Fish cooked in a red coconut milk curry with kudampuli (Garcinia gummi-gutta) providing the characteristic sourness — the everyday fish curry of Kerala fishing communities.
Ingredients
500g fish — king fish or any firm fish, cut into medium pieces
2 tbsp kudampuli (Garcinia gummi-gutta — dried pieces soaked in 1/4 cup warm water; this is the defining ingredient of Kerala fish curry; not the same as kokum; available at Kerala stores)
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 medium onion — finely sliced
3 green chillies — slit
1 inch ginger — julienned
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
8 curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 cup water
Salt
Method
Soak kudampuli pieces in 1/4 cup warm water for 10 minutes until softened. Keep with soaking water.
Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a clay pot or heavy pan.
Add mustard seeds — pop. Add curry leaves.
Add finely sliced onion. Cook on medium for 5 minutes until softened but not browned — Kerala fish curry uses lighter onion than other Indian fish curries.
Add ginger juliennes and slit green chillies. Cook 2 minutes.
Add turmeric, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Cook 1 minute.
Add coconut milk, 1/2 cup water and the kudampuli with its soaking water. Bring to a simmer.
Gently add fish pieces. Shake the pot to settle them — do not stir.
Simmer on medium for 8 to 10 minutes until fish is cooked. Season with salt.