Fish Pollichathu

Ingredients

Fish – 500 g (4 medium sized pieces) (I used Kingfish) 

You may use Seabass, Pomphret, pearl spot, Seabream, Snapper

For marinating fish 

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp 

Kashmiri chilli powder – 2 tbsp 

Lemon juice – 1 tbsp 

Black pepper powder – 1/2 tsp 

Salt – to taste 

Water – as needed to make the paste 

For frying fish

Coconut oil – 2 tbsp 

For the masala 

Onion – 2 large (thinly sliced)

Shallots – 1 cup 

Ginger – 1 tbsp (finely chopped)

Garlic – 1 tbsp (finely chopped)

Green chillies – 3 slit longitudinally 

Curry leaves – a sprig 

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp 

Coriander powder – 1 1/2 tbsp 

Garam masala – 1 tsp 

Fennel powder – 1/2 tsp 

Crushed black pepper powder – 1 tsp 

Kashmiri chilli powder – 1 1/2 tbsp 

Tomato puree – 3 tbsp (you can use raw tomatoes 2 small in number if you don’t find purée)

Coconut milk (thick) – 1/2 cup 

Salt – to taste 

Water – 1/2 cup 

Coconut oil – 3 tbsp 

For baking 

Banana leaf – 4 small rectangular shaped ones to wrap the fish pieces 

Coconut oil – 1 tbsp to brush on top of the leaves 

Steps 

1. Marinate fish pieces with ingredients listed under marination for atleast 30 minutes or overnight 
2. Shallow Fry the marinated fish pieces in coconut oil and keep aside. 
3. Heat a pan on medium flame and when hot add in add in coconut oil. To that add in chopped ginger and garlic, curry leaves and green chillies and sauté well for 2 minutes. 
4. Now add onions and shallots and sauté well. Add salt as well as it helps to brown onions faster and absorbs their water content too.  
5. When it’s brown, turn flame to low and add in turmeric powder followed by coriander powder, garam masala, fennel powder, Kashmiri chilli powder and crushed black pepper. Sauté on low flame for 3 to 4 minutes. 
6. Now add in tomato purée and half cup water and mix well. Cover and cook it on medium flame for 2-3 minutes 
7. Lastly open add in thick coconut milk and mix and switch off flame after cooking it for a minute. 
8. Now take a banana leaf and place the fried fish and put masala on top. Then wrap it up and use a cooking string or thread to tie it. 
9. Brush coconut oil on the packed banana leaf packets.
10. Preheat oven to 170C for minutes and then place the wrapped fish in banana leafs on a tray into the oven for baking.
11. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Serve hot