No ratings yet

Fish molee is a traditional dish from Kerala that requires coconut oil as its cooking medium. The dish features soft pomfret fish which is cooked in a coconut milk gravy. The fish pieces undergo marination with a black pepper, turmeric, ginger, garlic and lemon juice mixture. The gravy contains a mild spice level which includes onions and shallots together with ginger, garlic, green chilies, curry leaves and fresh tomato. The dish obtains its final taste enhancement through the addition of lemon juice and coconut oil. You can go through my easy recipe which will show you all the steps on how to make fish molee or meen molee at your home.

Table of Contents

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Fish molee is a popular Kerala-style fish curry widely enjoyed in coastal regions of India.
Serve it hot with steamed rice, appam, or soft Neer Dosa for a comforting meal.

Fish molee has a mild, creamy, and spicy flavor with a rich coconut aroma.
Other similar recipes are Kerala fish curry, fish stew, and fish vidaloo.

The Ingredients:

To marinate the fish pieces:

500 grams pomfret fish (cut in ring pieces with slits on the sides)

½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste (3 garlic cloves and a small piece of ginger)
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice

To fry the fish pieces:

3 tbsp coconut oil

To make the coconut milk:

2 cups coconut (grated)
1 cup water (lukewarm, for 1 cup of thick coconut milk)
2 cups water (lukewarm, for 2 cups of thin coconut milk)

To cook the gravy:

1 piece cinnamon (1 inch size stick)
3 pieces cloves
2 pieces green cardamom (whole pods)
1 piece onion (medium size, finely sliced)
5 pieces shallots (finely sliced)
6 garlic cloves (peeled, finely sliced)
1 piece ginger (small, finely sliced)
Curry leaves – a few
4 pieces green chilies (slit in the middle)
2 pinches turmeric powder
½ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp black pepper powder
1 piece tomato (cut into thin round pieces)
1 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp coconut oil

I visited Kerala some time back with my family during summer vacation of my sons’ school. I came across this recipe there in a small roadside restaurant by the beach. The dish was unique compared to the traditional spicy fish curries that I and we Bengalis usually make at home. The restaurant owner took her time to explain all the fundamental cooking techniques to me after I made my inquiry. The cooking show demonstrated all the steps, which I recorded in my diary to create the improved version of the original recipe.

I prepared the dish the following weekend for my husband and our two sons. The curry developed into a soft dish that contained rich flavors and achieved its ideal creamy texture. My husband enjoyed the mild flavor because it reminded him of our vacation while my sons ate all their food because they preferred the soft fish portions. Their enjoyment of the food brought me immense happiness. I consider myself extremely fortunate and grateful because I discovered this exceptional recipe.

How to Make Fish Molee? (Step by Step Guide with Images)

Step 1: Make shallow cuts in 500 grams of pomfret fish pieces.

Step 2: Make a masala mix of ½ tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of black pepper powder, 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste (3 garlic cloves and a small piece of ginger), ¾ tsp of salt, and 1 tsp of lemon juice. Marinate the fish pieces for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Fry the marinated fish pieces in 3 tbsp of coconut oil for 3 minutes each on each side. Flip them a couple of times.

Step 4: Remove them in a bowl. Keep it aside.

Step 5: Grind 2 cups of grated coconut with 1 cup of lukewarm water. Take them out on a strainer. Squeeze it with a spoon and your hand to extract a cup of thick coconut milk. Put the pulp back into the mixie jar. Put in 2 cups of lukewarm water, blend, and squeeze 2 cups of thin coconut milk.

Step 6: Take about 1 tbsp of coconut oil remaining after frying the marinated fish pieces and fry 1 piece of cinnamon (1 inch size stick), 3 pieces of cloves, and 2 pieces of green cardamom (whole pods) for about a minute over a low flame. Then add fine slices of 1 piece medium size onion, 5 pieces of shallots, 6 garlic cloves (peeled), and 1 piece of small ginger. Finally, add a few curry leaves and sauté for about 3 minutes more.

Step 7: Now, add 4 pieces of green chilies (slit in the middle). Put 2 pinches of turmeric powder, ½ tsp of coriander powder, and ¼ tsp of black pepper powder. Finally, add the thin coconut milk, 1 piece of tomato (cut into thin round pieces), and salt to taste and mix well.

Step 8: Add the fried fish pieces, mix gently, cover, and cook for 8 minutes.

Step 9: Switch to low flame when the gravy thickens, add the thick coconut milk, mix gently, and cook for a minute. Switch off the flame. Add 1 tsp of lemon juice, ¼ tsp of coconut oil, and some more curry leaves.