Fish Molee

Fish in coconut milk stew — firm white fish (king fish, pearl spot, or tilapia) lightly seasoned with turmeric and pan-fried briefly in coconut oil, then simmered gently in a delicate sauce of thin coconut milk, fried onion, ginger, green chilli, tomato, and curry leaves seasoned only with salt and turmeric — no red chilli, no heavy spices — until the fish is just cooked through. Thick coconut milk added at the end and heated below boiling to preserve the fresh coconut sweetness. The molee is the mildest and most delicate of Kerala fish preparations: the pale ivory sauce, the white fish, and the vibrant curry leaves and green chilli create a preparation of gentle flavours and silk-like texture. Associated with the Syrian Christian community; eaten with appam, whose lacey texture absorbs the coconut milk sauce perfectly.