Mathi Curry

Mathi Curry

Mathi Curry

Sardine curry — small, fresh sardines (mathi) cooked in a thin, intensely sour-spiced gravy of shallots, green chilli, ginger, kudampuli, red chilli powder, turmeric, and coconut oil in an earthen pot. Unlike the more elaborate meen curry, the mathi curry is made with the sardine's own fat and needs no coconut milk; the sardines are small enough to cook through in the thin sauce within minutes. The kudampuli imparts the characteristic Travancore sour and the sardine's rich, oily flesh absorbs the gravy. Sardines are the fish of Travancore's coast: cheap, abundant, and available daily; they are the fish that every family ate regardless of social standing. The mathi curry with kappa or rice is the most democratically eaten meal in Travancore. Leftover sardine curry thickens overnight and is eaten at breakfast with kappa the next morning.

Cuisines

Travancore Kerala Kerala Christian Beary Malabar

Best for

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Build a full meal around Mathi Curry

Get a matched combo of sides and accents

Recipe

Prep: 15 min Cook: 25 min Total: 40 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

Sardine 6 pieces Sardine
coconut oil 1 tablespoon Coconut oil
Mustard Seed 1 teaspoon Mustard Seed
Fenugreek Seed 1 teaspoon Fenugreek Seed
Shallot 1 cup Shallot , sliced
ginger-garlic paste 2 tablespoons Ginger-garlic paste
Coconut Milk 2 cups Coconut Milk , thick
Kokum 1 cup Kokum , soaked in water
turmeric powder 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
red chili powder 2 tablespoons Red chili powder
coriander powder 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
black pepper powder 1 teaspoon Black pepper powder
Curry Leaf 2 sprigs Curry Leaf
salt 1 to taste Salt

Instructions

  1. 1 Clean the sardines and set aside.
  2. 2 Heat coconut oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter.
  3. 3 Add fenugreek seeds and curry leaves, sauté briefly.
  4. 4 Add sliced shallots and sauté until golden brown.
  5. 5 Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell disappears.
  6. 6 Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and black pepper powder. Sauté for a minute.
  7. 7 Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer.
  8. 8 Add the soaked kokum along with the water and mix well.
  9. 9 Season with salt to taste.
  10. 10 Gently add the cleaned sardines to the curry.
  11. 11 Cover and cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the flavors meld.
  12. 12 Serve hot with steamed rice or appam.

Tips

For a richer taste, add a small piece of crushed ginger while sautéing the spices.