Now mappas is something that is a regular fare at my mom’s home in mavelikara. A vinegar infused dish, meen mappas is usually made with karimeen (pearl spot). A Syrian Christian signature dish, the fish is usually cooked in creamy coconut milk along with tomatoes. But when I saw a recipe in a Malayalam magazine sans tomatoes I was curious to know how it would taste. And this one turned out to be a milder version of the traditional dish…..
Ingredients
750gm fish (cleaned and cubed)
3 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek
15 small onion (sliced thinly)
1 small piece of ginger (chopped)
8 cloves of garlic (chopped)
6 green chilli (sliced lengthwise)
A stalk of curry leaves
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 tablespoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
Coconut milk from 1 coconut (1 cup each of first extraction and second extraction)
Salt to taste
Vinegar (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon)
How To
Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard and fenugreek seeds. Add small onions, ginger, garlic, green chilli and curry leaves one by one and sauté for around 4-5 minutes. When the small onion starts to turn translucent, add ground mix of the spice powders and again sauté for a couple of minutes. Now reduce the flame and add salt, vinegar and the second extraction of milk and bring to boil. Add fish slices and boil on low flame for 10 minutes. Lastly, add the first extraction of milk and keep on flame for about 5 minutes until the gravy starts bubbling on the sides. Remove from fire and serve this deliciously creamy meen mappas hot with appams.
Source: Vanitha magazine
