Meen pollichathu- Pomfret baked with spices and coconut milk

Fish pollichathu, or Meen pollichathu is pomfrets smeared with spices and wrapped in banana leaves steamed to a perfect degree. Here, we see a variation of it, without using the wrap and steam method.

Ingredients
500gm fish (preferably pomfrets)
1 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp black pepper powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ cup coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
¼ cup shallots, thinly cut
1 tsp ginger, julienne
1 green chilli, split
6 garlic pods
1.5 cup of first milk of coconut taken from two cups of grated coconut
2 rinds of pot-tamarind soaked in ½ cup water
Curry leaves, a handful
Salt to taste

Preparation
Mix turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt with a bit of water 
Marinate fish with the mixture for 30 minutes
Heat oil in a frying pan
Fry the fish taking care not to overdo it and transfer to another plate
Heat oil in a non-stick pan
Add shallots, green chillies, ginger, garlic and curry leaves and cook well. Keep aside
Add a bit of coconut oil to the pan and add mustard seeds after the oil heats up
When mustard seeds pop, add turmeric powder and chilli powder
To that, add the fish pieces and tamarind
Once cooked, add coconut milk
Add masalas that were kept aside earlier
Cook for five minutes under a lid, turning the fish in between
The traditional Fish 'pollichathu' is ready to be savoured

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.