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Recipe-1 › Curries of the world › Kerala fish molee

Kerala, India

Kerala fish molee

A gentle, pale fish stew in coconut milk with green chillies, ginger and curry leaves.

Kerala fish molee
Same steps, different flavour base Mild

New here? How this page works

Recipe-1 is one simple curry recipe in nine steps: fry onions and green chillies, add your vegetables or meat, add chilli powder and turmeric, then water and salt, and boil. With small changes the same nine steps make curries from all over the world.

This page takes those nine steps and shows what to change to make Kerala fish molee. You don’t need to read anything else first: every base step is written out below. The changes are worked out on paper from what is typical for this dish; not yet kitchen-tested. Cooked it? Tell others how it went.

Green: the base recipe step (crossed out = do not use it for this dish)Red: what to do instead for Kerala fish molee

See the full base recipe (with timers and tips) · See all curries on the world map

You’ll need

How many people?4

The amounts change with the number of people; cooking times stay about the same (use a bigger pot for more). Taste as you go: you can always add more chilli or salt, but you cannot take it out.

Main ingredient: 500 g Firm fish steaks such as seer fish (kingfish) or pomfret, rubbed with turmeric and salt.

From the base recipe

  • 2 Onions
  • 3–4 Green chillies
  • Cooking oil not used
  • Red chilli powder not used
  • ½ tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tsp · not used Salt and water
  • Ginger garlic paste not used
  • Cloves, cardamom and cinnamon not used
  • Garam masala (optional) not used

Add for Kerala fish molee

  • 400 ml Coconut milk (thin and thick)
  • 2 cm · 4 Ginger and garlic
  • 1 sprig Curry leaves
  • 1 Tomato slices
  • 2 tbsp Coconut oil
  • ½ tsp Black pepper

Leave out

  • Red chilli powder
  • Garam masala

The nine steps, with the changes

Where a step has a red line, do the red line and not the crossed-out green base step. Steps with only green are done just as in the base recipe.

  1. Base step: do not useCut onions and chillies.

    Kerala fish molee: do thisSlice the onions thinly; slit 3–4 green chillies.

  2. Base step: do not useFry in some oil for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.

    Kerala fish molee: do thisFry the onions in coconut oil with ginger, garlic and curry leaves until soft but not brown.

  3. Base step: do not useCut the vegetable(s) of your choice.

    Kerala fish molee: do thisUse the fish, rubbed with turmeric and salt.

  4. Base step: do not useAdd them and fry for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.

    Kerala fish molee: do thisFry the fish lightly on both sides and set it aside.

  5. Base step: do not useAdd red chilli powder and turmeric.

    Kerala fish molee: do thisAdd turmeric and black pepper; skip the chilli powder.

  6. Keep frying until just before they start browning.

  7. Base step: do not useAdd some water.

    Kerala fish molee: do thisInstead of water, add the thin coconut milk and the fish.

  8. Add salt.

  9. Base step: do not useBoil until the gravy is as thick as you like.

    Kerala fish molee: do thisSimmer gently 5–6 minutes, add tomato slices and the thick coconut milk, and heat without boiling.

Serve: With appam or rice.

For meat and seafood, make sure it is cooked through: chicken until no pink remains inside; mutton, goat and beef need long, slow cooking.

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Food marks, as on packaged food in India: vegetarian · non-vegetarian (meat, fish or egg). Dishes with both marks can be made either way.

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