Kokum Moilee
Ingredients
- 1/4- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 2 pounds of any firm fish fillets (salmon/rawas)
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 4 coarsely chopped kokum halves
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1-3 fresh green chili pepper, such as serrano, stemmed
- 4 slices (quarter-size) peeled fresh ginger
- 3-4 cloves fresh garlic (large), peeled
- 1 tsp ground black mustard seeds
- 2 tbsps coconut oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 11/2-2 cups water
- 7 to 8 fresh green curry leaves, lightly crumpled
- Cherry tomato, red and yellow
- South Indian papad
Preparation
- Place the fish in a bowl, add turmeric and salt, and mix well, making sure all the fish pieces are well-coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour. Meanwhile, soak the chopped kokum in the hot water for about 30 minutes.
- In a blender or food processor, process together the kokum along with the water it was soaking in, the green and red chili peppers, ginger, garlic, and ground mustard seeds to make a smooth paste.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the whole mustard seeds; they should splatter on contact with the hot oil. Cover the pan until the splattering subsides. Quickly add the onion, reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pan. Cook until the onion is soft but not golden, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add the kokum-ginger-garlic paste and cook over medium heat, stirring, for three to five minutes. Add the fish and about one and half cups of water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook for about five minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and curry leaves, and simmer until the sauce is thick and the fish is tender, just flaky and opaque inside, for about five minutes, adding more water if you want a thinner sauce. Do not stir the fish at all. To mix, swirl the pan a little on the burner. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.