South Indian cuisine has given us a plethora of dishes to relish. It is renowned for its diverse dishes, ranging from the simple idli for breakfast to the spicy Chettinad chicken curry for dinner. The region comprises five states: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. Popular across borders, this cuisine uses local spices and traditional cooking methods to offer numerous options for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
Talking particularly about the cuisine of Kerala, it boasts of delightful dishes that can steal your heart. Spices like curry leaves, tamarind, and coconut milk are commonly used in their cooking. Known as "God’s own country," it is surrounded by the sea, which makes the state a home for numerous seafood species, including mussels, crabs, prawns, lobsters, and a variety of fish.
If you are also a fan of seafood, then here are the five best fish recipes from Kerala that you must try:
Fish Mappas Recipe
This traditional fish curry from Kerala is also popular in other parts of the country. Fish mappas is a creamy dish made by cooking fish in coconut milk. This dish has a tangy flavour that comes from tomatoes and kokum fruits. It is best served with appam or rice.
Karimeen Pollichathu Recipe
This authentic dish is made with pearl spot fish. Prepared within half an hour, this delicious fish fry is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Compared to other fish recipes, it is low in calories. The fish is marinated in a masala mixture consisting of lime juice, black pepper, salt, and other spices, then fried with tomato, onions, garlic, and curry leaves. Finally wrapped in a banana leaf, it is steam-cooked.
Meen Chuttuly Recipe
Meen chuttuly is basically a shallot-seasoned fish fry that is flavoured with a tangy masala. Pomfrets, tuna, and salmon are the best varieties of fish that can be used for this recipe. Apart from fish, baked shallots, chillies, and garlic are the main ingredients of this dish. Meen chuttuly is best served with tapioca or rice.
Meen Mulakittathu Recipe
This beautiful red fish curry is made with a delightful blend of tangy and spicy flavour. The vibrant colour comes from the Kashmiri chilli powder. It is traditionally cooked in an earthen pot, which enhances the taste and flavour of this dish. Meen mulakittathu is prepared by sautéing onions and spices with kudampuli or kukum star (Malabar tamarind) and then adding fish to it.
Meen Moilee Recipe
This seafood recipe is made by cooking fish in a rich coconut-based curry. It is mild in flavour as compared to other recipes and goes well with steamed rice and appam. Just sauté tomatoes, onions, and spices, then add coconut milk, followed by your marinated fish. You can also add some red chillies and pepper to infuse a subtle heat.