Showing posts with label seer fish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seer fish. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

MEEN PULIMUNCHI

 MEEN PULIMUNCHI


After our return from the United States, we felt like having something really hot and spicy.  So a few days back, I got some King Fish/ Seer Fish/Indo-Pacific King Mackerel) which we call 'Surmai" locally. To tickle our taste buds, I made a very popular Mangaluru dish called Meen Pullimunchi. 

We should thank the Bunt community for this lip smacking dish. "Meen" of course means "fish" and "Pulimunchi "  comes from two flavors that  characterise this dish: "puli" tamarind that is sour and "munchi" chillies which are spicy. This goes great with neer dosas or hot steamed rice.

As readers of this blog would know by now, at home we make fish curries from time to time. Seer fish are really good for health. It has lots of Omega 3 fatty acids, lean protein and Vitamin B 12 while being low in calories and carbs. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for other dishes made with good-for-health Seer Fish, such as : 

I have adapted today's dish from the YouTube video for Fish Pullimunchi by the well-know Chef Nehal Karkera, who himself is from the Mangaluru region. 

We had this for lunch with hot steamed rice and loved every bit of it! Please do try it out and let me know what you thought of this dish! 




Ingredients: 

  • Seer Fish, 5 slices, 450-500 gms
  • Turmeric Powder, for marination 
  • Onion, chopped, 2 tbsp
  • Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
  • Green Chillies, 2 
  • Ginger juilennes, a few 
  • Coconut Oil, 2 tbsp
  • Salt, to taste
To Be Dry Roasted:
  • Byadgi Red Chillies, 4-5
  • Kashmiri Red Chillies, 2-3 
  • Coriander Seeds, 1 tbsp
  • Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
  • Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
  • Black Peppercorns, 10-12
  • Fenugreek Seeds, 1/4 tsp
 For The Ground Masala 
  • Garlic Cloves, 3-4
  • Onion, small sized, chopped, 1 
  • Ginger, 1/2 " piece
  • Tamarind (soaked), 1 and 1/2 tbsp  
  • Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp

Method:-

Wash the fish slices 3-4 times in water, then dab them dry 
Apply turmeric powder and salt to the fish slices 
Keep aside to marinate for about 15 minutes
Soak the tamarind in 1/4 cup of warm water 
Slit the green chillies
Peel the ginger 
Make a few juliennes ( thin strips) of ginger 

In a pan, dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds,  peppercorns, and fenugreek seeds,  for about 2 minutes on medium flame till they give off a good aroma. Keep aside
Then dry roast both types of chillies for 1 minute on medium flame. Keep aside.
Allow the roasted ingredients to cool

In a mixer jar, grind together all the roasted ingredients along with garlic cloves, chopped onion, turmeric powder and soaked tamarind to a fine paste adding water as required. Keep the paste/masala aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil, in a kadhai, add 2 tbsp chopped onion and curry leaves 
Fry until the onion get slightly browned 
To this, add the ground paste and water to get a consistency of a thin curry 
Add salt to taste, add ginger juliennes and slit green chillies
Mix well and bring it to a boil  
Lower the heat and let it simmer for 6-7 minutes on medium heat 
Now gently add the marinated fish slices one by one
Add more water if required.
Do not stir at all once the fish has been added
Cook the fish in the curry for 5-6 minutes on medium heat
Check the salt while the fish is cooking
Switch off the gas. 
Allow the fish to remain in the dish for about 10-15 minutes for it to fully soak the flavours. 
Serve with  hot steamed rice 




Wednesday, February 25, 2026

CHETTINAD SEER FISH FRY

 CHETTINAD SEER FISH FRY

Amongst the fish available in India, in my house we like the Seer Fish more than most others. Also called King Fish, it is known as Surmai in Hindi and Marathi, Anjal in Kannada, Vanjaram in Tamil and Visonu, in my mother tongue, Konkani. 

We like seer fish because it is fleshy and flavourful. Besides, it is easy to handle as it has one single central bone. 

Seer Fish are strong in Omega 3 fatty acids and are considered very good for overall health. This article in InvestoHealth speaks of the 10 Astonishing Benefits Of Consuming Seer Fish. 

Being fond of seafood, from time to time I use fish to make some yummy dishes. Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for dishes such as:-

Today's recipe is for an easy to make fish fry done in the Chettinad style. Chettinad cuisine, famous for its use of spices, is from the South Indian state of Tamilnadu. I have adapted this from the YouTube video by Kannamma Cooks.

I made this for lunch yesterday, serving the Chettinad Seer Fish Fry with Peas Pulao - and
it tasted just great! 



