How to Make Malabar Matthi Curry at Home

Malabar Matthi curry is an authentic Kerala-style curry made with sardines and assorted vegetables like shallots and okra. It has the perfect balance of spicy and tangy flavours, and can be relished with naan, rice or dosa. What makes this curry different from other fish curries, is the method of cooking – semi-stewed curry with additional tempering to add more flavour. To know more, continue reading.

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How to Make Malabar Matthi Curry at Home

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Indian

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• ½ kg sardines matthi
• 1½ inch ginger
• ½ cup coconut grated
• 2 Red chillies
• 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
• 3 onion shallots
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 large green chilli
• 150 gms tamarind paste
• A handful Curry leaves
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tbsp Mustard Seeds
• salt as needed

Course Main Dish Cuisine Indian Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes Servings people Ingredients ½ kg sardines matthi 1½ inch ginger ½ cup coconut grated 2 Red chillies 2 tbsp Coconut Oil 3 onion shallots ½ tsp turmeric 1 large green chilli 150 gms tamarind paste A handful Curry leaves 1 tsp red chilli powder ½ tbsp Mustard Seeds salt as needed

Instructions

1. In a blender, add the grated coconut and turmeric, and grind into a fine paste. If needed, use a little water to adjust the consistency. Make sure the paste is thick.
2. In a pan, heat coconut oil on medium flame and add green chillies and ginger. Sauté for about a few seconds and then add red chilli powder, tamarind paste and salt. Stir well and cook for about 2-5 minutes. Now, add the ground paste and mix well. Let it cook for another 5-7 minutes.
3. Thoroughly wash the fish and add them once the curry thickens. Heat the fish for about 5 minutes covered with a lid.
4. In another pan, heat some oil on a low flame and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chillies. Let them crackle and then pour it over the fish curry. Place the fish curry on a high flame and then add the onion shallots. Cook for about a minute and switch off the flame.
5. Garnish with coriander and fried curry leaves on top. Serve hot with steamed rice or dosa.

Recipe Notes

Recipe Tip You can also use store-bought or homemade coconut milk or coconut cream instead of grated coconut. Share your version of this recipe How do you make Malabar Matthi Curry at home? Let us know your version by sharing the recipe with us. Frequently Asked Questions What vegetables other than onions can I add in the matthi curry? Other than onion shallots, you can also add chopped okra (ladyfinger) to the curry. How do I get rid of the strong sardine smell before cooking it? Thoroughly wash the fish with salt water to clean and remove its smell.