Fish Moilee Recipe

Fish Moilee or Meen Moilee is one of the traditional and well known recipes of Kerala. Meen Moilee is traditionally cooked with Surmai or seer fish but one can experiment with almost any kind of fish. Surely the results would turn out fabulous. I am using fish fillets in the following recipe, but traditionally sliced fish is used commonly. Make sure to use thick slices if you are cooking with sliced fish. Do not over cook the fish.

Ingredients for Fish Moilee Recipe

Fish fillet - 500 gm, cut in large cubes
Coconut milk (thick) - 1/2 cup
Coconut milk (thin) - 2 cups
(Use one large coconut to first extract 1/2 cup of thick milk and then followed by 2 cups of thin coconut milk)
Onion - 1, sliced
Tomato - 1, cubed
Curry leaves - 10/15 leaves
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp, chopped
Green chilies - 5 to 6, slit
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp (you can also use olive oil)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Garlic - 8 cloves
Ginger - 1 tbsp, crushed
Red chili - 4
Cashew nuts - 5 to 6
Coconut slivers - 2"
Salt, to taste

Method for Fish Moilee Recipe

Grind to paste garlic, ginger, red chili, coconut sliver and cashew nut. Set aside.

Heat oil and add to it mustard seeds, green chilies, onion and half the curry leaves. Saute till onions are transparent.

Add the ground masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric and continue to saute till the raw smell of the masala fades.

Add thin coconut milk, salt and mix well. Gently add to this the fish slices. Add tomatoes and rest of the curry leaves.

Lower the heat and simmer till fish is almost cooked. Add the thick coconut milk and continue to simmer till the gravy turns thick. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice.