A basket full of tiny glistening fish is a common scene in any fish market in Kerala. Known by the local name of Kozhuva, it is a local celebrity!
Of course, being a celebrity doesn't happen easy, does it? Sigh! The preparation time is a task :D :D So grab a cool companion to help with this process and you can turn this into a chit-chat time that ends with a hearty meal
Considering the patience needed to get these little beings ready as a meal is one reason why I refrain from purchasing these yummy little cookie pies. Then one day, my friend buys this on a cold morning from a vendor who comes everyday. This deft little bubbly girl jumped to work to transform these glistening little beings into the meen peera that you see below
Lazy me had to pitch in for it is so impolite to let a person work alone on 1/2 kg of kozhuva. During the 40 minutes or so that we worked on to clean the fish, it was girlish chit-chats and how in times of the joint family system, our grandmothers and aunts used to convert the preparation time of dishes to catch up on gossips and bond ;D
Just when we were debating on whether to make a peera or curry or fry, my mom called and explained that meen peera is the easiest to prepare. For the health conscious people who get an arrhythmia just by the thought of oil, be relieved for this dish doesn't need oil, unless of course you can look at freshly grated juicy flakes of coconut and see saturated oil ;P
What I used
Serve hot with rice! :D :D It also makes a suitable serving with tapioca, chappathi and bread :D :D
Of course, being a celebrity doesn't happen easy, does it? Sigh! The preparation time is a task :D :D So grab a cool companion to help with this process and you can turn this into a chit-chat time that ends with a hearty meal
Considering the patience needed to get these little beings ready as a meal is one reason why I refrain from purchasing these yummy little cookie pies. Then one day, my friend buys this on a cold morning from a vendor who comes everyday. This deft little bubbly girl jumped to work to transform these glistening little beings into the meen peera that you see below
Lazy me had to pitch in for it is so impolite to let a person work alone on 1/2 kg of kozhuva. During the 40 minutes or so that we worked on to clean the fish, it was girlish chit-chats and how in times of the joint family system, our grandmothers and aunts used to convert the preparation time of dishes to catch up on gossips and bond ;D
Just when we were debating on whether to make a peera or curry or fry, my mom called and explained that meen peera is the easiest to prepare. For the health conscious people who get an arrhythmia just by the thought of oil, be relieved for this dish doesn't need oil, unless of course you can look at freshly grated juicy flakes of coconut and see saturated oil ;P
What I used
- Kozhuva or any small fish: 1/2 kg
- Diced onion: 1 big
- Finely chopped ginger and garlic: 2 teaspoons
- Salt: to taste
- Turmeric powder: 1/2 teaspoon
- Chilli powder: 2-3 teaspoons
- Grated fresh coconut: 2 cups
- Green chillies: 3
- Juice of a tamarind: 1/4 cup
- Kudampuli (gambooge/fish tamarind): 4
- Water: enough to cook the contents
- Mix everything except the fish together, preferably using hands, in the pan in which you intend to cook
- Add enough water to ensure everything is submerged and cook on low-medium flame till there is an obvious lingering aroma that makes you want to sneak a taste of what is cooking
- Once the contents start boiling, add the fish ensuring it is soaked in the gravy
- Keep the pan covered and cook on medium flame till the water evaporates
PS: Do not mix the contents using spoon as the fish will break into pieces. For mixing, just swirl the pan when needed
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