Karimeen Pollichathu

karimeen-pollichathu
Prepration time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Persons served: 2 Persons
Cuisine: Kerala

ingredients

  • Pearlspot fish / Karimeen (medium sized) : 2nos
  • Chopped Onions : ¼ kg
  • Chopped Ginger : a small piece
  • Chopped Garlic : a pod
  • Chopped Green chillies : 4
  • Turmeric powder : ¼ tsp
  • Pepper powder : ½ tsp
  • Tomatoes (finely chopped) : 4
  • Chill1 powder : 1 ½ tbsp
  • Cumin seeds : ¼ tsp
  • Cinnamon : 2 small pieces
  • Vinegar : 2 tbsp
  • Coconut oil : 4 tbsp
  • Salt – to taste

Karimeen (Pearl spot fish) Pollichathu is a typical and unique Kuttanadan (Allepey) fish preparation. It is marinated with a rich blend of hot spices and then baked in a banana leaf. If you take it once, you will always carve for it again. Here is the recipe for making Karimeen pollichathu at your home.

Preparation of Kuttanadan Karimeen Pollichathu

  1. Clean the karimeen fishes very well and drain them well till dry.
  2. Make obliques incisions over it.
  3. Slice the onions, ginger , garlic and green chillies into small pieces.
  4. Make a fine paste of Chilly powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, and cumin seed with little vinegar.
  5. In a heavy bottom pan (uruli) pour some coconut oil and heat it.
  6. Fry the cinnamon pieces in the pan.
  7. Add the #3 to the pan and saute it well.
  8. When the onions become cooked thoroughly, add the ground paste (#4) and fry it well in a low flame.
  9. Add the tomatoes and saute it till the raw smell goes,  and saute well again.
  10. Add 2 cups of boiling water when the mixture is well sauteed.
  11. Add the salt and the remaining vinegar and mix well.
  12. Add our fish pieces into the gravy and saute it till the gravy thickens and the fish is cooked well.
  13. Wrap each piece of fish, along with the  masala gravy in a banana leaf. Tie it securely with banana fibers and roast it on a hot tava.
  14. Serve it hot with your main dishes like Appam, Idiyappam, Rice etc..

Tips

  • Use fresh Karimeen and the taste will be awesome.
Cini P Moideen

How would you rate this recipe?

113 votes, 3.97 / 5.00 (79%)
  • R
    says:

    Awesome recipe. We prepared it today and it was great. Love you for this recipe.

    • says:

      @Renu : Glad to hear you tried our recipe and the dish came out well!!

  • P
    says:

    Is there any way I can make this without the leaf? It’s really hard to get banana leaf in here in USA..

    • says:

      @Priti :try using aluminium foil. I haven’t tried it, but it may work.
      Dont forget to inform me if that works..

    • says:

      You are welcome Smitha.. Hope your family loved the preparation.

  • J
    says:

    Excellent and tastes great. Thanks for sharing…!!!

  • R
    says:

    excellent recipe….i tried and it came out well..thanks

  • P
    says:

    Thanks a lot for this recipe Cini. We tried many other Karimeen pollicha recipes in the past and we were never satisfied with them. But this one, its amazing and delicious.
    Recommended 😉

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