Ingredients:-
  • Seer Fish, 500 gms
  • Garlic Cloves, 10-12 
  • Chilli Powder, 2 heaped tbsp
  • Pepper Powder, 1 tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Corn Starch, 2 tbsp
  • Oil, for shallow frying
  • Lime wedges + Onion rings
Method:

Wash and clean the fish fillets. Place them on a paper towel to remove the excess water
Peel the garlic cloves
In a small mixer jar, grind the garlic cloves adding very little water to get a smooth paste
Apply this paste evenly on both sides of the fish fillets. Keep aside for 5 minutes
In a plate, mix together chilli powder, pepper powder, salt and corn flour 
This mixture forms the marinade for the fish fillets

Dust the fish fillets individually in the marinade making sure they are evenly coated on both sides
Let the marinated fish fillets rest for about 20 minutes

Heat oil in a shallow frying pan  and when it gets hot, gently slide in the marinated fish fillets- 1 or 2 at a time
Shallow fry them for about 2 minutes then flip them over carefully and fry the other side for 2 more minutes
Remove each fried fish to a paper towel for the extra oil to be absorbed
Transfer to a serving plate
Serve the Chettinad Seer Fish Fry with lemon wedges and onion rings  

Tip: Don't squeeze the lime as soon as the fish is fried as it will make it soggy. It's best to squeeze the lime on the fried fish just before you eat them! 





Friday, January 23, 2026

SEER FISH TAWA FRY

 SEER FISH TAWA FRY

India is a vast and diverse country so our people are used to eating so many different types of fish- be they saltwater fish or freshwater fish! In the coastal belt of Karnataka, a very popular fish- despite it being more expensive than most others- is the Seer Fish.  Also called King Fish, it is known as Surmai in Hindi and Marathi, Anjal in Kannada, Vanjaram in Tamil and Visonu, in my mother tongue, Konkani. 

Seer Fish are strong in Omega 3 fatty acids and are considered very good for overall health. This article in InvestoHealth speaks of the 10 Astonishing Benefits Of Consuming Seer Fish. 

We like seer fish because it is fleshy and flavourful . Besides, it is easy to handle as it has one single central bone.  

Being fond of seafood, from time to time I use fish to make some yummy dishes. Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for dishes such as:-

Today's recipe is for an easy to make yet delicious shallow fried fish done in the Mangalorean style. I prefer to shallow fry rather than deep fry. The Byadgi Red Chillies which are soaked and ground add to the colour and visual appeal. I have adapted this recipe from the YouTube video for Surmai Fish Fry by Spice Dhamal.

We tried this out for lunch yesterday. It tasted so yummy with fried rice.


Ingredients:-

  • Seer Fish Fillets, 250 gms
  • Garlic Cloves, 8
  • Ginger, chopped, 1/2 " piece
  • Curry Leaves, 8
  • Turmeric  Powder, 1/2 tsp
  • Byadgi Red Chillies, 8
  • Cumin Seeds, 1 tbsp
  • Coriander Seeds, 2 tbsp
  • Black Peppercorn, 8 
  • Cloves, 4
  • Cinnamon, small stick
  • Lemon Juice, 2 tbsp 
  • Salt, to taste
  • Oil, as required for shallow frying 

Method:-

Wash the Seer Fish fillets and pat them dry
Soak the Byadgi Red Chillies in hot water for about 25 minutes. Discard the water and keep the soaked chillies aside.

In a mixer jar, grind together the soaked Byadgi Red Chillies, chopped ginger, garlic cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, lemon juice, and salt to taste 
Grind this to form a thick smooth paste, without adding any water
Remove the ground paste from mixer to a bowl. This forms the marinade for the seer fish. 



Apply the marinade generously and evenly on both sides of the fish fillets
Marinate for about 20 minutes

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan. Allow it to become very hot, then reduce the heat and pan fry the marinated fish fillets for about 3 minutes on medium heat
Once one side is done, carefully flip the fillet ( so that it does not break) and fry the other side
Transfer the seer fish tawa fry to a serving plate
Serve with lemon wedges and onion rings





Wednesday, March 15, 2023

SURMAI TAWA FRY

 SURMAI TAWA FRY


SURMAI TAWA FRY

Seer Fish, also called King Fish is known as Anjal in Kannada and Visonu, in my mother tongue, Konkani. 

Seer Fish are strong in Omega 3 fatty acids and are considered very good for overall health. This article in InvestoHealth speaks of the 10 Astonishing Benefits Of Consuming Seer Fish. We like seer fish because it is fleshy and flavourful . Besides, it is easy to handle as it has one single central bone. 

We are fond of seafood in my house and from time to time I use fish to make some yummy dishes. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for:-

 Today's recipe is for a simple tawa fried Seer Fish. I have adapted this from Surmai Tawa Fry from the YouTube video of Chef Nehal Karkera. I have used rice flour but you can use corn flour instead as an option to make the marinade. 

