Keralan Fish Moilee

The recipe I’m about to give you is from Kerala - and I love the food from this region. It is such a refined cuisine, in the best sense: the spices are used delicately to produce food that is aromatic rather than cough-inducingly hot; the scents of coconut and lime pervade. I stuffed myself silly with meals  similar to the one below during my stay in Cochin recently.  I'm positive you will enjoy this recipe taken from Laura Silverman's Blog Glutton for Life.

This recipe as most Indian dishes also uses turmeric. Turmeric, also called curcumin, a miracle spice that  has been used in Asian cookery for thousands of years. Powder ground from the dried root is an ingredient in curry. Turmeric is one of the cheaper spices and makes a vivid splash of color. Turmeric has anticancer effects; the spice acts in two ways: has its own antioxidant and free radical-scavenging effects, and enhances the body’s natural antioxidant, its anti-inflammatory properties has no toxicity. Turmeric on the cardiovascular system reduces cholesterol levels. Turmeric exhibits liver protection properties because of its potent antioxidant properties. Curcumin’s anti-inflammatory activity reduces arthritic swelling, progressive brain damage and reduces Alzheimer’s-related inflammation in neurological tissue. Turmeric does not have any adverse side effects. Turmeric promotes youthfulness, regular in our diet or as a supplement may help slow the process of aging. Extracts of turmeric have powerful antioxidant qualities, rivaling those of vitamins C & E and have a positive effect on cholesterol. Turmeric holds a high place in Ayurvedic medicine as a "cleanser of the body."

Keralan Fish Moilee

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound firm white fish fillets (like halibut or pink snapper)

• 1 teaspoon fenugreek

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 onion, sliced thin

• 1″ knob ginger, peeled and minced

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 fresh green chile (jalapeño or serrano)

• handful of fresh or dried curry leaves*

• 1/2 fresh tomato, sliced thin

• 1 cup water

• 2 cups coconut milk

• 1 teaspoon lime juice

• Salt

Directions:

Heat oil over moderate heat in deep skillet and sautee fenugreek and garlic until lightly browned. Add onion, ginger, chile and curry leaves sautee 2 minutes more. Then add water and one cup coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add lime juice and salt with fish and simmer briskly.

Add remaining coconut milk and tomato and simmer briskly for a few minutes, until cooked through. Serve hot with jasmine rice alongside.

*Curry leaves can often be found in the refrigerated section of Indian specialty markets. Other specialty stores sometimes carry the dried version.