For the love of Cooking: Meen Polichathu

Meen polichathu for me is one of the tastiest authentic recipes from Kerala. I tried it for the first time in a restaurant and the "karimeen polichathu" was absolutely fantastic in taste. I always wanted to try this recipe at home, but kept procrastinating. Finally this year Onam, a lot of extra banana leaves & inspite of using a few for some tasty ela adas, I was still left with a few more banana leaves and finally made it. The effort was rewarding and I cannot wait to share the recipe with everyone! :)

Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:

For the marinade

1. Whole fish ( I used white pomfret) - 4 nos

2. 1tbs turmeric powder

3. Salt to taste

4. 2tbs Chilli powder

5. 2tbs Coriander powder

6. 2 tbs black pepper

7. Lemon juice or curd- 2 tbs

8. 2tbs Garam masala

9. 3-4 tbs of oil for shallow frying

For the masala:

1. Pearl onions- 20-25 nos

2. Tomato-2 medium sized ones

3. Ginger garlic paste- 2-3 tbs

4. Curry leaves- 8-10 leaves

5. Turmeric powder- 1/4 tbs

6. Chilli powder- 1 tbs( more if you like it really hot)

7. Garam masala-1 tbs

8. Coriander powder - 1 tbs

9. Finely chopped green chillies- 2 nos

10. Salt to taste

11. Coconut milk- half cup

12. Banana leaves

13. Oil as per need

Method:

1. Clean the fish thoroughly and it might be a good idea to use some vinegar and salt for the final rinse. Make gashes along the length of the fish on both sides. Pat dry the fish and marinate it. Keep aside for at least 2 hours for the spices to sink in really well.

2. After the two hours, fry both sides of the fish lightly by flipping it when necessary. Once done, take it out on a plate and set aside.

For the masala:

1. In the same pan that was used to shallow fry the fish,heat some oil and once hot, put some mustard. When it crackles, add the finely chopped pearl onions and ginger garlic paste. Stir it well until the onion changes colour, but ensure it doesn't get burnt.

2. Once the onion changes colour add the nicely chopped tomatoes and cook covered until the tomatoes turn soft. Once soft add the spices and salt. Stir it for a few minutes and finally add the coconut milk. The gravy should not be too runny and should be thick. Let this mixture cool.

The final part:

1. Take the banana leaf and clean it well. Gently heat it over an open flame to make it soft. Spread some masala on the leaf and place the lightly fried fish on this. Now add some masala on top of the fish and fold the banana leaf and tie it or use toothpicks to secure and seal it.

2. Heat some oil in the same pan and put the banana parcel in it and cook well for at least 5 mins on both sides. It would be a good idea to cover and cook, so that the fish is well cooked.