VEGETARIAN FISH CURRY/ CHETTINAD SAIVA MEEN KUZHAMBU RECIPE

Vegetarian fish curry is definitely a very different than our regular curry/kuzhambu varieties. That too for a vegetarian like me, definitely it is one must try recipe and it is healthy too. in simple words we can call it as karamani urundai kuzhambu.

It is similar to our paruppu urundai kuzhambu but varies in the ingredients and slight differences in the cooking method too.

If you don’t like the look is to be like non vegetarian, simply change the shape of the dhal mixture while cooking like round/oval shape and prepare the curry. Simple isn’t it??

Actually it is a chettinad special dish. I watched this in a television show very long back. Later one day my friend told she too watched in some other show and tried, and told she liked it so much asked me to try.

 Later one fine day when I was in my native I tried this recipe. Actually the original recipe calls for a special leaf lacha kottai keerai(nanjundan keerai). In my native I got this keerai easily and tried. It was really good.

So again I tried in my sister place where I used banana leaf as I didn’t get that special green leaf.

In this recipe back eyed beans is used to make the fish like structure. Later it is cooked in steam and then will be added to the spicy tamarind gravy. In the television show they used channa dhal and thur dhal instead of this black eyed beans (karamani payaru). But as I though it may be like our regular paruppu urundai kuzhambu, I followed the authentic way, which I somewhat remember from the old tv show which watched longgggg backJ.

I admit the process of making may look very big, but i assure the final product won’t disappoint you.

OK, now let’s move on to this recipe.

VEGETARIAN FISH CURRY

(Saiva meen kuzhambu)

SOAKING TIME: 4 HRS | PREPARATION TIME: 10 MINS | COOKING TIME: 45 MINS

AUTHOR: KUZHALIS SAMAIYALARAI

RECIPE TYPE: MAIN

CUISINE: SOUTH INDIAN

SERVES: 3 PERSONS

INGREDIENTS:

                                    1 cup black eyed beans (karamani payaru)

                                    1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)

                                    Salt as per taste

                                    1 medium sized onion           

                                    3 garlic pods

                                    1 teaspoon red chilli powder

                                    3 tablespoon oil         

                                    Few banana leaves

                        To make gravy

                                    3 tablespoon grated coconut (or ½ moodi)

                                    ½ tablespoon roasted gram (pottu kadalai)

                                    2 tablespoon oil

                                    1 teaspoon mustard seeds

                                    ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

                                    1 medium sized onion

                                    1medium sized tomato

                                    1 teaspoon red chilli powder

                                    1 ½ teaspoon sambhar powder                              

                                    1 big gooseberry size tamarind

                                    Few curry leaves

                                    Salt to taste

                                                                       

PREPARATION:

Soak the black eyed gram beans (Karamani payaru) in water for minimum 3 to 4 hours.

Soak the tamarind in water and extract the juice. Keep it aside.

Grind the coconut and roasted gram dhal into fine paste by adding water and keep it aside.

Chop the onions separately as mentioned above and keep it ready.

Crush the garlic and keep it aside.

METHOD:

Drain the water from the soaked black eyed beans. Grind it into coarse paste along with salt, fennel seeds.

Transfer the ground paste in a mixing bowl. Add the chopped onion, crushed garlic, red chilli powder (amount as given in the first set of ingredients list) and mix well.

Mix everything well until they combined fully.

Then take a small banana leaf and place the prepared black eyed beans mixture in one half and flatten it for about 1 inch thickness.

Close the leaf with the other half and pin it using a small tooth pick if required.

Place the prepared patties in the steaming plate and steam cook it for around 10 to 15 minutes.

Once the prepared patties are cooked remove them from the heat.

Allow them to cool a bit.

Then cut them in to rectangular pieces. These are our vegetarian fishesJ.

Just the cooked rectangular dhal pieces.

In a tawa spread some oil and let it heat. Then place the pieces on the hot taw and let it cook till the sides become crisp.

