Meen Pollichathu/ Fish Fried In Banana Leaf-Kerala Style

Meen pollichathu is a popular kerala dish. I already added this recipe. This is another version which is more easier than the previous one.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time:50 minutes.

Ingredients:

Fish(i used pearl spot, it also works for king fish, pomfret and tilapia)	2
Shallots/Big onion	25/1(skin peeled,chopped)
Tomato	1(chopped)
Curry leaves	2 sprig
Coconut Oil	2 tspoon+2 tbl spoon

To Marinate:

Chilly powder	3 tspoon
Coriander powder	2 tspoon
Turmeric powder	1 tspoon
Ginger-garlic paste	1 tspoon
Garam Masala	1 tspoon
Lemon Juice	1 tspoon
Salt	to taste
Water	To sprinkle

To Wrap:

Banana Leaf or Foil paper

Preparation:

(1) In a bowl add the ingredients shown under "to marinate" heading. Sprinkle water and mix well. Make a thick paste which should be in spreading consistency

(2) Well, before preparing masala you have to wash and clean the fish. Make horizontal slits over the fish. Now paste more than half of the masala over the fish(Keep the rest of masala aside). Mind to paste the masala inside the slits too. Keep it for marination about half an hour.

(3) Mean while heat oil in a pan. Add shallots/onion slices along with little salt. Stir till the color changes brownish. Add tomato slices and saute till it turns juicy(i didn't used tomato due to out of stock). Now add curry leaves. Saute well and add the rest of masala(add little more water to the remaining masala) which we kept aside. Stir well and allow the added water with masala to boil so that the raw smell of masalas goes off and onion will cook well (take care not to burn). Switch off the flame. Keep it aside. Let it cool.

(4) Now heat oil a pan to fry the fish. Add the marinated fish into it. Fry it till half cooked( say 2 minutes on each side. Don't cook completely). Keep it in a tissue paper.

(5) Now take a banana leaf. Spread some onion masala over it and keep the half cooked fish over it. Again spread more masala over the top. Fish will be now covered by the msaala. Now wrap it carefully.

(6) Heat a pan and keep the wrapped fishes over it(i made a knot with an aluminium foil over the wrap). Sprinkle water over it. Close the vessel with a lid. Let it steam cook. Flip the parcel in between by sprinkilng water. Cook for 15 minutes on each sides. Now you will get a nice smell of banana leaf). Switch off the flame when the color of leaf changes brownish. Your Meen pollichathu is now ready.

Enjoy your fish pollichathu with Kappa Puzhungiyathu, Kappa Puzhukku or rice….

Tips:

• Lightly heat the banana leaf over the flame so that it will not tear during wrapping.
• You can also use aluminium foil paper instead of banana leaf.