Meen Kuzhambu is a classic South Indian dish where fish is cooked in a spicy, tangy tamarind base!
I would like to try different varieties of fish curry each time. I have already posted a few versions- Chettinad Meen Kuzhambu, Malabar style Coconut Milk Fish Curry. All these are very quick to make and goes well with rice or idli dosa!
Check other fish recipes here:
Fish Moilee Recipe
Indian Claypot Fish Gravy
Konkani Fish Curry
Which fish is good for Curry?
You can use any fish in this curry – Pomfret ( Vavval ), King or Seer fish (Vanjaram), Red Snapper ( Sankara ), Paarai (Mackeral) or Salmon, Tilapia, Sea Bass fillets! Smaller varieties like sardines, anchovies works as well!
What is Kuzhambu Milagai Thool / Madras Curry Powder ?
This all purpose curry powder is a blend of all South Indian spices that goes into most of the curries. A mix of red chilies, coriander, fenugreek, cumin, black pepper, turmeric, lentils & curry leaves are slow roasted to perfection and ground to a fine powder. This is easily available in most Indian stores or make your own homemade blend.
This is a must for any good meen kuzhambu, as it gives the right texture and consistency for the base gravy. To replace curry powder – use 2 teaspoon of red chili powder, 2 tbsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper powder.
I have already shared a post on our family style Kuzhambu Thool
Meen Kuzhambu video available in English & Tamil
Meen Kuzhambu – Madras Fish Curry – Tamil Nadu Meen Kuzhambu
Ingredients
Fish – marinade
- 1 whole Pomfret Fish cut into pieces, any type fish works
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Ingredients – Tamarind extract
- 1 lemon size Tamarind
- 1/2 cup Water
Ingredients – for masala paste
- 10 each Shallots
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 5 each Curry leaves
- 1 tbsp Black Peppercorns
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/4 cup Water
Ingredients for gravy
- 1/4 cup Oil
- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp Split Black gram
- 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 4 each Curry leaves
- 2 small Green chili slit open
- 6 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1/2 cup Onion chopped
- 1/2 cup Tomatoes
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Red Chili powder
- 1 tbsp Coriander powder
- 1 tbsp Kuzhambu Milagai Thool / Madras Curry Powder
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Jaggery or Sugar
Instructions
Prep work
- Wash and rinse fish in cold water. Trim off the fins, remove gills, guts and other entrails. Head and tail can be retained, if desired!
- Add turmeric and salt to the cleaned fish and marinate for few minutes.
- Soak tamarind in water for few minutes to soften.
- Squeeze out the pulp discarding the seeds & fibrous portion. Extract a thick pulp and set aside.
To make masala paste
- Take shallots, garlic, curry leaves, black peppercorns, cumin seeds in a mixer jar .
- Blend to make a thick paste using little water and set it aside.
To make base gravy
- Heat oil in a deep sauce pan.
- Temper with mustard seeds, split black gram, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and green chilies.
- Add crushed garlic and fry for few seconds.
- Saute onions adding a pinch of salt until it turns transparent.
- Now add the masala paste and fry along for 10 minutes or until it turns golden brown and leaves oil to the sides.
- Add tomatoes along with turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, kuzhambu milagai thool (madras curry powder) and salt.
- Again fry this for next 10 minutes until the oil separates,
- Add thick tamarind extract along with some water and bring it to a boil.
- When the base gravy boils vigorously start adding the fish pieces one by one. ( Do not stir after adding fish, as its flesh is delicate and stirring harshly can break them and mix up in the gravy )
- Either cook it open pan or cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- When done, garnish with curry leaves.
- Simmer for few minutes and turn it off!
- Serve hot topped over piping hot rice!
Notes
Additional
39 Comments
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[…] 23. Meen Kulambu/ Kuzhambu (Fish In Tamarind Curry) […]
Came out excellent! Too much nostalgia! I used sankara meen for this. Meen curry w/o coconut is an art& a treasure. Tastes exactly like my neighbor’s dish they would make& send when I was growing up in Chennai. Just so good!! Thanks sooo much!
Thank you so much Sara!
can i use coconut past at last
Thulasi, this recipe does not include coconut but if you like… you can add coconut paste at the end and simmer for few minutes over low flame. Thanks
Thank you Mam
your explanation was so good and acurate, that i followed the receipe exactly and the taste was delicious,
but my husband says he can see so many onions, but the taste is perfect,
should i reduce onions and do the same with all other ingrediants as same proportions, would that make a difference in taste, the taste is perfect he just wants onions to disappear
Priya,
If you fry the onions a little longer,it well blend well with the masala and you wont see them once the gravy is cooked. Also try mincing them finely… but if you still think its too much you may always reduce some and adjust to your needs, using small sambar onions will enhance the taste quite a bit, so do try with them. I would still keep the rest same, as onions give little thickness to the gravy and if you cut them drastically your kuzhambu will be slightly watery consistency, so make you don’t cut too much. Thanks Priya for trying recipes from my page and getting back with a feedback, it actually motivate me a lot! Thanks again.
