Kerala Fish Molee - Christmas Special( Salmon in coconut-cashew curry)

With Christmas closing in so fast , I am excited and overjoyed like y'all , that I may go mad with delight.A drive through my neighborhood makes me feel like I am living in the magical town of "Whoville" , with houses and stores gaily decorated and decked up to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
There is happiness where ever you look,whoever you see,forgetting all the troubles they may have.There is hope within the sparkle of their eyes , and radiance on their face ; World indeed looks like a good place to live. 

Merry , Merry , Merry ; that's what you feel even in the frosty December air..

Though I am old and wise enough to know Christmas is not all about the gifts , I like having one for myself and for N , and for people I love ! Don't you ?

 

The two pics above are Christmas-y lights from my home and NYC . The second one is the Christmas tree from Rockefeller center .Doesn't it look like ruby and emerald sparkle of a diamond like star up above the sky? So magical !

 

For us , the Christmas party has started last week with lovely people , fun times  and good food & wine. We have a long list of small Christmas dinners , in the coming weekends and I am so looking forward to each one of those ..mm..2011 Christmas so far looks like the best ever..

On the flip side , I definitely miss my parents and brother and the Christmas back home with cousins , but I am happy we are so blessed with so many loving people here , hence I am indulging in the "merry" around !

 

I have posted my mom's fish molee recipe in the beginning days of vazhayila , but this is more of a "decked up yet easy " sequel to the original one.

A no fried version , where Salmon is cooked in whole spices and ginger-garlic infused coconut milk and finished with a rich coconut - cashew sauce.

After all , Its Christmas people ! Eat , Drink and be Merry ! The Christ is born!

Recipe for Meen Moilee/Molee - Kerala style fish stew with Salmon ( no-fried -version)

Serves - 4

Total cooking time  - 30 minutes

Ingredients:-
Cashew nuts - 15

Fish - 450 gm ( I prefer Salmon fillet)
Oil / Butter - 2 tablespoon

Cloves - 5

Cardamom - lightly crushed - 4-5

Bay leaves - 1 or cinnamon - 1

Onion finely chopped - 1

Curry leaves - 7-8

Garlic thinly sliced - 5

Ginger chopped - 1/2 of a thumb sized

Green chili slit - 7-8 (or as per your heat level.)

Turmeric - 1/4 to 1/2 tea spoon

Tomato diced- 1 big plump or 2 medium

Canned Coconut milk - 1/2 to 3/4 cup + 1/2 to 1 cup warm water - mix well

Salt to taste

Garam masala - 1/4 to 1/2 tea spoon ( Homemade)

Black peppercorns - 1/2 tea spoon to 1 tea spoon 

Canned coconut milk - 1 cup 

Optional Tempering

Coconut oil / ghee/butter -1- 2 tablespoon

cashew nuts

raisins

Method :-

Soak cashew nut in water for 15 minutes .

Clean Salmon fillet and cut into big chunky pieces

Heat oil in a wide mouthed pan and add cloves , cardamom and bay leaf and fry for a minute.

Add curry leaves and onion and saute for 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle some water if needed in between.

Add chopped garlic , and ginger and green chili and saute till the raw smell disappears.

Add turmeric , coconut milk + water mix , salt to taste and combine well.

Arrange fish and tomato pieces in a single layer  an inch apart , cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Uncover the pan , add garam masala and freshly crushed black pepper , mix in gently or shake the pan for the masala to get mixed in and cook covered for another 10 minutes or so.

Grind the soaked cashew nut with a lil coconut milk to a fine paste. Mix it with remaining coconut milk

Uncover the pan , add the coconut milk- cashew mix to the pan , let heat through for a minute and remove.

Prepare the tempering and pour over the stew. Let it stand covered for at least 15 minutes before serving

Notes :-

This is a very mildly flavored curry - If you want it to be more spicy add more spices

The gravy depends a lot on the kind of cooking pan you use( wide or deep ), so adjust the coconut milk- water qty accordingly

I prefer not to keep it for the next day , since its so full of coconut milk.

Other Christmas Specials

Kerala Chicken stew
Kerala Chicken Molee
Meen pollichathu
Canned Tuna cutlet
Kottayam style Beef dry fry

Merry Christmas Everyone !!!!

Sarah