Meen gassi (Mangalorean fish curry). A quick, easy and delicious recipe to save you tons of time in the kitchen. Delicate fish cooked in coconut masala sauce to tickle your taste buds. This recipe aims at bringing you taste, flavor and comfort - all in one pot.
One of the positives of cooking with fish is that you can create quick meals, and it always taste amazing. Undoubtedly, it’s an incredible way to enjoy the benefits of simple, healthy food at home. So, if you are after nutritious low calorie recipes to add to your menu, you must certainly give this vibrant fish curry a go.
Introducing Mangalorean fish curry or meen gassi. Who doesn’t love fish cooked in that beautifully vibrant sauce? The perfect, mouth watering and highly nutritious dish to serve with your flatbreads or even rice. Absolutely amazing!
How To Make Meen Gassi or Mangalorean Fish Curry
First, let’s talk about the heat factor. Yes, this dish is very spicy. And the level of heat depends on the amount of traditional hot chilies used in it called byadgi chilies. These are super hot and incredibly flavorful, but if you want to reduce the heat level, opt for Kashmiri red chilies. As byadgi chilies are not easily available, I have opted for regular red chilies. Again, add more or less chilies depending on your spice tolerance level.
The masala paste that forms the base of this Mangalorean fish curry is a combination of dried spices and ground spices. The chilies are fried with cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and black peppercorns. When they are lightly toasted and aromatic, ground them to a fine powder.
To this, add ground turmeric, ginger, garlic, coconut, and tamarind pulp from a lemon sized tamarind. You’ll need to grind this to a very smooth paste.
To make the curry, start with frying onions and green chilies in a little oil. When the onions are browned, add masala paste and water. You can also add a sprig of curry leaves if you like. And don’t forget to season. Let this masala paste simmer and cook for about 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, you’ll see oil on top of the paste. At this stage, you can stir in fish and cook for about 8-10 minutes.
Fish cooked in beautifully delicious vibrant masala sauce! This Mangalorean fish curry is lip-smacking.
More Fish Curry Recipes:
- Goan Fish Curry
- Indian Fish Curry
- Meen Mulakittathu | Red Fish Curry
- Fish Tikka Masala
- Malabar Fish Roast
- Fish Molee | Kerala Fish Stew
- Fish in Roasted Coconut Sauce | Varutharacha Meen Curry
- Brazilian Fish Stew | Moqueca
Meen Gassi | Mangalorean Fish Curry | Video
Ingredients
Tamarind pulp:
- 1 lemon sized tamarind
- ¼ cup water
Masala:
- 7-8 dried red chilies preferably Kashmiri red chilies
- 3 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 - inch fresh ginger peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
- 1 cup grated coconut
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric turmeric powder
Fish curry:
- 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 green chili sliced
- 1 sprig of curry leaves
- 1 cup water
- 700 g salmon fillet cut into large cubes
- Salt to taste
- Curry leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Place tamarind and water in a small bowl. Let it soak for 10 minutes. Squeeze out tamarind and pass through a sieve. Discard solid bits. Set aside.
- Place dried red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds in a small pan over low heat. Fry, stirring constantly, for about 5-6 minutes or until lightly toasted. Process to a fine powder. Add ginger, garlic, coconut, ground turmeric and tamarind pulp. Grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Heat oil or ghee in a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat.
- Add onions and green chilies. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes or until browned.
- Add masala paste, curry leaves and water. Stir to combine. Season with salt. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 3 minutes.
- Add fish. Stir very gently. Cook, covered, for 10-12 minutes. Add more water if needed.
- Garnish with curry leaves.
Video
Notes
- Traditionally, byadgi chilies are used in this recipe. However, you can replace them with regular or Kashmiri red chilies. Add more or less chilies depending on your taste preference .
- Use coconut oil for authentic taste
- You can make this curry with salmon, mackerel, cod or sardines
- Serve this curry with rice, roti, naan, neer dosa or appam
Nutrition
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