If you have loved fish cuisine in all its different forms, this easy-to-prepare tangy dryfish chutney will be a welcome addition to your staple diet. Fish (or meen as they call in Tulu) chutney paired with the nutritious Ganji (brown rice porridge or gruel) is comfort food at its best.
1teaspoontamarind pastesize of a small marble if using fresh tamarind
4clovesof garlic
2cupsfreshly grated coconut
Instructions
Slowly roast the dried fish over medium-low heat for approximately 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat when the fish has turned crispy and can easily be broken to pieces. Break them into bite size pieces and discard the tail (if using shark fish or thatte). Set it aside to cool.
Heat a teaspoon of coconut oil in a medium sized pan and over medium heat.
Add chilies to it and roast them till an aroma emanates from it. Remove the chilies and keep it aside.
Roast remaining ingredients (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, ajwain and fenugreek seeds and turmeric powder) for a minute or till it turns aromatic. Set it aside to cool it down (for approximately 10 minutes)
Transfer them to a blender along with the chilies, onions, garlic and tamarind paste and grind them to a fine paste. Add the coconut and pulse 2-3 times. Transfer the coconut-spice powder to a bowl and mix the fried fish.
Store in an air-tight container in a refrigerator and consume within 4-5 days.
Notes
To make your dried fish chutney last for a month or so, do not add onions and instead of freshly grated coconut use dried coconut flakes (copra) in the same ratio. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.