Kerala Fish Pickle/Meen Achaar

Pickle or Achaar is an emotion isn’t it. Like I have told in one of my earlier pickle posts – a lot of us have memories of it linked with college days where we had bottles of Pickle packed with love from home for us to last a semester or term in college till the next visit or holidays back at home. 

This is my first attempt at Fish Pickle. The other day we were watching Annammachedathis Youtube video and she was making Meen Achaar (Fish Pickle) and that moment I decided this is my weekend task. At home Amma used to make it mostly with kingfish or prawns or Anchovy. I decided to try Frozen Tuna as it was easily available and also what if it turned out to be a flop show since it was a trial attempt😅 anyway contrary to that it was a success and here I am with the recipe for the Fish Pickle. 

P.S I have made Beef pickle too but the recipe for Beef pickle varies quite a bit in technique and also in ingredients – so will be uploading that later. For the time being, here is the Fish Pickle recipe. I will upload the Beef Pickle recipe too seperately on the blog. 

Recipe adapted from Annammachedathi Special Youtube channel. 

Recipe 

Ingredients 

Fish – 1 kg cut into small cubes (I took Tuna. You may use Kingfish, Seerfish, Anchovies, Sardines)

For marination 

Kashmiri Chilli powder – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp 

Salt – to taste 

Oil (vegetable or gingelly/sesame oil) – 1 cup for frying 

Curry leaves – a sprig for frying 

For the pickle masala 

Gingelly/Sesame oil – 4 tbsp 

Garlic – 20 cloves (each chopped in half)

Ginger – 3 tbsp (finely chopped lengthwise) 

Green chillies – 10 slit longitudinally 

Dry Red chillies – 6 to 8 

Curry leaves – a sprig 

Kashmiri chilli powder – 3 tbsp 

Fenugreek powder – 1/2 tsp 

Vinegar – 3 tbsp 

Salt – to taste 

Water – as required acc to consistency of gravy needed (I added 1 cup as I keep it with less gravy) 

Steps 

1. Marinate the fish pieces with turmeric powder, Kashmiri chilli powder and salt atleast for an hour.  
2. Heat a kadai or round bottomed pan and pour in oil when hot. Fry the fish pieces in batches and keep aside.
3. Now heat a kadai and add in gingelly or sesame oil to it when hot. It’s important this masala is made with gingelly oil for the pickles longer shelf life and authentic taste. 
4. To the oil add in chopped ginger and garlic, green chillies, curry leaves and dry red chillies and salt and sauté well for 3-4 minutes on medium to high flame. 
5. Now lower heat and add in Kashmiri chilli powder, fenugreek powder and salt and keep sautéing for 2-3 minutes and Make sure it doesn’t burn or sticks to the bottom of the pan. 
6. Then add in the fried fish pieces and mix well. 
7. Now add in vinegar and water and on low to medium flame cook it for 5-8 minutes.
8. Switch off flame. Add salt as per your liking if required after tasting. Since it’s a pickle, salt and vinegar should be on the slightly higher side for it to stay preserved longer. 
9. Once cooled well, transfer it into air tight jars tightly packed  and preserve. When taking it each time use a dry spoon and make sure no moisture content comes into the jar. You may place curry leaves as top layer before closing the jar.  
10. When you use it after few days, if it’s too dry and if you need more gravy, you can mix vinegar and water and boil it and then add the pickle to this and mix well. Let it cool before you transfer into jar again.