Turn the dhal pieces and let it cook on the other side too.

Once both sides becomes golden brown and crisp, remove from heat and keep it aside.

In a pan add oil (as given in the list for gravy) then add the mustard seeds and let it splutter, thenadd the fenugreek seeds.

Then add the chopped onions and saute well till they become translucent.

Then add the chopped tomatoes. Saute well till it becomes mushy

Then add the tamarind juice and required water (to make the curry thin) and allow it to boil.

Add required salt.

Once the raw smell goes off add the ground coconut paste and let it boil for 2 minutes.

Then add the roasted dhal patties and let it boil for 1 minute.

After adding the coconut paste, the gravy will becomes thick. so add water accordingly.

Finally add the curry leaves and mix well.

Remove from heat and serve hot with white rice.

NOTES:

• Traditionally lachakottai/nanjundan keerai is used to make the patties, and the leaves will not be removed after steam cooked.
• But as I used banana leaves here removed the leaves and roasted the patties only.
• Roasting the patties gives very nice taste, so don’t skip.
• After adding coconut the curry will becomes thick. So while adding tamarind juice add water accordingly.
• If the gravy is too thick, add some hot water to adjust the consistency and let the gravy to boil for 2 minutes. Don’t add cold water.
• You can add the whole masalas like cinnamon, bay leaves also while tempering. As I don’t want more masalas , I didn’t add.
• Black karamani(black eyed beans) is traditionally used to make this curry.  White karamani also can be used.
• To make the patties, while adding onion, you can add a tablespoon of coconut gratings too for additional taste.
• Patties will becomes softer after gets soaked in the gravy.
• Instead of makinf it into patties, you can make as small balls like we do for urundai kuzhambu and steam cook in idly pot.
• instead of karamani payaru(Black eyed beans) you can use equal ration of thur dhal and channa dhal too.

VIDEO RECIPE:

STEP BY STEP PHOTOS:

Grind the coconut and roasted gram dhal into fine paste by adding water and keep it aside.

Soak the black eyed gram beans (Karamani payaru) in water for minimum 3 to 4 hours.

Drain the water from the soaked black eyed beans. Grind it into coarse paste along with salt, fennel seeds.

Transfer the ground paste in a mixing bowl. Add the chopped onion, crushed garlic, red chilli powder (amount as given in the first set of ingredients list) and mix well.

Mix everything well until they combined fully.

Then take a small banana leaf and place the prepared black eyed beans mixture in one half and flatten it for about 1 inch thickness.

Close the leaf with the other half and pin it using a small tooth pick if required.

 Place the prepared patties in the steaming plate and steam cook it for around 10 to 15 minutes.

Once the prepared patties are cooked remove them from the heat. Allow them to cool a bit.

Then cut them in to rectangular pieces. These are our vegetarian fishesJ. Just the cooked rectangular dhal pieces.

In a tawa spread some oil and let it heat. Then place the pieces on the hot taw and let it cook till the sides become crisp.

Turn the dhal pieces and let it cook on the other side too.

Once both sides becomes golden brown and crisp, remove from heat and keep it aside.

In a pan add oil (as given in the list for gravy) then add the mustard seeds and let it splutter, thenadd the fenugreek seeds.

Then add the chopped onions and saute well till they become translucent. Then add the chopped tomatoes. Saute well till it becomes mushy. Then add the red chilli powder and sambhar powder. mix well.

Then add the tamarind juice and required water (to make the curry thin) and allow it to boil.

Add required salt.

Once the raw smell goes off add the ground coconut paste and let it boil for 2 minutes.

Then add the roasted dhal patties and let it boil for 1 minute.

After adding the coconut paste, the gravy will becomes thick. so add water accordingly.

Finally add the curry leaves and mix well.

Remove from heat and serve hot with white rice.

Do try this recipe and please don’t forget to give your feedback in comments.

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