Kerala Style poached fish

This recipe is from the cookbook “660 Curries” by Raghavan Iyer. It is an Indian Cookbook that I use for many of my meals. It showcases the regional flavors of various Indian states, and their accompanying spice mix recipes that make each dish unique Since this recipe isn’t published online, I will not be posting it here. But, if you get a chance to borrow or buy this book, you won’t be disappointed. I have several favorites from this book that the whole family loves.

This poached fish uses a special sour fruit called “kudampuli”, which is hard to find in the US. Mr Iyer suggests using tamarind & liquid smoke in its stead. I ended up using dried kokam (mangosteen) and liquid smoke. Can’t really go wrong either way. The recipe is anchored in place by the tartness from the kokam/tamarind, sweetness from coconut milk (I use powdered coconut milk because I can’t stand the canned stuff), and spicy bite from gobs of fresh ginger. My son didn’t love it because I used a lot of ginger, but the grownups devoured it.

The recipe is written for red snapper. I ended up using cod because red snapper is selling at a premium right now. But any medium thickness fish that won’t fall apart right away should work. I wouldn’t use salmon though, because the sauce is too delicate for that.