Konkani Fish Curry (Kandya Ambat)

Fish curry preparations from the Coastal areas are hands down the best curries in the whole wide world. Reason, fresh fish, fresh coconuts and fresh stock of dry red chillies...:) My ancestors are from coastal region and have known to survive on rice and seafood for their whole lives.:) My grandmother made the best fish dishes ever, she added just those 2-3 fresh ingredients like coconut, dry red chillies and tamarind to freshly caught and cleaned fish by using her signature eyeballing method(:)) to make a fingerlicking gooooood curry!! Since she was an expert, everybody simply loved it!

The highlight of our visit to my grandparents house was mostly "FOOD" and all that simple life around the house. She loved pets so much that all the dogs and cats of the neighborhood used to be at her house :) She loved feeding and talking to them. Wonder none of her kids got those genes passed down hhehehe :(

Few years back my youngest cousin (was 8 yrs then) had visited my grandmother and even he gave her the certificate of excellence :) saying that it was the best fish curry he had in his life (it was actually so cute that it is now a must to be mentioned story whenever we talk about my grandma)....so we all remember her with these loving memories that she has left behind.

Coming to the fish preparation, we have various kinds of fish curries that are very prominent amongst Konkani clan. Northern Karnataka is known for Teppal ambat (schezwan peppers/coconut curry) and Kandya ambat (onion/coconut curry) and in the south of Karnataka they make Phanna ambat (onion tempered curry), Alle piyav ambat/ghashi (onion/ginger curry).. so these are the few variations one will see. Goan preparation is again little different where they use garam masala (whole spices) in the curry. As we move to the north east side of India, one can see the fish preparation in mustard oil and mustard paste etc. So it's unlimited variety :)

Once you get a hang of making these coconut curries, there is no going back- I am telling ya :)

Let us take a look at this Konkani Fish Curry of Kandya Ambat recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh grated coconut (or frozen coconut)
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 big size pomfret/pompano (makes 8-9 pieces/fillet)
• 1/2 tea spn tamarind extract or kokum or small marble size ball of tamarind
• 1 green chili slit optional
• 7-8 red chilies (byadgi/kumti chillies preferably)
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

Preparation:

• Clean the fish, apply 1/2 tsp turmeric, salt and keep aside.
• Lightly roast dry red chillies in 1/2 tsp oil, transfer to a blender. Then in the same pan roast coriander seeds and transfer to the blender. Then add grated coconut and roast it very lightly (do not brown it) before you put it into the blender. Add tamarind, turmeric and make a fine paste by adding little water. 
• Adjust the taste if need be, sometimes the chillies may not be very spicy, so depending on how spicy you want adjust accordingly. Color of the curry also depends on the quality of the chillies you are using.
• Take a wide mouth pan, heat oil and add chopped onions. Saute till it turns just light brown. 
• Now add the ground paste and stir everything nicely. Add slit green chili, salt. Bring the curry to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. 
• Add water sparingly to get a nice flowy consistency of the curry. Do not make it too thin. Now add fish fillet gently into the curry and let it simmer further for another 5-6 minutes. 
• Don't keep stirring the fish, as it will break, gently move around so that the curry also breathes :) Switch off the gas once the fish is cooked and you see nice red color on the curry. 
• Serve hot with Rice, parboiled Rice, Roti etc. Curry tastes even better after few hours or the next day!

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Note: This method of curry preparation is used mostly for lean and bland fish , also shrimp can be used. Vegetarians can make it by adding potatoes in it. Tastes delish.

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Coastal Fish Curry (Alle Piyav Teppal Ambat)

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Health Benefits:

Pomfret is a delicious, lean white fish that has a wide variety of associated health benefits, including its ability to help reduce weight, boost overall metabolism, speed up repair and growth throughout the body, build strong bones, reduce the risk of various chronic diseases, lower triglyceride levels, prevent arthritis, protect against cognitive decline, prevent various types of cancer, reduce signs of aging, boost the health of your hair, and strengthen your immune system. It is a very good source of protein. It's no coincidence that fish-eating Inuit populations in the Arctic have low levels of heart disease; seafood is low in saturated fat and high in omega-3, (which can both) protect the heart from disease and lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood. One study has even suggested that an extra portion of fish every week can cut risk of heart disease in half. Eating oil-rich fish regularly can help to keep the eyes bright and healthy.