Stingray fish curry/Thoothukudi Thirukkai fish curry

Introduction:

Stingrays are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. These fish do not have bones in their body -their skeleton is made up of flexible cartilage. The flesh of this fish has a unique texture and tastes great. There are many delicious ways of preparing this fish, but one of my favourite preparations is this medium spiced curry famous in Thoothukudi. This curry is best enjoyed with steamed rice....

	Cuisine: South-Indian
	Recipe category: fish, curry
	Prep time: 15 min
	Cooking time: 20 min
	Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Stingray fish pieces	300 Gms
Small onions/shallots	3 sliced
Green chilly	1 slit
Garlic	6 cloves
Few curry leaves
Tamarind pulp	1/2 cup from lemon sized tamarind
Salt	1 tsp
To grind:
Coconut (grated)	3/4 cup
Fish curry powder	4 tsp heaped
Or
Chilly powder Coriander powder Pepper corns Cumin seeds	2 and 1/2 tsp
	5 tsp
	5 to 6
	1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/2 tsp
Water	1/4 cup
To dry roast and powder:
Raw rice	1 tsp
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
To temper:
Oil	2 tbsp
Small onions/shallots	4 sliced
Few curry leaves

Method:

1. Dry roast raw rice and cumin seeds in a small pan until fragrant and brown.
2. Powder it and keep it aside
3. In a blender jar add grated coconut, fish curry powder, turmeric powder and water
4. Grind into a smooth paste
5. Pour this into a clay pot or any pan and add 1/2 cup of water
6. To it add the tamarind pulp, sliced small onions/shallots, slit green chilly, garlic cloves, few curry leaves and salt
7. Mix well. Now switch on the stove
8. When it starts to boil sprinkle 1/4 cup of water, mix and check salt and sourness
9. If needed add more. When it boils again, add fish pieces. Give a quick mix and close the pot with lid.
10. There should be a little gap between pot and lid (use a spoon) to prevent curry from spilling as it boils
11. Let it cook for 5 min in medium flame .Now switch off stove
12. Sprinkle the powdered rice and cumin over the curry. Mix
13. In a small pan add oil .When hot add sliced small onions/shallots and curry leaves
14. Fry in low flame until brown
15. Pour the tempering over the curry
16. Stingray curry is ready to serve

Notes:

• If you want a spicy curry, add more chilly powder or green chillies
• Always switch off stove before adding roasted and powdered raw rice and Cumin seeds
• You can add mustard seeds along with onions and curry leaves while tempering