Madurai Ayirai Fish Kuzhambu

Ingredients

• 500 g ayirai fish (small freshwater loach), cleaned (அயிரை மீன்)
• 250 g shallots (சின்ன வெங்காயம்)
• 2 tomatoes (தக்காளி)
• 10 cloves garlic (பூண்டு)
• 2 tbsp chilli powder (மிளகாய் தூள்)
• 3 tbsp coriander powder (மல்லித் தூள்)
• half a tbsp each mustard seeds and cumin seeds (கடுகு, சீரகம்)
• quarter tbsp fenugreek seeds (வெந்தயம்)
• a little curry leaves, salt (கறிவேப்பிலை, உப்பு)
• a small lemon-sized ball tamarind, soaked (புளி)
• as needed coconut oil (தேங்காய் எண்ணெய்)
• a little coriander leaves (கொத்தமல்லி)
• 3 tbsp grated coconut, for the paste (துருவிய தேங்காய்)
• 4 dried red chillies, for the paste (மிளகாய் வற்றல்)

Method

1. If the fish are live, soak them in coconut milk or milk for 30 minutes so they purge grit, then rinse well.
2. Grind the coconut and dried chillies to a paste.
3. In a clay pot, heat oil and fry mustard, cumin, fenugreek, curry leaves, garlic and shallots until golden; add tomatoes and salt and cook soft.
4. Add chilli and coriander powders, pour in the tamarind water and boil until the raw smell goes.
5. Stir in the coconut paste, boil again, then add the fish and simmer about 5 minutes; garnish with coriander.

Adapted from பேலியோ ஆரோக்கிய சமையல் (Paleo Arokkiya Samaiyal) by Rtn Kannan Azhagirisamy, page 31. Method rewritten in our own words; ingredient quantities follow the book, with gram weights estimated for the nutrition figures. The book thanks the Arokkiya Unavugal (Healthy Foods) Facebook group and tamilpaleorecipes.com.