Kozhuva Manga Peera pattichathu/ Anchovies with green mango

The wind is changing lately.Though the days are still fiery the occasional afternoon showers,are surprisingly  giving me a whiff of the monsoon rain back home. The heat of the day ,mixed with the later showers is doing a good deed to my Patio vegetable garden too. A feeling of bliss..thats what i experience now.I am sure if the plants could talk , they would say the same ...

Tomatoes from my lil garden

My mother makes excellent meen and manga koottan a heavenly combo, and so does my Grandma (check out meen manga curry and chemmen manga curry)..Todays recipe is inspired by those two kindred spirits,who i admire the most . Kozhuva or anchovies as they call it here is a small protein rich fish , which i have a craving for all the time; some other names are podimeen , chooda, netholi etc.In my grandma's  kitchen, a "manchatti"(claypot )full of this dish,will always be in the Aduppu (the traditional  stove), making it warm all the time like an ever warm oven. The claypot cooked food has a special taste to it, i love it so much that i brought one  Manchatti with me, last time when i came back from my vacation in Kerala...So here comes a traditional claypot cooked Fish and mango Stir fry with grated coconut and Green mango for y'all to njoy...

Ingredients:-

Kozhuva/Anchovy - 250 gm

Green mango - 1 medium

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Shallots/onion chopped - 1/2 cup

Green chili - 3

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Garlic - 5 cloves

Crushed black pepper corns - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder - 1/4 tsp

Curry Leaves

Mustard seeds

Salt to taste

Oil

Clean and cut the head off the fish, if you are using fresh anchovies. I used the frozen ones from Indian grocery store, so it was already cleaned.Wash it with some vinegar or lime juice and salt to get rid off that fishy smell.

Cut green mango into medium pieces. I peeled the skin off, but you can keep it if you like .

Crush onions, ginger, garlic and green chiles in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.

Mix grated coconut with turmeric powder and red chili powder and combine it well with your hands.( Or you can crush it along with the above mix)

Heat oil in a pan( i used manchatty- clay pot) and add mustard seeds. When the pop up add curry leaves and crushed masala.Saute for 2 minutes and add green mango and fry for 3-4 minutes and add grated coconut mix. combine it well and add fish, 1 cup water and salt to taste. 

Cook it covered till it is done and the water is evaporated, for about 20 minutes. Uncover it and simmer for another 6-7 minutes to make it dry.Sprinkle crushed pepper corns and mix well.Serve warm!

Cheers

Sarah