Chettinad Meen Varuval
fish fried crisp under a red pepper-and-fennel paste, ready in half an hour
Allergens in Chettinad Meen Varuval: fish, sesame.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 600g, 4 thick steaks or fillets Fishseer, pomfret or kingfish
- 4 tbsp, for shallow frying Sesame Oilgingelly oil
- 2 tsp Kashmiri Chillifor colour without punishing heat
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- 1.5 tsp, freshly crushed Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Fennel Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 inch, ground to paste Ginger
- 6 cloves, ground to paste Garlic
- 2 tbsp Rice Flourthe crust; do not skip it
- 1 tsp thick pulp Tamarindkeeps the fish from smelling muddy
- 2 sprigs Curry Leaves
- 1, cut into wedges Lemonoptional
- to taste Salt
Cookware
stovetop, tawa
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Score the fish twice on each side, about 1cm deep, so the masala reaches the middle.
- Marinate 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Longer than an hour and the tamarind and salt start to cure the flesh soft.
- Get the fish properly dry before it hits the pan. Wet fish steams and the crust slides off.
Method
- Mix the kashmiri chilli, chilli powder, pepper, fennel, coriander, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, tamarind pulp and salt into a thick paste with 1 tbsp water.
- Rub the paste into the scored fish, working it into the cuts. Rest 30 minutes.
- Just before frying, dust the rice flour over both sides and press it on lightly.Add rice flour at the last minute. Left to sit, it goes pasty instead of crisp.
- Heat the gingelly oil on a tawa over medium-high until a crumb of masala sizzles immediately.
- Lay the fish down and do not touch it for 4 minutes. The edges should go opaque and the underside deep rust-red.Moving the fish early tears the crust. Wait for it to release on its own.
- Turn once and fry the second side 3-4 minutes.
- Throw the curry leaves into the hot oil at the side of the pan for the last 20 seconds, until they crackle.
- Drain briefly, top with the fried leaves and serve hot with lemon wedges.
Safe temperatures: Fish is done at 63°C / 145°F, or when it turns opaque and flakes easily. Reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F. FoodSafety.gov
Storage
Eat straight away. Fried fish loses its crust within the hour. Leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated; crisp them up in a dry pan, never a microwave.
Nutrition Good estimate
One serving of Chettinad Meen Varuval (187 g) is about 344 calories, or 185 calories per 100 g.
High protein: 32 g a serving, 37% of the calories
| Per serving187 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 344 kcal | 185 kcal |
| Protein | 31.9 g | 17 g |
| Carbohydrate | 11.7 g | 6 g |
| of which sugars | 0.8 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Fat | 18.7 g | 10 g |
| of which saturated | 2.8 g | 2 g |
| of which unsaturated | 14.6 g | 8 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for curry leaves. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Quick Indian recipes (30 min) · Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · Tamil Nadu recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.