Meen Kozhambu

This is a simple recipe made regularly at home. I haven’t used any extra

coloring or Kashmiri chili as those were not used in South Indian cuisine. Amma never used them as far as I remember. When your chili powder is new and fresh you get a nice color and it’s spicy too.

Every time Amma makes meen kozhambu she makes small variations like adding green chili using a different tempering ingredient etc

Meen kozhambu is also prepared using different varieties of fish. Small fishes have a great taste and add up flavor to the kozhambu. A one-day-old kozhambu is an ultimate finger-licking dish. Try having it with idli, kal dosa, or rice.

The best and ever combo would be having it with pazhaidhu, a day-old cooked rice soaked in water.

Taking the rice in one hand and pouring a spoon of that kozhambu on top of the rice and having it is a heavenly breakfast. That’s the way Amma used to give the one-day-old kozhambu.

Ingredients:

Fish - head and tail part ( I have used tilapia here)

Small onions - 10 nos

Green chili - 2 nos

Tomato - 1/4 cup

Curry leaves

Chili powder (dhania mixed)- 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Tamarind juice - from a lemon size with 1 cup water

Salt to taste

To grind:

Black pepper - 1 tsp

Cumin - 1/2 tsp

Fennel - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves

Onion - 1/4 cup

Tomato - 1/4 cup

Garlic - 4 to 5 pods

For tempering: 

Vadavam

Method:

• Soak tamarind. Grind the ingredients mentioned above to a smooth paste.

• Add the ground masala to the extracted tamarind juice.

• Add turmeric, salt, chili powder, and mix them all together.

• In a pan add oil and temper with vadavam or mustard and methi seeds.

• Add pearl onions and green chili, curry leaves, tomato and saute until soft.

• Add the tamarind masala mix.

• Cover and let it boil until oil separates. This usually takes 8 to 10 mins.

• When oil separates add the fish cover and cook until it starts to boil.

• Switch off and garnish. Let it rest as much as possible for a better taste.

• Here is the full meal prep.