Fish Molly

Name: Fish Molly (Fish Molee)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: Fish steaks (medium sized pieces - ½ kg); Cinnamon (കറുവാപ്പട്ട - 2 Pieces (1 inch each)); Clove ഗ്രാമ്പു - 6 Nos; Cardamom (ഏലക്കാ - 3 Nos); Peppercorn (കുരുമുളക് - 2 Tea spoons); Coriander powder (മല്ലിപ്പൊടി – ½ Table spoon); Turmeric powder (മഞ്ഞൾപൊടി – ¼ + ¼ Tea spoon); Green chilli (പച്ചമുളക് – 4 Nos); Ginger (ഇഞ്ചി – 1 Inch Piece); Garlic (വെളുത്തുള്ളി - 5 Cloves); Shallot (ചെറിയ ഉള്ളി - 10 Nos); Onion (സവോള - 1 No); Tomatoes (തക്കാളി – 1 No (Small Size)); Thin coconut milk (കട്ടികുറഞ്ഞ തേങ്ങ പാല് – 1½ Cup); Thick coconut milk (കട്ടികൂടിയ തേങ്ങ പാല് – ½ Cup); Lime Juice (നാരങ്ങനീര് - ½ + ½ Table spoon); Curry leaves (കറിവേപ്പില - 1 Sprig); Coconut Oil (വെളിച്ചെണ്ണ - 4 Table Spoons); Salt (ഉപ്പ് - To taste)

Recipe Category: Fish, Non-veg side dishes, Sea Foods

Author: Shaan Geo

Fish Molly (Fish Molee)

Well, if you ask anybody in Kerala about their favorite fish curries, definitely, Fish Molly will top the list. The Malayalam word ‘molee’ means ‘stew’. In fact, this is one of the finest fish curry variants in the state. Fish Molee is a yummy dish which goes well with a number of main dishes. It is prepared by marinating fish pieces and then shallow frying them, followed by cooking the fried pieces in coconut milk. In fact, Fish Molly marks the foreign influence on Kerala cuisine, particularly that of the Portuguese. Fish used for recipe can range anything from the Kingfish to Pomfrets to any other fish that is pretty fleshy. This mild, delicate dish is equally loved by kids and adults. For anyone who loves fish curry, this dish is a real treat! The best part is that it is sinfully easy to make and completely addictive. No wonder it is a popular dish in Kerala. As mentioned earlier, Fish Molly tastes great with many main dishes, especially palappam, appam, rice, idiyappam and even chapathi and roti.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Cuisine Kerala

Servings 3

INGREDIENTS

Fish steaks medium sized pieces - ½ kg
Cinnamon കറുവാപ്പട്ട - 2 Pieces (1 inch each)
Clove ഗ്രാമ്പു - 6 Nos
Cardamom ഏലക്കാ - 3 Nos
Peppercorn കുരുമുളക് - 2 Tea spoons
Coriander powder മല്ലിപ്പൊടി – ½ Table spoon
Turmeric powder മഞ്ഞൾപൊടി – ¼ + ¼ Tea spoon
Green chilli പച്ചമുളക് – 4 Nos
Ginger ഇഞ്ചി – 1 Inch Piece
Garlic വെളുത്തുള്ളി - 5 Cloves
Shallot ചെറിയ ഉള്ളി - 10 Nos
Onion സവോള - 1 No
Tomatoes തക്കാളി – 1 No (Small Size)
Thin coconut milk കട്ടികുറഞ്ഞ തേങ്ങ പാല് – 1½ Cup
Thick coconut milk കട്ടികൂടിയ തേങ്ങ പാല് – ½ Cup
Lime Juice നാരങ്ങനീര് - ½ + ½ Table spoon
Curry leaves കറിവേപ്പില - 1 Sprig
Coconut Oil വെളിച്ചെണ്ണ - 4 Table Spoons
Salt ഉപ്പ് - To taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Crush the peppercorns.
Marinate the chosen fish pieces with lime juice (½ table spoon), turmeric powder (¼ tea spoon), half of the crushed pepper and required salt for a minimum of 15 minutes.
Fine-chop green chillies, garlic, ginger and shallots. Slice the onion and the tomatoes. Crush the cardamom.
Heat 3 table spoons of coconut oil in a cooking pan. Shallow fry the marinated fish pieces by turning both sides for 2 minutes each side (half cook). Keep it aside.
To the same cooking pan along with the oil left after frying the fish, add one more table spoon of coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add cinnamon, clove and cardamom. Stir it for a few seconds.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped garlic, ginger and green chilly. Sauté it for a few seconds and then add sliced shallots and onions. Continue sautéing by adding a little salt.
When the onions turn golden brown, reduce the heat to low. Add coriander powder (½ table spoon) and turmeric powder (¼ tea spoon), stir it for a few seconds.
Pour 1½ cup of thin coconut milk and allow it to boil by stirring occasionally.
When it starts boiling, add the fried fish pieces and curry leaves (1 sprig). Reduce the heat to medium when it starts boiling. Stir occasionally by rotating the pan (Do not stir using the spoon or ladle as the cooked fish might break). Cook it covered in medium flame.
When the fish molly is cooked completely, add sliced tomatoes, ½ table spoon of lemon juice and the remaining crushed peppercorns. After a minute, add ½ cup of thick coconut milk and stir by rotating the pan. Remove from the heat when the curry starts boiling.
Transfer the fish molee into a serving dish.

NOTES

1) The ideal fish for this recipe are King fish (Seer fish/Ney Meen), Pomfret (Avoli), Pearl spot (Karimeen), etc.
2) As tomatoes and coconut milk are being added in fish molly recipe, it does not stay edible for a long time; so you will have to eat and finish the curry on the very same day you cooked it.
3) You can use pepper powder instead of crushed pepper. However, I strongly recommend using freshly crushed black pepper for better taste and colour.
4) Enjoy the fish molly (fish molee) with appam, puttu, bread, pathiri, idiyappam, rice, chappathi, paratha, etc.

Author: Shaan Geo

According to me cooking is an equal-opportunity talent and I find that anybody can cook. It is not limited by the age, profession, caste, colour or creed of a person. What is needed is the love for cooking. For me the passion for cooking does not stop in the kitchen, when I travel, I continue to be inspired by eating in some of the best restaurants around the world.