Casa Linda fish molee

After learning to make Fish Molee at Nimmy Paul’s Cookery School we were excited to try our friend Aroma Dipu’s Fish Molee. Fish Molee (pronounced moy-lee) is a classic Keralan dish.

It has a minimal number of ingredients and maximal flavour extracted from those ingredients. Nimmy Paul’s recipe does not have turmeric. Aroma’s does. We hope you make them both and see which one you like the most.

Seeing Fish Molee come together

Here’s a quick peak at Aroma in action. Hearing the sizzle of that pan and seeing the results makes us want to get cooking. We hope Aroma Dipu’s Fish Molee inspires you as well.


Aroma’s Fish Molee Recipe

Yields
2 servings but may be easily multiplied

Ingredients

½ lb fish fillet (use firm fish like red snapper, halibut, ling cod or sablefish)
For the Marinade:
pinch turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic paste
½ teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For cooking the fish:
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
cashews
raisins
1 red shallot, cut in lengthwise slivers
1 teaspoon garlic paste
½ teaspoon ginger paste
10 fresh curry leaves
1 green chilli sliced in half lengthwise
1 tomato – sliced in half then then each half in 4 wedges
½ teaspoon vinegar
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ cup coconut milk
½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup coconut cream (first press coconut milk)


Method

  1. Cut the fish fillet in half and score each side by making 1 centimetre deep crosswise cuts in the flesh.
  2. Combine the marinade ingredients and rub it into all sides of the fish fillets. Marinate 10 to 15 minutes.
  3. Heat the coconut oil in a shallow frying pan on medium heat.
  4. Add the cashews and cook until golden then remove them with slotted spoon and set aside.
  5. Add the raisins and cook until they puff up then remove them with a slotted spoon and add them to the reserved cashews.
  6. Add the onion slices and cook until just translucent.
  7. Add the garlic paste and cook for 30 seconds before adding the ginger paste and curry leaves for another 30 – 60 seconds.
  8. Add the green chilli and slice tomato with the vinegar and turmeric and cook until the tomato softens.
  9. Add the coconut milk and water and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any of the flavourful bits that might be stuck to the surface.
  10. Add the salt and bring the mixture to a boil for 5 minutes.
  11. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the fish fillets, cover the pan with a lid and poach them for 5 to 10 minutes.
  12. Add the coconut cream and reserved cashews and raisins and gently fold them into the dish before serving.
  13. Enjoy with rice and appams.

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