Meen Peera Pattichathu

A dry preparation with fish, mostly done with small fishes like smelt (natholi ) or very small sardine, this preparation brings out a good taste.

Ingredients

1 lb - Smelt, cleaned & washed

1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder

3/4 tsp - Red chili powder

1 big - Kodampuli

Salt to taste

To make a coarse mixture

1/2 cup - Grated coconut

1 big - Shallot, chopped

2 - Green chili, chopped

1/2 '' piece - Ginger, chopped

1/4 tsp - Jeera

Seasoning

1 tsp - Mustard seeds

2 sprigs - Curry leaves

Method

1 ) Wash kodampuli and then soak it in one cup warm water for 10 minutes. Make a coarse paste of coconut, shallot, ginger, green chili and jeera in a blender.

2 ) To a meen chatty or to a deep pan, add kodampuli along with the water it is soaked in to the chatty, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, simmer and cook for 3- 4 minutes. Now add fish and cook till the fish is just about cooked. Add coconut mixture to the fish and cook till all the water is used up. This fish cooks very fast and can break to pieces.

3 ) Heat a pan with oil. Pop mustard seeds and then add curry leaves. Pour this seasoning on the fish and mix. Take off the stove and serve.

Serve hot with rice.