Chennai

Kuttanad is the rice bowl of Kerala, and is resplendent with green paddy fields, coconut groves and water fowl. The place is also known for its unique cuisine featuring some of the best fresh water fish from the Vembanad Lake. You get to buy fresh sea food, sold to you directly by fishermen, who come in their snake boats with their catch for the day. 

And then you get to enjoy the fish, prawns, duck and chicken cooked in the traditional Kuttanadan style. Kuttanadan tharavu (duck grown in waters of the lake) is famous among all the eateries. Fresh catch is traditionally cooked using time-honoured recipes and ingredients in earthenware, which gives a special flavour to the dishes. The first is that clay is somewhat porous. Heat and moisture circulate through the pot during cooking, unlike with metal or enamel-lined pots. As a result, the meat gets cooked uniformly and the dish is tender and full of flavours. 

The restaurant Ente Keralam is showcasing different specialty dishes recreated to reflect the Kuttanad region’s cuisine at the ongoing ‘Fishes from the Lake & Curries in the Mudpot’ festival. It will feature dishes like chemeen unda (steamed rice dumplings stuffed with spiced prawn mixture), konju ullarthiyathu (prawns sautéed with onions, coconut and tamarind), chemballi pacha kurumulagittathu (chemballi a local fish of Kuttanad cooked in a ground green peppercorn and garlic paste), aattu vaala thenga varutharacha curry (fish Vaala cooked in roasted ground coconut gravy), vatta thenga varatharacha curry (vatta-fish, cooked in a roasted ground coconut gravy) and much more .

KALANCHI FISH CURRY

Sea bass fish – 5-6 fillets 

Coconut oil – 1 ½ tsp 

Mustard seed – ½ tsp 

Fenugreek (whole) – ½ tsp 

Sliced sambhar onion – 150gm 

Sliced garlic – 25gm 

Sliced ginger – 25gm 

Curry leaves – 10nos 

Green chilly – 2 nos 

Chilly powder – ½ tsp 

Coconut milk – 350 ml 

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp 

Salt to taste 

Kokum powder- 35gm

• Heat the coconut oil and add mustard and fenugreek. 
• Add sambhar onions, garlic, ginger, curry leaves and green chilly. Fry well to a golden brown. 
• Add chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt and mixed well. Add some water, kokum powder and cook for 10 min. Add the fish and cook it for 15 min. 
• Add the coconut milk and check for seasoning. 
• Remove from fire and serve the kalanchi curry

KARIMEEN POLLICHATHU 

Pearl spot fish – 5-6 pieces 

Small onions (sliced) – 100 gm 

Ginger, chopped – 5 gm 

Garlic, chopped – 5 gm 

Coconut oil – 20 ml 

Chilli powder – 5 gm 

Coriander powder – 3 gm 

Curry leaves – 5 nos 

Coconut milk – 50 ml 

Tamarind pulp – 10 ml 

Salt To taste 

Fish stock – 5 tbs 

Turmeric powder – a pinch

• Add ginger and garlic (chopped ) and fry till it becomes brownish. Add chopped small onion to it and saute well. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and salt. 
• Add tamarind pulp and coconut milk ,fish stock and sautee well till it becomes a mashy texture. Before removing from the range add the curry leaves. 
• Clean pearl spot, apply the prepared masala on both sides of the fish.Take the banana leaf and place the remaining masala on the centre on the leaf. Wrap the fish with the banana leaf. 
• Place it in tawa and cook on both sides on a slow fire turning the fish frequently. 
• Garnish with sliced cucumber, onion and tomato. Serve hot.

THARAVU MAPPAS

Onion – 350 gm 

Coconut oil - 25 ml 

Ginger – 25 ml 

Green chilly – 3 nos 

Pepper powder – 1 tsp 

Garam masala – ½ tsp 

Crush pepper – ½ tsp 

Curry leaves – 5 gm 

Salt to taste 

Coriander powder – 1 ½ tsp 

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp 

Coconut milk (first press) – 1 ½ nos 

Coconut milk (second press) – 500 ml 

Duck – 1 kg 

• Wash and clean the duck well 
• Heat the oil , add the sliced onion , ginger, green chilly and curry leaves and fry well to a golden brown 
• Add garam masala , coriannder powder, turmeric powder, salt , pepper powder, crush pepper and mix well 
• Add 750 ml of water , second milk and duck and cook till done. 
• After the duck is cooked well add thick coconut milk. 
• Remove from heat and check the seasoning. 
• Tharavu mappas is ready

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