Kerala Style Varautharacha Ayala Meen Curry
Kerala Style Varautharacha Ayala Meen Curry

Kerala style Varutharacha Meen Curry/ Fish in Fried Coconut Gravy is a dark brown color curry made with dry roasted coconut gravy. Curries made with roasted coconut are often called as “Theeyal” but when fish prepared in fried coconut gravy will not be referred as “Fish Theeyal”.

“Chemmen Theeyal”/ “Konju Theeyal” can be prepared with Shrimps/ Prawns using same recipe.

Best Combination

  • Rice + Moru curry

Varutharacha Meen Curry | Fish in Roasted Coconut Gravy

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Serves: 6 Prep Time: Cooking Time:

Ingredients

  • 1. Fish - 1/2 Kg - Cleaned and cut into pieces
  • 2. Coconut - 1 1/2 Cup - Grated
  • 3. Shallots - 1/4 Cup - Thinly sliced (Chuvannulli)
  • 4. Garlic - 1 Tablespoon - Thinly sliced (Veluthulli)
  • 5. Curry leaves - 2 Stems
  • 6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 Teaspoon (Manjal podi)
  • 7. Chilly powder - 2 Tbalespoon (Mulak podi)
  • 8. Coriander powder - 1/2 Tablespoon (Mallli podi)
  • 9. Fenugreek seeds - 1/8 Teaspoon (Uluva)
  • 10. Green chilly - 3 Nos - Slitted (Pchamulak)
  • 11.Dried gamboge fruit - 2 Pieces (Kudampuli)
  • 12. Salt - As required
  • 13. Curry leaves - 2 Stems - For garnishing

Instructions

  1. Dry roast ingredients 2 – 5 till brown color, allow it to cool and make a fine paste without adding water.
  2. Grind ingredients 6 – 9 and make a smooth paste adding little water.
  3. In a pan mix the above 2 pastes, green chillies, soaked gamboge (Kudampulli) and 2 1/2 cups of water. (Water can be adjusted accordingly). switch on the flame and allow the gravy to boil.
  4. Add fish pieces and cook well. Swirl the pan/ stir gently with spoon occasionally.
  5. When cooked add 2 stems of curry leaves and swirl the pan and switch off the flame.
  6. Keep the pan covered for sometime and serve.

Notes

• Coconut should be roasted in low medium flame stirring continuously. Chances are more to get the coconut burnt if left unattended. • Coconut should be grated finely and evenly for the perfect roasted coconut and roast until all the coconut become well roasted till brown color. • Shallots (Chuvannulli) and Garlic (Veluthulli) should be thinly sliced when roasting with coconut. • No water added while grinding the roasted coconut mixture. The coconut oil from the roasted coconut will be enough to make the perfect paste. • Curry will taste bitter if the coconut is burnt while roasting. Also the excess use of Fenugreek (Uluva) makes the curry bitter. • Roasted coconut gravy will have light bitter taste till it perfectly cooked. So don’t be panic if the gravy tastes bitter in the beginning • Roasted coconut mixture and other masala powders should be grind separately to get the perfect color of Kerala style Varutharacha Meen Curry. • Varutharacha Meen Curry tastes better when served next day. • Any fish can be used to make Varutharacha Meen Curry even Shrimps/ Prawns can be used it’s called as Varatharacha Chemmen curry/ Konju Theeyal/ Chemmen Theeyal. • Gamboge fruit (Kudampuli) or Tomato (Thakkali) or Mango (Manga) can be added for sourness. • Varutharacha Meen Curry tastes best when prepared in Earthern Pan (Manchatti). • In this Varutharacha Meen Curry recipe I’m using “Mackerel” (Ayala).