsp [ I replaced with 15 cashews]
Ginger - 1” pieces
Garlic - 2 pods [4 if using small]

Method:

1. Coat fish with salt and 1 tsp turmeric and keep aside
2. Finely chop or grate onion, chop green chilies and tomato.
3. Grind all the ingredients in ‘To Grind’ to smooth paste using little water and keep side.
3. In a pan/wok heat oil until smoking point if using mustard oil, add cumin & nigella seeds and allow to splutter.
4. Add grated onion, green chili and sauté until light golden brown. Add grinded masala and cook for 5 minutes in medium flame or until raw smell goes off, keep stirring regularly.
5. Add chopped tomato and allow it to get mash, now add red chili, turmeric powders and mix well, cook until oil separates from masala.
6. Now add fish pieces and gently coat fish with masala, cover and cook for 10 minutes do stir in intervals.
7. Add 2 cups of water, salt and gently mix, cover and cook again for 8-10 minutes in medium to slow flame or until oil floats on top and fish is cooked.

Serve warm with steamed rice.

Have a nice day ~~

Fish Fry | Meen Varuval

I wanted to try making fish for long and now that has happen.  Prepared this simple and most easy fish fry recipe for DH and settle myself with aloo gobi sabzi.    This must be the most healthy version of fish fry compare to the deep fried version, of course we call this recipe fry which literally doesn’t translate to deep fry here! 

So coming back to our recipe I tried it hoping DH will like it and he did, though he wanted me to grill it in oven but he was happy with the end result of this recipe.  You can use any fish variety though personally I like to use mackerele or vanjiram meen. The bottom line is I am happy that I venture out with fish recipes and hope to continue doing so. 

Ingredients: [Serves - 2]
Fish - 2 pieces/300gm ( I used Seer Fish/ King Mackerel/Vanjiram variety]
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp [ use less if you don’t like spicy]
Coriander Seeds Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp [divided]
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
Oil - For pan fry
Salt - to taste

Method:
1. Clean fish and wash 2-3 times in running water.  Mix 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 salt and rub over fish, let it sit for 10-15 minutes and then wash fish again 2-3 times in running water; this is to remove fish smell.
2. In a wide bowl or plate mix  all spice powder, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, salt, add 1 tbsp water if required.    Coat masala on both side of fish nicely and let it marinate for 30 minutes or more.
3. Heat a pan or tawa, drizzle oil and pan fry fish until both side turns dark brown and fish is cooked.

Our fish fry is ready, serve with lemon wedges and onion for that extra kick.
Variations:
1. Instead of turmeric, red chilli and coriander powders you can use 1tsp sambar or curry powder.
2. You can also deep fry marinated fish instead of pan fry.
Have a nice day ~~