A Platter of Happiness: Kappayum Meenum

Coconut Tapioca, Fish Curry, Fish Fry and Green Chilly Chutney

When I was really young, can't remember how old I was, we went on a trip. This was the house where my amma lived while she was working, and acha would visit her on weekends. The landlords were lovely people who kept in touch, and shared the love over years, even to date. They lived in a small village, had a stream right outside their home, and plantations of tapioca, and grew most of their vegetables at home! For a city-bred girl who was pampered with bakery goodies as snacks, these were wonderful things.

I remember walking down a narrow lane with their eldest daughter to see a huge pond filled with lotuses, and I have that as one of my most favorite memories of childhood. After this tiring little walk, what awaited me back in their house was a platter of goodness, served with cardamom black tea. This platter is what I yearn to make every time I want to hug back that favorite memory of mine. A slice of life, gone past. Here for you:

Coconut Tapioca, Fish Curry, Fish Fry and Green Chilly Chutney (Kappayum Meenum)

Fish Curry

Fish pieces - medium slices without skin
Red chilly powder - 2 tbsps
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Tamarind - size of a small lemon
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 strand
Coconut oil - to season
Salt - to taste

• Mix the red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt in one cup of water, and bring to a boil.
• Add the tamarind to half a cup of water and extract the juice. 
• Mix this to the boiling masala mixture. 
• Once the mixture is boiled, add the fish slices and let the fish cook. 
• Once the fish is cooked, add the coconut milk and let it bubble. Check taste.
• Splutter the mustard in the coconut oil and add curry leaves. 
• Once the curry leaves are crispy, add into the fish gravy.

Coconut Tapioca

Tapioca - medium size cubes
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Salt - to taste

• Pressure cook the tapioca till soft in water. 
• Remove the lid and add coconut and salt to this. 
• Boil with lid off till the coconut is well coated on the tapioca.

Green Chilly Chutney

Green chilly - 10 nos
Shallots - 4, peeled
Coconut Oil
Salt - to taste

• Grind green chillies, salt and shallots in a mixer. 
• Add a tablespoon of coconut oil to the ground paste before serving.

Fish Fry

Fish - Seer, sliced thick.
Red chilly powder - 2 tbsps
Pepper powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Lemon Juice - of one lemon

• Mix all the masalas and marinate the fish for an hour. 
• The longer it sits, the better. 
• Shallow fry till fish is cooked. 
• You may add some curry leaves and shallots into the oil for added flavour. 

It's how marriages are saved - Raw Mango & Prawn!

Everytime I talk to my amma on the phone, it is a regular practice to ask her what she cooked for lunch or dinner. The only time I curse her on phone, with a wail, "how could you make it when I am not there..." is when she says she made a raw mango and prawn curry. I could eat it, drink it, slurp it down or drown in it. 

The flavours of the raw mango and prawn are married to each other, like a match made in heaven. So before I create a tsunami with my overflowing saliva on the computer, here goes:

Raw Mango & Prawn Curry 

Need

Raw mango - 1 large, peeled and sliced

Prawns - de shelled, cleaned about a cup

Cocum - if the mango is not sour enough

Gravy

Coconut - scraped, about a cup

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Green Chilly - 3-4 

Shallots - 4

Mustard Seeds

Curry Leaves

• Cook the raw mango and prawns till tender. If the raw mango is not sour, you may add cocum slices.
• Grind ingredients for gravy, and add into the cooked raw mango and prawns.
• Add half a cup of water, and let it simmer.
• Season and garnish with spluttered mustard and curry leaves.
• Enjoy with red rice.

Let's start with something fishy...

Let me start by bailing myself out of this. I didn't grow up eating this. This may seem like a shock to many. But honestly, with a working mother, who had time for baking fish in intricate steps. So I learnt to do this on my own. I had eaten it in restaurants, once I had my own money, and trust me, I never understood what the fuss was about even when Gordon Ramsay was seen learning to make it during his trip to Kerala.

But when I did make it at home, for the first time, and I tasted it hot, knowing fully well what had gone into making it, I knew. This is what the fuss was about. When you make it at home, it is simple, worth every mouthful of sinful fish piece coated in fresh ground masala and caramelised onion...there, I see it. Lust. Greed. You sinner!

Now here is how to make it. 

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Need:

Thick pieces of fish (I chose seer)

Small onions sliced - a cup

Tomato, chopped fine - a cup

Curry Leaves - 1 bunch

Banana leaf - 1 large

Masala

Red Chilly Powder - 2 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tbsp

Pepper Powder - 1 tbsp

Marinate

Lime Juice - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 3 tbsp

• Marinate the fish slices with salt and lime juice. 
• Heat a wok, and fry the curry leaves, onion and tomato. 
• Add the masala, and saute till onion is transparent and tomato is cooked.
• In a flat pan, grill the fish and sprinkle some pepper powder on it.
• Rub the prepared masala on the fish slices.
• Wrap the slices in  banana leaves and cook in a fry pan with lid on in simmer for 15 minutes.

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Best with chilled beer, on a rainy day with only the the drizzle for company. Dig in and let me know when you see heaven! :) 

Till later. Ummas.