Alleppey Fish
60 Min
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Alleppey Fish

Alleppey, or Alappuzha, as it is now called, a land of sky-blue lagoons surrounded by an abundance of coconut and palm trees, pepper vines and wild cardamom, is an area in Kerala, southern India that is often referred to as the “Venice of the East”. It is circled by a network of water alleys or ‘backwaters’, that are all like tributaries of lakes and rivers and dotted with hundreds of houseboats. These houseboats, like tiny mobile hotels, are usually equipped with small private kitchens where a cook will whip up local fare, this curry being an old favorite. 

A simple aromatic fish stew with green mango being the star of the show, there are many ways to cook it. In this recipe, I finished the stew with seasoned minced green mango, but you could add large chunks to the stew while adding the fish or puree it into the sauce. Almost all fish curries in India are served on the bone, which usually adds a lot of flavor, however I used boneless filets here. Do cook this fish stew along with the lemon rice from last week and sit on your patio or balcony one evening and imagine being transported to a houseboat on the backwaters of Kerala!

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Cook Time

1 Hour

Serves

4

Step 1
Marinate the fish with turmeric, black pepper and sea salt. Set aside until ready to use.
Step 2
In a saucepan over high heat, warm the coconut oil. When the oil is hot, drop the black mustard seeds and the kari leaves. Immediately after, add the minced onions and coconut. Lower the temperature to medium to low and cook the onion until translucent, roughly 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 3
Next, add the garlic and cook it for just a few seconds. Then add the ginger, jaggery, red chiles, coconut milk and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower and simmer for at least 10-12 minutes or until the flavors meld. If the sauce appears too thick, add half a cup of water. When the sauce is ready for the fish, the fat should rise to the top. If not, keep simmering the sauce.
Step 4
Add the fish gently to the sauce, cover and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet until the fish is almost cooked through. Turn the heat off and let it rest for 5to 10 minutes, it will finish cooking while it rests.
Step 5
Stir in cilantro and just before serving, top it off with a generous sprinkle of minced green mango.

1-1.5-pound skinless boneless fish fillets, like grouper or snapper

1 teaspoon turmeric

1teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt


1/3 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 to 3 stalks of kari leaves, chopped

1 cup minced onion

1/2 cup fresh, frozen or dried grated coconut

2 teaspoons minced garlic


2 tablespoons grated ginger

2 teaspoons jaggery

10-15 whole red dried chiles like arbol (optional)

1 14-oz can coconut milk

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup chopped cilantro


1 green mango, cored and minced (leave the skin on)

Pinch of salt and red chile

Notes & Variations

  • The green mango, raw and hard on the inside, is in season now is available at Asian as well as certain mainstream grocery stores as well.
  • If you want to spice up the curry, add a teaspoon or two of red chile powder along with or instead of the whole red chiles.
  • If you are unable to locate kari leaves, substitute with 2 stalks of minced lemon grass (top 3 inches only) or minced kaffir lime leaves.
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60 Min
DF
NF

SOMETHING'S FISHY...

And we love it!

JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH

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