karimeen /pearl spot Pollichathu

Meen pollichathu is an authentic kerala dish.karimeen /Pearl-spot is the fish usually used in this recipe.The fish is first fried ,then wrapped in banana leaf along with special masala  and grilled /steamed again in a tawa or wok .

Ingredients:

Banana leaf - as required

karimeen - 4  (medium size)

For the marinade you need,

1. Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp

2. Lemon juice - 3 tsp

3. Salt - as required

4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

5. Ginger and garlic paste - 2 tsp

. Oil - 1 tbsp for frying

Step 1: Frying the fish

Clean the fish and make gashes all over.Mix all the marinade ingredients together and apply on the fish. keep it for 1hour so that the marinade can penetrate deep inside the fish.

heat oil in a pan and fry the fish lightly. keep them aside.

Now for the gravy /masala you need

1.Onion - 4 chopped

2.Tomato - 2chopped

3. Green chilly - 4 slit lengthwis

4.Ginger  - 1tbspchopped

5. Garlic -1tbsp chopped

6. curry leaves - a hand ful

7. Corriander powder  - 1tbsp

8. Chilly powder - 1tsp

9.Pepper powder - 1tsp

10. Turmeric powder-1/2tsp

11.Tamarind juice  -1tbp

12. Salt to taste

For seasonig:

Oil - 1tbsp

mustard -1tsp

dry red chilly -1

curry leaves

Step 2 : preparation of gravy/ masala

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard and when they crackle add redchilly and curry leaves.

Now add onions and fry till light brown and add chopped tomato, green chilly,chopped ginger and garlic and fry for a minute.

Add all other powders and stir well  till the raw smell goes.

Add tamarind juice and mix well.At this stage you can add  some water and boil till the spices are cooked well and starts leaving oil on top..

Now the gravy will be thick enough to coat on the fish .

Step 3: Wrapping in banana leaf

Make cuttings of the banana leaf according to the size of the fish  and grease with oil.

Now put 1 tbsp of masala on the leaf , and place a fish on it. Again add 1 tbsp masala on top of the fish and spread it well with the spoon.

Close the leaf from two sides and again the other 2 sides.Seal with a tooth pick or with the fiber from the banana leaf or from the plantain stem .. This is to avoid leaking while grilling the fish.

Step 4:grilling the fish.

Heat a pan add little oil and place the fish wrapped in banana leaf  carefully.

Keep them on a low flame till the leaf  turn to a brown colour and starts spreading the aroma of the leaf.Repeat this for the other side also.If you want you can cover with a lid while grilling.

Now you can transfer them to a serving plate .when you open the leaf you can see the masala nicely infused with the fish which gives an awsome taste!