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Fish moilee
Fish in coconut milk curry
Meen molee (മീൻ മോളി): Kerala fish gently cooked in mild coconut milk with ginger, green chilli and curry leaves
Meen molee comes from the Syrian Christian and Anglo-Indian kitchens of Kochi and Kottayam, and it is the gentle, pale-yellow fish curry served for Sunday lunch and at Christmas with appam or rice. Seer fish or pearl spot steaks are lightly marinated in turmeric and pepper, then simmered briefly in coconut milk with sliced onion, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves, with a squeeze of lime at the end. It has warmth but very little chilli heat. A portion is about 330 kcal. The most common mistake is boiling the thick coconut milk, which splits it into oily curds; add it last and only bring it to a gentle simmer. Chef's tip: use thin coconut milk to cook the fish and stir in the thick milk only for the final minute; the sauce stays silky and white.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 ⅛ lb seer fish, kingfish or other firm white fishcut into 4 steaks or thick pieces
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp saltsplit
- 1 tbsp lime juicesplit
For the sauce
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 onionthinly sliced
- 1 ⅛ in fresh gingercut into matchsticks
- 3 garlic clovessliced
- 3 green chilliesslit
- 12 curry leaves
- 1 cup thin coconut milkor 100 ml coconut milk mixed with 150 ml water
- ¾ cup coconut milkfull fat
- 1 tomato (optional)sliced into rounds
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rub 1 ⅛ lb seer fish, kingfish or other firm white fish with ½ tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp ground black pepper, half the ½ tsp salt and half the ½ tbsp lime juice. Leave for 10 minutes in the fridge.
10 minStep 2: Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add 1 onion, 1 ⅛ in fresh ginger, 3 garlic cloves, 3 green chillies and half the 6 curry leaves and cook gently for 5 minutes, until soft but not browned.
5 minStep 3: Pour in 1 cup thin coconut milk with the rest of the ½ tsp salt and bring to a simmer. Slip in the fish in one layer and add 1 tomato.
2 minStep 4: Simmer gently, uncovered, for 6–8 minutes, turning the fish once carefully, until it is opaque all the way through and flakes easily with a fork.
8 minStep 5: Turn the heat to low and pour in ¾ cup coconut milk. Shake the pan to mix and heat for 1–2 minutes until it is hot and steaming, without letting it boil.
2 minStep 6: Take off the heat, add the rest of the ½ tbsp lime juice and 6 curry leaves and serve with appam or rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fish moilee take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of ground black pepper?
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, same amount.
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