We loved this dish. 


Ingredients:-

  • Surmai/King Fish, 5-6 slices
  • Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
  • Kashmiri Chilli Powder, 2 tsp
  • Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
  • Garam Masala, 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp
  • Rice Flour, 2 to 3 tsp
  • Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 and 1/2 to 2 tbsp
  • Juice of 1 Lemon,
  • Crushed Pepper, 1 tsp
  • Oil, 2 tbsp
  • Oil, as required for shallow frying
  • Salt, to taste
Method:-

Wash the Surmai slices and pat them dry. 

In a large bowl mix together the coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, rice flour and a little salt
Add the ginger garlic paste, a little lemon juice, crushed black pepper, and 2 tbsp of oil
Mix all this well to form the marinade paste 
Apply the marinade generously and evenly on both sides of the fish slices
Marinate for 10-15 minutes

Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadhai. Allow it to become very hot, then reduce the heat and pan fry slices of the fish  for 3-4 minutes on medium/low flame 
Flip and fry the other side
Lastly, sprinkle juice of lemon on the fried fish slices
Serve with lemon wedges and onion rings





Tuesday, January 31, 2023

MANGALOREAN FISH CURRY

 MANGALOREAN FISH CURRY

We have become recent fans of Food Lovers TV the Kripal Amanna show and I wanted to try out one of his demonstrated recipes. By a happy co-incidence, we had got some good seer fish from our usual shop. A quick internet search showed us Kripal demonstrating the making of Mangalorean Fish Curry. The decision was made!! 

Though my blog is largely vegetarian I do have some Seafood recipes as my husband and I are very fond of prawns and fish. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for some really yummy dishes such as:-

So, this recipe  has been adapted from "Mangalorean Fish Curry"  by Kripal Amanna  of Food Lovers TV. While he has used  a mix of 9 Kashmiri Red Chillies and 6 Gunter Chillies, to suit our spice level, I went in for 9 of our usual Byadgi Red Chillies.

You can make this using different types of fish. We have a distinct preference for pomfret and seer fish so we used seer fish today. Indo Pacific King Mackerel/seer fish/king fish is known as Surmai in Marathi, Anjal in Kannada and Visonu in my mother tongue, Konkani.

I was happy that the dish came out very well. We had this for lunch with hot steamed rice. It was truly delicious. 



Ingredients:- 

  • Seer Fish/Anjal/Visonu, 500 gms, cut into fillets
  • Water, 400 ml or as required
  • Salt, to taste
To Roast and Grind For The Masala:-
  • Coriander Seeds, 1 tbsp
  • Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
  • Peppercorns, 10
  • Mustard Seeds, 1/4 tsp
  • Fenugreek Seeds, 15
  • Carom Seeds, a pinch
  • Byadgi Red Chillies, 9
  • Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp for marination + 1/2 tsp for the masala
  • Large Onion, roughly chopped, 1 
  • Garlic Cloves, 10
  • Ginger, 1/2 " piece
  • Tamarind, lime-sized ball
  • Fresh Coconut Gratings, 5 tbsp
  • Coconut Oil, 1 tsp -to roast the chillies
For the Seasoning:-
  • Small-sized Onion, 1
  • Curry Leaves, 12-15
  • Coconut Oil, 2 tsp 
Method:

Mix together 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp of salt and apply this to the fish fillets evenly on both sides and marinate them in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.
Roughly chop the ginger
Roughly chop the large-sized onion -  for the masala 
Finely chop the medium -sized onion - for the seasoning




In a thick-bottomed kadhai , dry roast the spices ( coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, carom seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds) on low/medium heat taking care that they don't get burnt.
Once they give off a good aroma and are roasted, transfer to a plate and allow them to cool.
Add 1 tsp coconut oil to the same kadhai  and roast the Byadgi Red Chillies till they become crisp, switch off the flame and allow them to cool 
In a mixer jar, grind together the roasted spices, roasted chillies, along with coconut gratings, garlic cloves, chopped ginger and onions, tamarind and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Add water- little by little -and  grind to get a smooth masala of thick consistency. 
Transfer the ground masala to the kadhai, add water from the mixer jar, to get a curry of thick consistency 
To this add salt to taste and mix well
Switch on the gas and bring the masala to a boil 
Cover and cook on low flame . Check for salt and add if required.
Now one by one add the marinated fish fillets gently into the masala so that they are fully submerged in the curry 



Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium heat till the fish gets cooked
Lastly do the seasoning by heating 2 tsp of coconut oil in a pan, add the finely chopped onions and curry leaves and saute till the onions get browned
Pour this seasoning onto the fish curry 
Switch off the gas and transfer to a serving bowl
Serve the Fish Curry with hot steamed rice