35 min
Hands-on time
+ 40 min soaking or marinating first
EasyDifficulty
5 stepsSteps
Method
- 1 Make diagonal cuts on both sides of the fish, deep down to the bone, so that the spices can penetrate deep into the flesh.
- 2 Mix Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, crushed cumin seeds, ginger, and lime juice to form a thick, paint-like paste.
- 3 Rub the mixture into the crevices and let it marinate for 40 minutes in the refrigerator.
- 4 Heat coconut oil until very hot, add curry leaves until they pop, then sear the fish for 5 minutes on each side without moving.
- 5 Drizzle the remaining coconut oil with curry leaves over the fish when serving; coconut oil is the essential flavoring that cannot be replaced by any other oil in Kerala.
With an appliance
-
Air fryer 30 min
Replace step 4: spray with coconut oil and fry at 200 degrees for 12 minutes, turning at the 7th minute. Curry leaves must be fried separately in a pan because they will burn in the fryer.