Fish / Meen Kuzhambu - ll

Ingredients:
Fish ( cleaned and cut into pieces ) – 1/2 KG
Small onions – 20 nos or Big onion - 1 ( chopped )
Garlic pods – 10 nos
Tomato – 1 big( chopped )
Tamarind – 1 medium sized lemon ( soaked with in 4 glass of water for 15 minutes )
Gingelly oil – 4 tbsp
Vadagam ( Thalippu ) – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
For the paste:
Black peppercorn - 2 tbsp
Red chillies – 6 nos
Cumin – 2 tbsp
Coriander seeds – 4 tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

First take all the ingredients for the paste and grind it to a smooth paste with little water.

Squeeze the soaked tamarind to get all the extract and then filter it.

In the tamarind liquid add the ground paste, mix well & keep aside.

Method:

• In a vessel, heat the oil, add the vadavam, when it splutters, add the curry leaves, followed by the onions and fry until translucent.
• Add the garlic pods and fry until slightly brown.
• Add the tomatoes and cook till they turn mushy.
• Now add the tamarind- ground masala, salt and mix well.
• Check for salt now and add if required more.
• Let it boil for 10 minutes.
• Add the fish pieces and cover the vessel with the lid. Reduce the heat to low.
• Let it cook for another 10 minutes and by this time the oil will get separated.
  The smell of the kuzhambu, when boiling is extraordinary.

Serve with hot steamed rice.