Fish Molee Recipe (Kerala Fish Stew))
Fish Molee (Meen Moilee, Fish Molly) is a rich and creamy Kerala-style fish curry where fish is cooked in a subtly spiced coconut-based gravy. Serve it with appam or steamed rice for a hearty meal.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
To Marinate The Fish
- 1 pound fish slices 500 g, I used seer fish steaks but you can use any fish.
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
For The Curry
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 3-4 cloves (laung)
- 2 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 10-12 whole curry leaves
- 3-4 green chilies slit into halves
- 2 cups thinly sliced red onions
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 7 fluid ounces thin coconut milk 200 ml
- 1 medium tomato cut into rounds
- 10 fluid ounces thick coconut milk 300 ml
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
- ½ teaspoon Kerala garam masala or normal garam masala
Instructions
Marinate The Fish
- Rinse fish steaks well with water and drain well.
- Mix together turmeric powder, lime juice, black pepper powder, and salt on a large plate.
- Add the fish to the plate and coat well with the spices. Keep aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
Fry The Fish
- Heat coconut oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, arrange the fish in a single layer and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until lightly browned.
- Note: If your pan is not large, fry the fish in batches.
- Transfer the fried fish to a plate and keep it aside.
Make The Curry
- To the remaining oil in the pan, add cloves, green cardamoms, cinnamon, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and green chilies, and fry for 3-4 seconds.
- Add onions, ginger, and garlic, and cook until the onions turn pinkish.
- Note: If you like a creamier curry, you can blend the ingredients once the onions are cooked. Then return the puree to the pan and follow the rest of the recipe as is. It is not traditional, though.
- Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, and black pepper powder, and cook for 8-10 seconds.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Now add thin coconut milk and tomato and cook for 20-30 seconds.
- Add ½ cup of water and mix well. Add the fish pieces back to the pan and shake the pan to coat them with the curry.
- Cover the pan and cook the curry for 10 minutes, shaking the pan a few times in between. Do not use a spatula to mix the curry, as it may break the delicate fish pieces.
- Finally, add thick coconut milk, tamarind paste, and garam masala and mix well. Cook on low heat until the curry comes to a gentle simmer.
- Do not overcook otherwise the curry may split.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Serve fish molee hot.
Video
Notes
You will need both thick and thin coconut milk. If making it at home, the first extract is the thick milk, and the second extract is the thin milk.
If using canned milk, then mix 1.7 oz (50 ml) of it with 5 oz (150 ml) of water to make thin coconut milk.
Make sure to add the coconut milk to the pan only when the heat is reduced to low. It may split if the heat is high.
If using canned coconut milk, shake it very well before opening.
Nutrition
Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 201mg | Potassium: 730mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 605IU | Vitamin C: 66.7mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3.2mg
