Name: Roasted Malabar Fish Wrap/Karimeen Pollichathu recipe by Rekha Joseph at BetterButter
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Pearl spot/White pomfret fish-1; Ginger-garlic paste – 1½ tsp; Red chili powder (less spicy)– 1½ tsp; Pepper powder – 1 tsp; Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp; Lemon Juice – 2 tbsp; Salt – to taste; Coconut oil – to shallow fry; For Masala to coat:-; Onion – 1, chopped; Tomato – 1, chopped; Ginger – 1 tbsp, chopped; Garlic – 1 tbsp, chopped; Green chili – 2, slits; Curry leaves – 1 sprig chopped; Red Chili powder – 1 tsp; Coriander powder – 1½ tsp; Turmeric powder – ½ tsp; Tamarind water – 1½ tbsp; Fenugreek powder-1/4tsp; Coconut – 2 tbsp, shredded; Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp, roughly chopped; Salt – to taste; To Wrap & Serve:-; Banana leaf – 1; Coconut oil – to grease + 2 tsp; Toothpick for sealing leaf

ABOUT Roasted Malabar Fish Wrap/Karimeen Pollichathu RECIPE

This is an authentic Malabar dish which involves coating the semifried Pearl Spot fish(found in fresh water lagoons of Kerala) with a spicy masala and wrapping in Banana leaf. This is then Roasted on a griddle ir baked to infuse the aroma of the leaf into the masala to impart a magial taste from God's own country on your tastebuds.

Ingredients Serving: 4

Pearl spot/White pomfret fish-1
Ginger-garlic paste – 1½ tsp
Red chili powder (less spicy)– 1½ tsp
Pepper powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Lemon Juice – 2 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Coconut oil – to shallow fry
For Masala to coat:-
Onion – 1, chopped
Tomato – 1, chopped
Ginger – 1 tbsp, chopped
Garlic – 1 tbsp, chopped
Green chili – 2, slits
Curry leaves – 1 sprig chopped
Red Chili powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Tamarind water – 1½ tbsp
Fenugreek powder-1/4tsp
Coconut – 2 tbsp, shredded
Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp, roughly chopped
Salt – to taste
To Wrap & Serve:-
Banana leaf – 1
Coconut oil – to grease + 2 tsp
Toothpick for sealing leaf

Instructions

In a bowl mix Red Chili powder, Pepper powder, Turmeric powder, salt, and mix the dry ingredients. Add Ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, and mix it again to make the masala paste and keep it aside.
Take the cleaned fish ( I’ve used pearl spot), make shallow slits on both sides of the fish, and spread the masala all over the fish and let it marinate for atleast 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a wide pan and fry the fish over medium flame. Once it is cooked on one side, turn it over to fry it on the other side. Once it is fully fried, keep it aside.
In another pan, add ginger, garlic, onion and saute till it becomes translucent. Then add tomato, green chili, curry leaves, and allow it to cook till it turns mushy
Add Red Chili powder, Coriander powder, Pepper powder, Turmeric powder, salt, Tamarind water, and mix it well. Allow it to cook for a couple of minutes. Add Cilantro (Coriander leaves), Coconut, and mix it well. Again, allow it to cook for a couple of minutes. Masala is ready.
Coat the fried fish by spreading half of the masala on the top side of the fish and other half at bottom.
Place this on the banana leaf and wrap the fish in it and seal it with the toothpick.
Heat some oil in a pan, and place the wrapped fish in the pan. Close it with a lid and cook it over low flame for 5 minutes on one side. Then turn it over and cook it again for 5 minutes to get the banana leaf flavor infused into the fish. Then transfer it to a plate and unwrap the fish. Serve it right away with steamed rice/Rotis.

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