Mathi masala curry (Sardine Masala Curry)

Ingredients:

Fish - Mathi/ sardine - 5
Big onion - 1 
Tomato -1
curry leaves - few
Ginger- 1 " piece
Garlic- 5 pods

Tamarind (English) / Puli (tamil) / Puli / Valan Puli (malayalam) / Chinthapandu (telugu) / Hunase Hannu / Huli (kannada) / Imli (hindi) / Tentool / Tetul (Bengali) / Amli (Gujarati) / Chinchamb / Amptan (Konkani) / Chincha (Marathi) / Tentuli / Dalima (Oriya) / Imli (Punjabi) / Tamber /  Tambari (Kashmiri) / 

for more details, click the name of the ingredien

Green chilly -1
Tamarind (Valan Puli) - 2 pieces
Masala powder - 3 tsp
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

Wash and clean the sardine with salt and remove the water. Make (small gashes) Slanting lines on sardines with a knife and keep aside.

Heat oil in pan. An earthen pot or mannchatti is the best to cook fish. Saute sliced onions,curry leaves,and slit green chillies.  Add crushed ginger - garlic and saute again. once done add tomatoes and saute again.

 When they turn light brown, add the masala powder. Saute for few seconds taking care not to burn the masala.

Soak tamarind  in water. Take tamarind pulp by mashing  tamarind in water with hand and  drain the water and pulp with help of big net strainer.  Add this to the pan.Add enough water for the gravy,salt and bring it to a boil. Add the fish pieces and cook again.Cover and cook over a medium heat ,until fish is cooked and gravy is thick.

Once the fish is cooked add coconut milk and give a boil. Swirl the pan or pot to mix the gravy with pieces. For any fish curry, it is better to avoid using a spoon to mix after the fish pieces are added. Fish pieces tend to break with the use of spoon.

Mathi (sardine) masala curry is ready to have with tapioca or Rice.....:)

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs.Prassana Sugathan (Amma)