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

Recipe

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

Ingredients

6 pieces sardines (mathi)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 cup sliced shallots
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup kokum (soaked in water)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons red chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
2 sprigs curry leaves
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.