Any firm fish, including snapper, trout, or salmon, will work in this green mango-infused south Indian curry, named for the Keralan coastal city of Thalassery. Flavored with coconut, ginger, curry leaves, and turmeric, this recipe first appeared in the tablet edition of our August/September 2014 special India issue.
Thalassery Meen Curry (Thalassery-Style Fish Curry)
Any firm fish, including snapper, trout, or salmon, will work in this green mango-infused south Indian curry, named for the Keralan coastal city of Thalassery.
Yield: serves 2-4
Ingredients
- 1 lb. skin-on mackerel steaks, pin bones removed
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 cup freshly grated coconut
- ½ tsp. ground turmeric
- 4 chiles de árbol
- 3 tbsp. coconut or canola oil
- 5 small green Thai chiles or 2½ serranos, halved
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1 green, unripe mango, peeled, pitted, and minced
- 1 (2″) piece ginger, peeled and minced
- 12 fresh or frozen curry leaves
- Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Season fish with salt; set aside. Purée coconut, turmeric, and chiles de árbol in a small food processor into a paste; set aside.
- Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high; cook green chiles, tomatoes, mango, and ginger, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes begin to break down and mango is tender, 8–10 minutes. Add reserved coconut paste and 1 cup water; boil. Add fish; cook until fish is cooked through, 6–8 minutes. Stir in curry leaves; serve with rice on the side if you like.