Kerala style fish curry made with Kodampuli – Malabar Tamarind and Sardines (Mathi Meen). Spicy fish curry made with coconut milk. Recipe with step by step pictures.
I have a long time friend called Linish who is an ultimate foodie. Seafood is his favorite and his eternal love is with Sardines (Mathi Meen). His sense of humor and timing cant be beat. Every time we make Sardines at home, I think about him while cooking. He has had that kind of influence on me. He is into the film industry and the struggle there is so real. On top of all this, I just love the way how he manages to keep his cool. His timeline is filled with jokes on everyday life as it happens. He just makes me laugh instantly almost every single day with his jokes and memes. Here is a sample of Sardine memes!
This Mathi Meen Curry is made with Kodampuli – Malabar Tamarind. Kodambuli – Malabar Tamarind is a dried fruit used in curries as a souring agent. Kodampuli is soaked in water briefly and added to curries. It gives the curries a sweet sourness and its slightly smoky.
Here is how to make the curry
Heat coconut oil in a pan (preferably an earthen pot) and add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
Crush the ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Add it to the pan along with chopped Indian shallots (Indian small onions) and slit green chillies. Add in the salt. Adding the salt now will help prevent the ginger and garlic from sticking to the pan.
Saute till the onions are soft and starting to brown.
In the mean time, make a paste of turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder. Add few tablespoons of water and make a thick paste. If you want a fiery looking red curry, use Kashmiri red chilli powder.
Add the paste to the curry and saute well for 3-4 minutes until the masala paste is completely cooked. Streaks of oil will start appearing from the mixture. Its a sign that the masalas are cooked.
Once the paste is well cooked, add in half a cup of water.
Soak the Kodampuli in a cup of water for 5 minutes.
Add in the soaked kodampuli along with the water used. Do not squeeze or puree the kodampuli like you would do to tamarind. Just add the soaked kodampuli to the pan.
Close the pan with a lid and let it simmer for five minutes. Add in a cup of second pressed coconut milk.
Here is the recipe for making coconut milk at home.
Also add in the fish to the pan. I have used Mathi Meen – Sardines today.
Close the pan with a lid and let the curry simmer for 6 minutes. Sardines cook very fast.
Remove the curry from heat and allow the curry to rest for at-least a couple of hours so the flavors mature. It tastes better the next day.
Serve with rice.
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- ½ inch piece ginger
- 6 cloves garlic
- 10 Indian small onions (shallots)
- 2 green chillies, slit
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon red chilli powder (use more for a spicy curry)
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 3 pieces kodampuli, malabar tamarind
- 1 cup coconut milk (lite milk)
- 8-9 pieces of Sardine / Mathi Meen
- Heat coconut oil in a pan (preferably an earthen pot) and add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
- Crush the ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Add it to the pan along with chopped Indian shallots (Indian small onions) and slit green chillies. Add in the salt.
- Saute till the onions are soft and starting to brown.
- In the mean time, make a paste of turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder. Add few tablespoons of water and make a thick paste.
- Add the paste to the curry and saute well for 3-4 minutes until the masala paste is completely cooked.
- Once the paste is well cooked, add in half a cup of water.
- Soak the Kodampuli in a cup of water for 5 minutes.Add in the kodampuli along with the water used. Close the pan with a lid and let it simmer for five minutes. Add in a cup of second pressed coconut milk.
- Also add in the fish to the pan.
- Close the pan with a lid and let the curry simmer for 6 minutes. Sardines cook very fast.
- Remove the curry from heat and allow the curry to rest for at-least a couple of hours so the flavors mature. It tastes better the next day.
- Serve with rice.
Chechi. I made the Fish curry following the recipe to a T and it came out perfect like my mom’s. (mom passed away 7 years ago and we’ve missed her cooking a lot).
Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you!
Made it today. Used Seer Fish. Came out well. Thank you
Nice Recipe
Very good Recipe! Tried it and everyone loved the fish curry. I used the sardines in the tin but came out so tasty. Thanks!
Your fish curry looks amazing, I will definatley try it out.
Love South Indian food!!
Which one is a better substitute for kodum puli. Kokum or tamarind?
Hallo kannamma
I tried it meen Kari .me and my friend s like it to
IAM living in in Canada and also I shared this my family friends also thanks
Nice fish curry recipe but is it ok to add kodampulli water alone with curry paste or need to add the Kodampulli also with curry paste
Add in the soaked kodampuli along with the water used. Do not squeeze or puree the kodampuli like you would do to tamarind. Just add the soaked kodampuli to the pan.
It’s amazing meen kari
The recipe looks so delicious. I just love your posts. I have tried it in my home and everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing such tasty recipe
Thank you! Really glad that you liked it!
It’s amazing tasty
your recipes are awesome!
Can v use normal tamarind if we don’t have kodampuli
Hi Soumya, yes you can.
Hi Suguna,
I love your recipes and have tried several of them. You are on target with the proportions and spices.
I live in the US so tour recipes make me feel closer to home. Thank you.
For this recipe if I don’t get kodum puli can I get the same flavor with regular tamarind? I don’t think the Indian store here has it.
Thanks!
Hi Priyaa. Yes you can use tamarind.
wow…awesome tips..excellent
Thank you!
Have you missed adding the first pressed coconut milk ?
No shobha. I have not missed.
If you want a rich curry, you can add the first milk at the end.
Mouth is Full with your fishcurry .l Love the hot Curry the best thank you for the rept so everyone can tast to satisfly .
Thanks.
I live in Kolkata. I dont know what is mathi meen. Can u give me the English or Hindi name or.will any small fish can be cooked this way? Can I cook.pomfret this way?
Its Sardines. Yes you can cook pomfret or seer fish too!
verry good recipe and dish