Ingredients
- Mathi / Sardine – 1 kg or around 20
- Ginger – 2 tbsp, thinly sliced
- Garlic – 10 – 11, small cloves
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
- Kashmiri chilly powder – 2.5 – 3 tbsp
- Coriander powder – 2 – 3 tsp (Optional. I didn’t use it.)
- Fenugreek powder – 1/2 tsp
- Hing / asafoetida – 2 pinches (Optional)
- Cocums / kudam puli – 4 (Soak them in some warm water for 10 minutes and tear into small pieces)
- Curry leaves – 2 – 3 sprigs
- Mustards – 1/2 tsp
- Salt – To taste
- Oil – 2 tbsp
Method
1. Clean and cut the fish pieces. Make a paste of the chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, fenugreek powder and hing in little water(around 1.5 – 2 tbsp) and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a meen chatti / claypot and splutter mustards. Saute ginger and garlic. When they turn golden, bring down the heat and add the curry leaves and the chilli-coriander-turmeric-fenugreek paste. Saute for a minute at medium heat(take care not to burn it) or until the oil starts appearing on the surface. Now add about 1.5 – 2 cups water(water should be in the same level as that of the fish pieces), salt and the kudam puli pieces along with the water in which they were soaked. Bring it to a boil, check for salt and add the fish pieces.
3. After adding the fish pieces swirl the clay pot to mix everything well. Bring to a boil and cover with a lid. Cook at medium flame. Remember to rotate the meen chatti or pan every 6-8 mts. It generally takes less than 20 – 25 mts to cook the fish.
4. Cook until the fish gets done and adjust the gravy according to your consistency. We prefer a medium-thick gravy. Taste-check the gravy, if it tastes very sour, remove one or two kudampuli pieces. Add some curry leaves and switch off. Add a tsp of coconut oil for an extra taste and aroma(optional). If the gravy is very thin, cook for a few more minutes at medium flame without covering it.
Tips:
1) You can add sliced shallots along with ginger and garlic but remember to brown them if you want to keep it for long. Fish curry prepared in meen chatti tastes the best! This curry can be left outside for 1 -2 days (especially in winter) and tastes better the next day.
2) You could also arrange the fish pieces on a bed of curry leaves in a meen chatti and make the gravy in a separate pan. Once the gravy is prepared pour it over the fish pieces and cook.
3) Coriander powder is added in order to make the gravy thick. You can avoid using it if you want.
i’m drooling , totally yummy
This is a really delicious curry. I love sardines..but not their smell. 🙂
My husband is a big fan of sardines and I am sure if my make this he will be one happy person.
what a delicious curry !! looks so yummy and perfect !!
What an awesome looking sardine curry dear. Lip smacking good. Color looks delicious.
Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi
Really tempting dear,I always love ur presentation,too gud…Keep rocking.
entamme… kothippichu tto sherikkum… aa colour thanne kandittu sahikkaan vayya…
Mathi curry kandittu kothivarunnu….Holy Week, so I am controlling….:)
yummy yummy…
Wat an inviting curry, simply makes me drool..
Yummy looking curry…looks tempting
Such a yummy looking gravy!!!
Prathima Rao
Prats Corner
my favvvvvvvvvvvvvvourite… ningaleene kothipicchu kollum!!!!
yummy…… luks so delicious.. very tempting clicks!!! thx 4 sharing
Oh wow..this is stunning.. looks like a great recipe..thanks for sharing!
Delicious..engine kothipikalle Maya Kutti..perfect and spicy curry.
Adipoli ennu matram paranjal pora..Thakarppan mathi curry maya..
That makes me wanna grab and eat ….I will be making this today…
ഇത്രയ്ക്കു ക്രൂര ആവരുത് കുട്ടി… പാവം ഈ കല്യാണിക്കുട്ടി, എന്ത് പാപം ചെയ്തു 🙁
പറയാതിരിക്കാന് വയ്യ, ഇത്ര നല്ല ഒരു മീന് കറി കണ്ടിട്ട് കാലം മറന്നു, അതും മത്തി കറി ..
Wow!! it looks spicy and yummy.. I am simply drooling 🙂
The color of the gravy is so so nice- great recipe dear!
US Masala
ee mathi curry kandittu ende amma undakkunna poole thanne undu….entha oru color…..Kure kaalam aayi mathi curry kazhichittu, pinnne ee photoyum koode kandappol oru rakshem illa..very tempting..!!
enikku vayya…kothiyayitteee…we also don’t add coriander powder. color kanumbozhe athinte swad ariyam ketto
Innale ithu try cheythu.. Its really tasty.. 🙂
Enikku vayya…meenum kappayum…aha!
Thank You All 🙂
Jasmine,
Thanks for trying ketto 🙂 Really happy that you liked this mathi curry. Please keep visiting..
Can you used canned sardines
Anonymous,
You can use canned sardines for this recipe. My MIL made it once with canned sardines in spring water and it was quite tasty. But be really careful as they are delicate and will break easily..and I guess the cooking time would be less for canned sardines.