Ingredients
Sardines – 500 gm
Chilly powder – 1 tsp
Pepper powder – 1/4tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Vinegar – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Coconut oil – for frying
For The Curry
Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil – 1 tbsp
Onion – 1 sliced
Ginger – 2 tsp crushed
Garlic – 2 tsp crushed
Green chillies – 3 sliced
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
Coriander powder – 2 tsp
Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Thin coconut milk – 2 cups
Vinegar – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Tomato – 1 sliced
Thick coconut milk – 1/2 cup
Method
Clean the sardines and make slits on them. Make a paste of all the spice powders, vinegar and salt using some water. Marinate the sardines with the paste for an hour and fry them in oil. Heat oil in a clay pot or a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves. Fry till the onions turn pink in color. Add the spice powders and sprinkle some water. Fry till the aroma comes out. Add the thin coconut milk, vinegar and salt. When it boils, add the tomatoes and simmer for 2 minutes. Then add the fried sardines and the thick coconut milk. Switch off the flame before it starts to boil. Delicious ‘Mathi Mappas / Fried Sardines Curry with Coconut Milk’ goes well with rice, appam, idiyappam, puttu, dosa, idli, chapathi, porotta, pulao and bread. Enjoy with your loved ones!