chettinad fish curry- traditional..

Ingredients:

• Fish - 300 grams (Cut into big pieces)
• Mustard seeds and Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Onion - 1 (small size) or 1/2 of a medium size onion
• Green Chili - 1
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Tomato - 1
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind - small gooseberry size
• Sugar - less than 1/4 tspn or to ur taste
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - as required (Sesame oil is preferred)

Roast and Make a paste of:

• Dry Red Chilies - 2 to 3
• Coriander seeds - 1 ½ tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fennel seeds 1/4 tsp
• Peppercorn - 1/4 tsp
• Toor dal - 1/4 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds  - a pinch
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Coconut - 1 tsp
•  

Preparation:

1. Chop Onion, green chili, tomato into small pieces. Soak tamarind in water for 15 minutes. After that extract a cup of tamarind juice from it. Keep all this aside.
2. To prepare the fish masala, heat the oil in a pan. Add dry red chili, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, pepper corns, toor dal, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and coconut then roast them till they are almost brown. Then remove from heat and let it cool on then grind into a very fine paste by adding little water.
3. Heat 2 to 3 tsp Oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and urad dal, once it starts spluttering add Curry leaves, Onion and Green chili, fry till they are golden brown.
4. Add Ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes off. Add tomato and mix it well.
5. Then add Turmeric Powder, grounded fish masala paste  and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add Tamarind juice, 1 cup of water, Salt and Sugar to it. Bring this curry to boil once, then reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan with a lid and cook until the curry becomes thick.
7. After that add fish pieces and cook for 5 minutes or till the fish and gravy are cooked and of your desired consistency.