Meen Mulakittathu Recipe / Meen Vattichathu / Kallushappu Style Meen Curry / Toddy Shop Fish Curry / Spicy Red Fish Curry.
Christmas is round the corner. So here’s a very delicious meen vattichathu to celebrate this joyful festival with all your loved ones.. Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Meen Mulakittathu / Meen Vattichathu is a spicy and traditional Fish curry of Kottayam Christians. It is usually prepared in an earthen pot which enhances its flavor and taste. It has spicy thick gravy and the flavor of tangy kudampuli / Kukum Star. This curry is served usually in Toddy shops.
This goes well with Kappa Vevichathu, the favourite dish of Malayalees of Kerala. Kappa Vevichathu is boiled and mashed tapioca flavoured with coconut masala. Meen Mulakittathu tastes better the next day and even better the following days..
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Here goes the recipe of Meen Mulakittathu.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 214 / 1.5 cup
Ingredients for Meen Mulakittathu:
Seer fish / King Fish – ½ kg.
Coconut Oil – as required
Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp.
Fenugreek Seeds – ¼ tsp.
Dry Red Chilli – 1
Shallots / small onion – 5 nos. (Sliced)
Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp.
Curry Leaves – 2 sprigs
Kasmiri Chilli Powder – 2 tbsp.
Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp.
Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp.
Fenugreek Powder – 2 pinches
Kudampuli – 2 medium pieces (soaked in salted water)
Water – 1 ½ cups
Salt – to taste
How to Make Meen Vattichathu:
Soak the Kokum/Kudampuli / Malabar Tamarind in one cup warm water and keep it aside. Clean the fish pieces and cut into curry sized shapes. Keep it aside. Take Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder and Turmeric Powder in a small bowl. Pour 1 tbsp. coconut oil and 3 tbsp. of warm water, Mix it well to form a paste and keep it aside.
Heat Coconut Oil in an earthen pot / manchatti (clay pot) and add mustard seeds, let it splutter. Add fenugreek seeds and sauté for few seconds. Add Dry Red Chilli and sauté it for a moment. Next add the Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste and saute until the raw smell goes. Add Shallots and sauté until shallots turn golden brown. Add Curry Leaves.
Reduce the flame to low and add the masala mix prepared earlier. Mix and saute for few minutes continuously or until oil starts to appear on the sides of the pan. It will take about 3 to 4 minutes. The colour will change to dark red at this point of time.
Add in the soaked kokum / Kudampuli along with the water you soaked it, salt and the additional warm water to this. Let the mixture come to a boil. Taste it and add more salt if required. Next add the fish fillets. Cover and cook over a medium heat, until fish is cooked and gravy is thick.
Remove from heat and add the Fenugreek Powder and 1 tbsp. Coconut Oil and swirl the pan without breaking the fish pieces. Keep covered for at least one hour for the flavours to blend in.
Your Meen Mulakittathu / Vattichathu is now ready to serve with Rice, Kappa Vevichathu, Kerala Palappam or Appam, Vellayappam or Kallappam, Idiyappam etc.
My Recipe Notes on Meen Mulakittathu / Meen Vattichathu:
1. Any fish fillets can be used for making Meen Mulakittathu. Normally we use Seer Fish and King Fish. In Malayalam Seer fish is called Ney Meen and King Fish is called Aiykoora.
2. Wash the fish in lemon juice / vinegar and salt mixture to get rid of fishy smell.
3. Earthen wares absorb heat so fast, so be careful to keep heat on medium while sautéing, otherwise there is high chance of it getting burnt.
4. Adding Kashmiri chili powder gives a nice red colour to the curry without being too spicy. I used about 2 tbsp. of Kashmiri chili powder. If you are using regular chili powder, use 1 tbsp. or according to your taste buds.
5. I soak cocum / kudampuli 2 or 3 hours before making this dish. Soaking cocum in warm water is must as it loosens up the dried flesh of cocum and so it releases its sour taste. Those who do not use kudampuli can use the other ordinary tamarind and follow the rest of the ingredients and method. After you made the curry and if you find that tartness is enough, just remove cocum from your curry and discard it.
6. You can grind spices like coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger, garlic and shallots and add this to the oil for sautéing.
7. Adjust the quantity of water according to amount and consistency of the gravy that you require. If you want more gravy, add ½ cup more of water.
8. Do not use spoon / spatula to mix the curry which breaks the fish pieces, instead, swirl the pan to ensure that the fish and the masala are mixed well.
9. If you feel that the curry is a bit too tangy, remove the kokum pieces.
You can refrigerate the dish for a couple of days and re heat it before serving.
10. This Meen Mulakittathu tastes better the next day and the following 3 to 4 days as it takes time for the fish pieces to absorb the spices.
Serve Meen Mulakittathu 
with Rice..
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മീൻ മുളകിട്ടത് റെസിപ്പി / മീൻ വറ്റിച്ചത് റെസിപ്പി / കള്ളു ഷാപ്പ് സ്റ്റൈൽ മീൻ കറി.
Meen Mulakittathu.
Description
Meen Mulakittathu is easy and simple Kerala Nadan Red Fish Curry. Make Meen Vatichathu for your family and guests to bookmark this recipe. Meen Mulakittathu goes well with Kerala Kappa Vevichathu.