Hailing from a coastal town, seafood was available in plenty for us.We had fresh fish almost everyday. When we moved to MN, we had no idea where we could find fish. After a few days,we found some supermarkets selling fish. But I was horrified to see how dead they looked. They were frozen till they cannot be frozen any more...as stiff as a stick.Seeing that, I lost my appetite for fish.
Then we discovered an Asian Store which sells not-so-frozen seafood. They had live crabs and crawfish. And boy! I went crazy in that store shopping for shrimp and fish and we brought home some sardines ,king fish and shrimp.
How do you like the picture above? It was a very rainy day here when I clicked these pics and the rain clouds gave me some amazing shadows! I don't think I should sulk anymore about the sun not being there in Summer...though I have no idea how my first winter is going to be! :-)
MEEN PEERA / FISH IN TANGY COCONUT SAUCE
Recipe source: Amma
Ingredients:
Sardines - 12, cleaned and cut into 3 pcs (Any small fish can be used, even shrimps)
Red Onion- 1/2 medium (original recipe calls for shallots)
Green Chillies- 4-5
Ginger-1" piece
Coconut- 1 cup, shredded
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt- to taste
Oil-1/4 cup (I prefer coconut oil)
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Cocum- 2 pcs soaked in 1/2 cup of water
You may need 1 cup or more of water for the gravy.
Method:
- Grind together red onion, green chillies and coconut to a rough paste.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the ground paste, fish ,turmeric powder and salt.
- Heat oil, add in the mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
- Add in the fish-ground paste mixture to it along with the cocum and it's water.
- Add in 1 cup of water, let it come to a boil and then cover and cook on meduim heat till the fish is cooked.
- If you feel it is a bit too tangy for your taste, take out the cocum pieces.
Verdict: I love meen peera.It is a comfort food for me. I usually eat it with 'Kanji' (gruel) , yoghurt and a pinch of salt.I like my meen peera to have a bit of gravy so that I can mix my rice in it and gobble up! :-) This is the 2nd time I am making this, the first time was when I was 14 years old for a cookery competition and I don't remeber how it tasted! :-) This time, it was really yummy!
