Mathi/ Chala Peera Pattichathu or Indian Sardines cooked with crushed coconut is a popular Kerala fish preparation. Meen Peera/ Meen Thoran is the general term of Fish Peera which can be of any fish. Mathi/ Chala/ Indian Sardine is a widely available fish in Kerala. Peera Patichathu/ Meen Peera/ Meen Thoran means fish cooked in Crushed Coconut. Indian Anchovy/ Indian Sardine are the best and mostly used fishes for making ‘Peera Patichathu’ but any small fishes can be used.
Mathi Chala Peera Patichathu Meen Peera Meen Thoran – Sardine with Crushed Coconut
Usually Kerala style fish preparations are accompanied with sour fruits like dried Gamboge fruit (Kudampuli), Mango, Bimbli fruit ( Pulinjikka/ Irumban Puli/ Chemmeen puli), Tomatoes, Tamarind etc. But Gamboge is the star among them which gives an unique flavour to fish curry especially when prepared in earthen fish pots (Manchatti). ‘Meen peera’ should be kept closed for sometime after cooking to get a more taste.
Mix all the ingredients and fish with hands before cooking to coat spices with fish pieces fully. Don’t stir Mathi Patichathu harshly as the Mathi fish is delicate. Mathi/ Chala can be cut into pieces or used as whole (removing head, tails and fins) for this recipe.
The amount of coconut can be adjusted to the taste and crushing the ginger will give extra flavour to Meen Peera.
Best combination
- Rice + Moru Curry
- Rice + Rasam
Mathi/ Chala Peera Patichathu | Meen Peera | Meen Thoran | Sardine in Crushed Coconut
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Ingredients
- 1. Indian Sardine (Chala/ Mathi) – 10 Nos (Medium sized)
- 2. Coconut – ½ Cup - 3/4 Cup (Grated)
- 3. Shallots (Chuvannulli) – 10 Nos (Crushed)
- 4. Ginger – 1.5 Tablespoon – Chopped
- 5. Green chilli – 4 Nos
- 6. Turmeric powder (Manjalpodi) – ¼ Teaspoon
- 7. Dried Gamboge (Kudampuli) – 2 Pieces
- 8. Curry leaves – 1 Stem
- 9. Salt – As required
- 10. Coconut oil – 1 Tablespoon
- 11. Water – ¼ Cup (To soak Gamboge)
Instructions
- Soak gamboge in water for sometime to make it soft and flavorful.
- Crush coconut with green chilly and turmeric powder.
- Crush shallots separately.
- In a pan (earthen pot preferably) mix fish, crushed shallots, crushed coconut mixture, ginger, gamboge, curry leaves, salt and gamboge soaked water.
- Turn the flame on and cook the pan covered in low flame for 10 minutes (Stir now and then if needed).
- Meen Peera will be cooked in 10 minutes, open and check the pan for the water content and let it cook for some more time till Meen Peera gets dry.
- Add a tablespoon of coconut oil and a spring of curry leaves on top, mix gently and switch off the flame and keep it covered for sometime.
