Meen kuzhambu with coconut is a delicious side dish for white rice and idli, which is prepared with tilapia fish in a coconut based gravy.

Ingredients:

Serves 4 to 5

• 1 full – Tilapia fish with bone (around 4 to 5 pieces)
• 1 no – Onion (chopped finely)
• 1 no – Tomato (chopped finely)
• 3 to 4 cloves – Garlic
• 2 to 3 no’s – Green chillies
• 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder
• 2 tsp – Red chilli powder ( or as needed)
• 3 tsp – Coriander powder
• 1/2 cup – Coconut milk
• 4 to no’s – Curry leaves for garnishing
• Salt to taste

Seasonings:

• 3 tbsp – Sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp – Mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp – Fenugreek seeds / venthayam
• 5 no.s – Fresh curry leaves

Preparation method:

1. Wash tilapia fish with lemon juice and marinate it with turmeric powder and salt, keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, season it with items given in the list for seasoning. Add onion, green chillies and garlic, saute until they are slightly golden brown in color.
3. Add tomato and little salt, saute until tomato becomes mushy. Followed by turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder, saute until raw smell goes.
4. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cup of water and required salt, bring it to boil. Add marinated fish pieces and cover with lid, let it cook over medium flame until fish is well cooked around 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Finally add coconut milk and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes. Cook until it reach gravy consistency. Switch off the stove and sprinkle fresh curry leaves, serve hot with white rice.

Notes:

• You may increase or decrease the quantity of red chilli powder as per your spice level.
• You may replace tilapia fish with any other fish of your choice.
• I have prepared this recipe with bone. You can use boneless tilapia fish. I always prefer to boneless for my kid’s sake.
• Always wash any meat with lemon juice at last because it removes stinky smell or kavuchi smell from any meat like chicken, fish or goat etc.