Toddy Shop Special Fish Curry

Yesterday, I was busy creating an “About me” page at my Tomato blog! You ought to see it 🙂 Please.. 😛

Now this is a very special recipe. And what exactly is a Toddy shop? It is a drinking establishment seen in many parts of Kerala where palm toddy, a mildly alcoholic beverage made from the sap of palm trees, is served along with food.The food served with toddy is very spicy and hot with chilies. The main dish is tapioca with red fish curry. 😛

Though considered as a social taboo in the earlier days for women and children to sit and enjoy the experience, there are many “family” kallu shaaps also in the countryside. Hence, women taste these tasty foods by sending the men to by them. Toddy is a sweet and milky liquid which is freshly tapped every morning from coconut palms and is collected on mud pots.

In Kerala toddy is also used in as a substitute for yeast in a local form of hopper called the vellai Appam (Rice pancakes). It is be mixed with rice dough and is left over-night to aid in fermentation of the dough. In Kerala, most toddy shops are licensed under the excise department and it is an industry having a lakh of employees.
And here is my Red Fish Curry recipe:

Ingredients:

Fish- 1/2kg, Tamarind- 2, Ginger- 2″, Garlic- 4pods, Curry leaves, green Chilies- 4(slit), Salt- 2tsp, Hot water- 3 cups, Mustard- 1/4tsp, Fenugreek- 1/4 tsp, Red chilli powder- 2tbsp, Turmeric power- 1/2tsp, Fenugreek powder- a pinch, Coconut oil- 2tbsp, Dry red chiillies- 2

Method:

Add oil in a hot clay-pot(or a pan, as you prefer). When hot, add musturd, fenugreek and curry leaves. When it splutters, add ginger, garlic and green chillies. Saute well. Add red chilli powder, fenugreek powder and turmeric powder. Saute until the raw smell is gone.
Add hot water, tamarind and salt. Boil.
Add cleaned fish pieces and cook. It would take around 20mins.
Serve hot, preferably with boiled tapioca or rice.