[…] Meen Kuzhambu / Cabbage Kootu / Meen Varuval / Kothavaranga / Cluster Beans Poriyal / Milagu Rasam […]
Hi mullai,
usually while making non-veg my mom use to add fenugreek seeds. does it make any difference in the dish?
Thank you…
Dear Madam,
Good to see the page back…..
I was so excited and made 3 dishes …….I made simple rasam, Kothamalli thoku & Kothu Cauliflowe curry daybefore y’day and Meenkuzhambu and Fish Fry y’day…..Our dinner for the last two days were great..
Thanks for motivating us…..the page is so helpful for the new brides like me…..
Mullai,
Tried this curry yesterday. Usually nan NV curry panrathu yen dh avalo aa appreciate panna maataru. But…yesterday he told me to make fish curry here afterwards!! :)) thanks a bunch. I don’t know how to express my thanks to you.
Thanks a bunch Mullai. God bless you..
Priya
Hi Mullai,
Its very delicious..my hubby loved the fish curry.. thnks for the recipe.
Hi thanks, i m going to try ur recipe today and then i’ll send my feedback
Hi Mullai,
Can we use white onions? Thanks..
sujatha
Yes you can.
Hi Mullai Akka, I tried ur fish curry with frozen nethilis,it was awesome.Just i added 2 spoons of coconut powder also for more thick consistency as per my husband's liking. It was very tasty. Thank u very much. Anbu
Mullai…
Tried ur marvellously explained and presented meen kuzhambu..
Oops this was my first ever trial and the result was awesome…
.
so much for the recipe… Keep going!!!
Cheers, Sathya.
hi mullai,
thanks for a very nice recipie,it was really very yummmmy
Hai Mullai, i tried this recipe today. it was simply superb. i used Salmon and it was awesome. i became member 3 weeks before. but i tried 20 recipes of yours.Thanks Mullai
Hi Mullai
I tried this recipe yesterday….it came out awesome…I was looking for a fish curry recipe without adding coconut….this is simply superbbbb……thanks a lot for sharing this…
priya
Your recipes are just simply amazing….
I live out here in Canada – what kind of fish would we recommended to be purchased at the grocery for this type of dish?
Thanks again!
Hello AT, normally i would prefer King fish, mackeral, tilapia, catfish and any variety bass. Check our fish names in tamil here and choose the one which you are comfortable with.
Thank you for the reply.
Your website/recipes are just amazing!
hi mullai..
I tried your recipe. It came out well..
Your site is very useful to me,
thanks a lot…
thanks for your reply Mullai
Hi Mullai,
I like ur recipes very much..what size of onions do you use for this recipe. i used the big purple onions and the onion taste dominated more..hence the question..
thanks,
prabha
Prabha, use medium sized ones, that should work. Got to boil the kuzhambu for some time to get rid of the raw smell. Thanks.
can anyone suggest how to prepare imitation crab? is it same as fish curry?
Hi Mullai,
Today I cooked this meen kuzhambu and chettinad meen varuval for lunch. Both were excellent. You are really rocking!
Mercy
Thanks Mercy !!
Hi Mullai
Thankyou very much for sharing such easy and tasty recipes with us. I tried this recipe yesterday and it came out well. I am a regular visitor to your website…i am very grateful to you because i am slowly becoming a better cook! Thanks so much. Best wishes to you.
Nandini,
a day old meen kuzhambu will taste even good, enjoy!!! Thanks for getting back.
I tried this recipe and came out very well .Thanks for the input buddy
Hi Mullai Yesterday i tried this recipe It was really good all ur recepies are good
sleshar
Slesharm,
What type of fish did u use in this recipe? Actually collecting some info on that, quite hard to find fresh fish here.
hi…………the curry cameout very well……me n my husband njoyed it..thanks a lot..
Hi Mullai,
ur fish curry recipe is very good, but is there any way to get thick gravy served for a number of people? Coz in my family, there are many, who are good eaters and they say the curry amount is very less and if i add more water to get more curry, they say it is like rasam, very watery.
Plz do suggest.
tks
seema
Seema,
This recipe is for 2 to 3 servings, so you have change the portions depending on number of persons. Just adding water will not solve the problem. If you have like 6 people, just double the quantity mentioned and try. Better luck next time. Thanks.