Indian · Dinner
Tangy Butter Fish Curry
Pondicherry Meen Kuzhambu
A French-Indian Pondicherry fish curry in a tangy tamarind-tomato gravy enriched with butter and finished with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and fennel.
$
10 minsPrep
25 minsCook
35 minsTotal
MediumLevel
Nutrition per serving
385Calories
38gProtein
18gFat
12gCarbs
3gSugar
2gFiber
680mgSodium
82mgChol
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Instructions
1
Prep
Pat fish dry, rub with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp turmeric, rest 5 minutes. Finely chop 6 shallots. Mince 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste. Slit 2 green chillies lengthways. Puree 2 medium tomatoes. Measure all spices and tamarind paste.
2
Bloom
Heat 3 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds, let pop 20 seconds. Add 1 tsp fennel seeds and 20 curry leaves, sizzle 10 seconds until fragrant.
3
Saute
Add chopped shallots, cook 3–4 minutes on medium, stirring, until soft and lightly golden. Stir in ginger-garlic paste and green chillies, cook 1 minute until raw smell fades.
4
Build
Add tomato puree, 2 tsp tomato paste, 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 2 tsp ground coriander, 0.5 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground fennel, remaining 0.5 tsp turmeric, and remaining 0.5 tsp salt. Cook 5 minutes on medium-low, stirring, until oil beads and masala darkens.
5
Simmer
Add 2 tsp tamarind paste and 400ml (1 3/4 cup) hot water, bring to gentle simmer on medium-low, stirring to dissolve tamarind. Slide fish pieces into gravy in a single layer. Cover, simmer 6–7 minutes on low until fish flakes easily and reaches 145°F internal. Spoon gravy over; do not stir.
6
Rest and plate
Remove from heat, rest 2 minutes covered. Garnish with 2 tbsp fresh coriander. Serve with steamed basmati rice or French baguette, lemon wedges, lime pickle, and roasted papad alongside.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.
Serves
2 portions ·
2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10
Ingredients
- 400g (14.1 oz) white fish fillet
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp tamarind paste
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 20 fresh curry leaves
- 6 shallots
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 green chillies
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 0.5 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground fennel
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander
- 2 lemon wedges