Meen Varuval (Tamil-Fish-Fry-Recipe)

True origins of coastal South India,my family relishes meen/fish anytime and its also the most preferred Non-Vegeterian dish during the weekdays.
Fish Storage
People do get paranoid when it comes to preserving/storing fish, I do not count amongst them and have been doing so conveniently for years now. And only for those who are interested and can’t get to the market regularly I will share the basic of fish storage techniques which I follow for decades now!!

Needless to say,the start would be cleaning the fish thoroughly with rock salt and turmeric{I clean them twice}. Now grate fresh ginger- garlic and apply them to the fish,  followed by dhania /coriander powder, chilli powder {option:green chilli paste} , salt, turmeric and Jeera Powder. Add a proportionally larger quantity of jeera powder{Cumin seeds powder}as Jeera cuts down the smell of raw fish even when you fry it after 4 days. Deep freeze them in small boxes {so that you can remove only a part of it and thaw , rather than doing the whole stock everyday which will only reduce the storage life}. So that when you need to use the fish for that day, keep it in room temperature for 2 hours and use the way you want.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Nutrition Corner

- Fish is a very good source of protein, Omega3 fatty acids
- Good for low fat diets
- Contains Vitamin Bwhich helps to reduce stress and Anxiety
- Vitamin A helps prevent arthritis, acne and bronchitis
- Calcium helps teeth and bones to keep healthy
------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Ingredients:

Sheela Fish - 1/2kg {use any Fish}
Red Chilli Powder - 1tbsp
Jeera Powder - 2tbsp
Dhania Powder - 1 1/2tsp
Karuvepilai/ Curry leaves powder - 1tsp(dried and powdered)
Ginger /garlic paste - 1tbsp
Salt- to taste
Olive oil - to use {alternatively any cooking oil}
Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients with little olive oil and apply on fish.

2. Allow it to soak for 2 hrs in fridge{if you are runnign short of time, you can cook in 10 minutes but be ready to accept a comparatively insipid taste}.

3. Heat a pan and grease with olive oil. Place the fish on them. Allow to cook for 2-3 min and turn over and again allow to cook the other side.

4. Server hot with steamed rice and dal/sambhar.

No comments:

Food thoughts

How many of us frankly get up in the mornings worrying about , Oh My God what should I make that both the kids will have happily ! With my...