Meen Peera or Meen Pattichathu is a popular Kerala Style fish preparation where sardines are cooked with shredded coconut and aromatic spices.
Kerala has many different varieties of fish curry preparation. You'd have by now seen Kottayam Style Red Fish Curry, Fish Molee, Meen Pollichathu, and Fish Pickle among many others, on the blog. Meen Peera, however, is a dry preparation of fish. For making Meen Peera, you can either use sardines(Mathi or Chala in Malayalam) or anchovies(Netholi). If using sardines, cut them into small pieces. It is best had with rice and is a flavorful and light dish.
I am pretty late in updating today's recipe. There are two reasons for it- One, I received a package today and I was so lost in setting it up. Well, I will let you know the details later. The second reason is that I go vegetarian on Thursdays and it usually ends up in Intermittent Fasting. Eggs are not an option today for breakfast and I end up pulling my hair apart thinking of a vegetarian breakfast alternative. Therefore, it is either a cup of black tea or green coffee that I end up with. Or on some days, when I am brave enough I prepare Buller Proof Coffee. Hang on, if you think I am talking Greek and Latin. I will try to explain all of these, one by one, dring my Keto journey.
What I am trying to say is, well, today's recipe was prepared a long time ago. In fact, months ago when I was at home in Kerala. Thankfully, I had some pictures with me so that I could share this recipe with you. For those of you who are wondering, yes, it is a fully Keto-approved dish and how I wish I could have this now. Not now, maybe tomorrow! Ouch!
How to Prepare Kerala Style Meen Peera
For preparing Meen Peera, heat a clay pot and add coconut oil. Add ginger, garlic, shallots, curry leaves, and mashed dry red chillis.
It is now time to prepare the coconut mixture. Pulse together grated coconut, turmeric powder, chili powder, green chilies, curry leaves, and salt. You want a coarse mixture and not a pasty texture. Therefore, we will not be adding water to this while grinding. Add this coconut mixture to the clay pot.
Add cleaned sardines to it and mix well. Be careful not to break the fish pieces. Another method is to mix the ground coconut mixture with cleaned fish pieces before adding to the pot.
Add about a cup of hot water just enough to cover the fish pieces and kokum. Kokum is a type of tamarind, also known as Malabar Tamarind or Fish Tamarind.
Mix together and cover and cook for about 7 to 8 minutes. Cook the fish with the lid open now stirring occasionally until the water has dried up.
Serve with steamed rice!
Meen Peera Recipe:
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Meen Peera | Kerala Style Fish with Shredded Coconut
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 250 gms Sardines, cleaned and cut into small pieces
- 2 tbsp Coconut Oil + 1 tsp
- 1 tbsp GInger, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Garlic, finely chopped
- ¼ cup Shallots, sliced
- 3-4 Dry Red chilies, mashed (or Red chili flakes)
- 2 sprigs of curry leaves
- 1 cup Hot water
- 2-3 pieces of Kokum
Coconut Mixture:
- 1 cup Coconut, grated/shredded
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili powder
- 3-4 Green Chillies
- 1 spring Curry leaves
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a clay pot and add two tablespoons of coconut oil. Add ginger, garlic, shallots, curry leaves, and mashed dry red chillis.
- For preparing the coconut mixture, pulse together grated coconut, turmeric powder, chili powder, green chilies, curry leaves, and salt. You want a coarse mixture and not a pasty texture. Therefore, we will not be adding water to this while grinding. Add this coconut mixture to the clay pot.
- Add cleaned sardines to it and mix well. Be careful not to break the fish pieces.
- Add about a cup of hot water just enough to cover the fish pieces and kokum. Kokum is a type of tamarind, also known as Malabar Tamarind or Fish Tamarind. Mix together and cover and cook for about 7 to 8 minutes. Cook the fish with the lid open now stirring occasionally until the water has dried up.
- Serve with steamed rice!
Notes
Another method is to combine the ground coconut mixture with cleaned fish pieces (with your hand, it tastes better they say) before adding to the pot.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Kerala
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