Meen Choru / Malabar Fish Rice

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup kaima rice / jeerakasala rice

1 kg kingfish pieces, cleaned

1 1/2 - 2 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder

1/2 tsp + 1 tsp turmeric powder

3 big onions, sliced

2 tomatoes, chopped

10 green chillies

1 piece ginger

8-10 big garlic cloves

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp pepper powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

2 cups coconut milk

3 cups water

3 cardamoms

4 cloves

1 inch piece cinnamon

2 tbsp ghee

salt to taste

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped

1 sprig curry leaves

4-5 tbsp oil, or as required

Preparation:

1. Clean the kingfish pieces and marinate it with chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt and keep it aside for 10 minutes.
2. Wash the rice and keep it aside to drain.
3. Crush garlic, ginger and green chillies together and keep it aside.
4. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and fry the marinated fish and keep it aside.
5. In the same oil, add the sliced onions and saute well.
6. Add chopped tomatoes and saute well.
7. Add crushed ginger-garlic and green chillies and saute well.
8. Add 1 tsp turmeric powder, coriander powder, pepper powder and garam masala and saute well till the raw smell goes.
9. Add 3 cups of water, fried tail parts of the fish and 2 cups of coconut milk and mix well.
10. When it starts to boil, add ghee, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and drained rice and mix well.
11. Add salt, lemon juice, coriander leaves and curry leaves and mix well and cook at medium flame till the water starts to dries.
12. Then add 4-5 fried fish pieces chopped and mix well and cook it covered at low flame stirring occasionally till rice is cooked and water dries up.
13. Transfer the rice to a to a large serving plate and place the fried fish pieces on top. Serve with raita, chammanthi, pickle etc...

Recipe Source: Instagram