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Meen Moily

Meen Moily is a fish stew that comes from the Southern Indian state of Kerala. Meen means fish. Several stories credit this dish to Moily, a cook who made this dish for the British who could not handle spicy food. I love this dish because it combines two staples of Keralan cuisine - fish and coconut - with spices typical of Southern India to create delicate but sophisticated flavors. It’s also easy but looks beautiful with the bright colors. So naturally, Meen Moily is one of my go-to dishes for dinner with guests or a weekend family night.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs white fish – rockfish, tilapia and halibut all work well – cut into 3-inch chunks
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp lemon or lime juice
  • 4 tbsp coconut oil (You can substitute with any vegetable oil)
  • 1 stick cinnamon, broken into roughly 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds (optional)
  • 10 to 15 curry leaves*
  • 1- inch piece of ginger, minced
  • 2 to 3 long green chilis or jalapeños, sliced (optionally remove seeds to reduce the heat)
  • 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 15 oz can coconut milk
  • 2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1 medium tomato (any kind), medium diced
  • 3 to 4 stalks cilantro, thick stalk ends removed and finely chopped
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper (optional, ideally freshly ground)
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamom (optional, ideally freshly ground)

Instructions

  • 1. Marinate the fish with turmeric and the lemon or lime juice.
  • 2. Heat the coconut oil in a large wok or fry pan over medium to medium high heat. You need to get the oil to just the right temperature. You’ll see ripples on the surface of the oil as it gets hot enough. You know the oil is ready if you throw in a slice of onion and it sizzles.
  • 3. Sizzle the cinnamon, mustard seeds and curry leaves for 10 seconds or till the mustard seeds “pop”. Watch out for the splatter!
  • 4. Add the chilies, ginger and red onion next and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion starts browning.
  • 5. Add the fish and reduce the heat to medium-low. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir gently so as to not break the fish apart too much.
  • 6. Add coconut milk, salt and tomatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes or till the fish is done.
  • 7. Sprinkle the ground spices over the stew and garnish with tomato and serve immediately.
  • Serve this dish with basmati or jasmine rice.
  • Serves 4 to 6 as an entrée.
  • *It is well worth the effort to buy fresh curry leaves – the only required specialty ingredient in this recipe. They’re used in most South Indian cooking and can also be easily dried and stored for later use. All Indian stores will carry curry leaves. I often find them in Asian stores, especially Vietnamese stores. You can also buy them online!