Masalaa for fish curry

There are a number of ways fish can be cooked – in curries, baked , fried, in  cutlets and patties. There are several curries in which fish can be cooked. Here I am going to give the recipe for fish curry that I learnt from my  mother:

There are only a few types of fish that can be cooked using this masala. The fish includes mackerels, sardine, surmai (king fish), pompfrets both black and white and mullet.  Ladyfish can also be cooked in this masala but they taste better if cooked using a masala that I call ‘jeera, meera’ yet another recipe I learnt from my mother. For Ladyfish coconut juice is added.  

I normally prepare the masala for fish curry and deep freeze it so that I can use it whenever I want it. This masala lasts me atleast a month or more:

This fish curry masala has the following ingredients

40 red chillies 20 each of two different varieties. One variety will give that much desired red colour and the other will add hotness to the curry

20 garlic flakes

3 tablespoons coriander

1 tablespoon cumin seed

one small ball of tamarind

2 teaspoons turmeric powder – I have my own turmeric powder as I grow turmeric in my garden

3 large onions

2 teaspoons pepper

half scraped coconut – well matured.

I prefer preparing the masala in a grinding stone although I have an electric grinder and also a liquidiser. Masala in these gadgets heat up and so the taste diminishes. 

My husband’s grandmother gifted a grinding stone of her time. I get my maid to grind the masala in the grinding stone. 

The masala has to be ground fine adding enough water for which she takes atleast one hour or more.

The masala is then kept in the deep freeze section of the fridge