KARIMEEN POLLICHATHU

By:Sreedevi Jayadev‎

Karimeen is a very tasty, typical kuttanadan dish which is blended with spices and grilled/ baked in banana leaves.

Karimeen ( pearlspot fish ) - 1 kg
Chopped onions - ( better if using shallots/ kochulli )
Chopped ginger, garlic - 1 tbsp each
Green chilli - 2,3
Tomato - 2 (chopped)
Plantain leaves/ vazhayila - for wrapping
Kahmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - ½ tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Coriander powder - ¼ tsp
Lime juice ( optional) - 1 tsp
Coconut oil - 3,4 tbsp
Salt - as reqd
Curry leaves - few

Wash and Clean the fish. Make slits on the fish diagonally. Mix Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, salt and lime juice by adding little coconut oil. Marinate the fish ,well with this paste both inside and out. Pour 1 tsp of oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the fish turning both sides. Keep aside. In a pan, add 1 tbsp of coconut oil, add chopped shallots, when it becomes translucent add chopped ginger, garlic, curry leaves and green chillies. Saute well. Add in chopped tomatoes. When tomatoes gets cooked add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and little salt. Add 1 tbsp of water and mix well. Keep aside.

Take a banana leaf, wash and gently heat it to make soft. Take 1 tspn of prepared masala in the center of plantain leaf, now put the fried fish on top and again take 1 tspn of prepared masala and put it on top of fish. Cover all 4 sides of the banana leaf along with the fish and tie it up with a thread/ twine. Do the same with the remaining fishes also. Heat a tawa, grease with little oil, put the fish on the tawa and cook it on a low flame with a closed lid till nice aroma of fish came. Flip the fish to the other side, cook again till done. It takes approximately 5, 6 minutes only. Serve hot with rice. Enjoy.