The dish called Fish Moilee was coined by the British who tasted a mildly spicy fish stew from a home cook named Molly or Moilee. The dish originates in Kerala, India, but there are several versions of this recipe throughout Goa, Singapore, and Malaysia. This stew is so light, tasty and has a very mild spice profile. It’s very friendly on one’s palette if you are trying spicy food for the first time. Because a Fish Moilee cooks quickly, flounder is the perfect white fish to star in this stew!
Fish Marinade Ingredients:
· 3 cloves of garlic
· 1-2 inch piece of ginger
· 1 green chili
· 1 tsp of lemon juice
Add these ingredients to a chopper or food processor and mince the ingredients finely. Set this aside.
Fish Moilee (stew) Ingredients:
· 4 Flounder fillets, sliced into 4 pieces per filet (16 pieces total)
· 1 tomato, sliced
· 1 lemon juiced
· ¼ to ½ tsp ground cardamom
· ¼ tsp ground white pepper or ground black pepper
· 1 inch piece of ginger, chopped
· 1 green chili, sliced
· 1 sprig of curry leaves
· ½ of a red onion sliced
· 1 Tbsp coconut oil
· ½ tsp salt
· ¼ cup of water to add to stew for thinner consistency
· 14 oz can of full fat coconut milk
Separate the coconut milk into thin and thick consistencies.
Method 1:
Skim ¼ cup of coconut cream off the top of the can and add it to a bowl. To another bowl, add 1 cup of thinner layer of coconut milk from the bottom of the can. To the ¼ cup of coconut cream, add left over thinner coconut milk and mix evenly.
Method 2:
Shake the can of coconut milk, pour a cup into one bowl and set aside as the thick coconut milk. To the remaining coconut milk, add ¼ cup of water and stir in another bowl to make thin coconut milk.
Recipe:
1. Massage the flounder pieces with the marinade and set it aside for 30 minutes.
Prepare the stew, in the meantime, by heating the coconut oil in a heavy bottom pot on medium heat.
2. Add the onions, ginger, curry leaves, and green chili. Saute until the onions are translucent and green chili is a bright green color. Add ground white or black pepper, salt, and cardamom. Saute for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the thin coconut milk to the pot, mix, and bring to a slow boil. Add ¼ cup of water and turn down heat to medium-low, so that it cooks at a rolling boil. Gently nestle the flounder pieces into the thin coconut milk. Add the leftover marinade as well.
4. Add the sliced tomatoes into the stew gently. Cook for 10-12 minutes at medium-low heat, with the lid on the pot. Half way through the cook time, pick up the pot with potholders and swirl the pot gently to mix the ingredients without breaking the flounder pieces.
5. After 10-12 minutes have passed, add the thick coconut milk and stir it in gently. Cook this for another 5 minutes on medium heat.
6. Turn off the heat, set the pot aside and add 1-2 tsp of lemon juice (or to taste) and a drizzle of coconut oil to round out the tangy and coconut flavor of the stew. This step is optional, but it finishes the dish nicely.
7. Serve warm over a bed of rice or appams. You won’t have leftovers with this dish! It’s quick, easy, light and healthy! Enjoy!!
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