Karemeen Pollichathu (Fish Fry)

Ingredients

• - 1 kg ( 4 to 5 no): Karemeen
• - 1 tbsp: Red chilly powder
• - 2 strips: Curry patha
• - 1 cup: Coconut oil
• - 1 roll: Aluminum foil
• - Salt to taste

Grind Together

• - 5 pcs: Button onions
• - 10-12: Black pepper (crushed, not powdered)
• - 8-10: Whole red chilies
• - ½ inch long: Ginger
• - 1 cloves: Garlic
• - ½ tsp: Turmeric powder

For the Gravy

• - 1 cup: Button onions
• - 1 tsp: Red chilly powder
• - 2 stem: Curry patha
• - Salt to taste

Method

- To Prepare(Clean) the Pearl Fish

• - Pearl fish comes with a coating of thick scales which has to be sliced off with a sharp knife, keeping the head and tail intact
• - Rub the fish on rough surface( on a cutting board) with salt, and clean inside out. wash with clean water and soak them in curd / lemon juice, to get rid of the any bad smell of the fish.
• - After half an hour take the fish out of the curd/lemon juice and wash in clean water.
• - Make slits through the fish diagonally.

To Prepare the Masala

• - Grind coarsely all the ingredients to be ground. Add the red chilly powder, turmeric and salt and little water to make the masala to a paste form.
• - Rub it allover the fish inside out.
• - Lastly keep the carry patha’s pasted to the fish too.
• - Keep inside the fridge covered for about half an hour for the masala to soak into the fish.
• - Take out and fry in coconut oil both side until it turn dark brown. Serve hot in plangton leaf.

To Make the Gravy

• - In the same pan, which fried the fish, take out the excess oil and let the remaining masala dust and oil, heat up.
• - Fry half-cup button onions, with curry patha.
• - The onions turn light brown, pour the gravy over the fish, which is served in a plangton leaf.