FISH PUTTU

      Meen (Fish) Peera is a traditional Kerala dish made with small fishes or shredded fish. The preparation is very similar to thoran or poriyal. Its cousin called fish puttu is popular in Tamil Nadu. In Tamil Nadu it is usually made with Shark and famous as "Sura Puttu".
            I've used salmon to make the fish puttu. Other fishes that can be used instead of salmon are shark, king fish, cod, tilapia, tuna fish, nethili meen (anchovies) or shrimp (eral puttu).
Ingredients
Fish Fillets - 1 lb
Shallot Onions - 5-6 (chopped)/ Onion - 1
Green Chillies - 3-4 (slit)
Ginger - 1 " piece (grated)
Grated Coconut - 3 tblsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Corriander Powder - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - 2 strands
Cilantro (Corriander Leaves) - 1/4 bunch
Oil - 2 tsp
 
Method
1. Wash the fish fillets and cook the fish in one of the following 3 ways.
  (a) Bring some water to a boil with some salt and turmeric powder. Add the fish fillets and let it cook for about 5 -7 minutes until the fish is completely cooked and then drain the water.
  (b) Sprinkle some salt, turmeric powder and chilly powder on the fish and grill it on a tawa.
  (c) Apply salt and turmeric powder on the fish fillets and steam using the idli stand and pressure cooker.
2. After the fish is cool enough to handle, shread it nicely using your fingers or a fork.
3. Mix little corriander powder with the shredded fish.
4. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves.
5. Add the chopped onions, green chillies and grated ginger and saute them for 5 minutes until the onions are cooked.
6. Add finely chopped cilantro and curry leaves and fry for another minute. You could also add 2-3 pieces of kodum puli (kokum) at this stage.
7. Add the shredded fish and mix everything together. Check for salt and fry everything together for another 5 minutes until the mixture gets dry.
8. Finally add fresh grated coconut and toss everything together. Serve with rice or roti.

Variation
         The above recipe is that of fish puttu. The traditional recipe of fish (meen) peera is very similar with few changes
(a) Instead of adding the onions at the beginning, it is crushed with the grated coconut along with some green chillies and cumin seeds and then added to the fish.
(b) Fish Puttu is generally made with only shredded fish whereas fish peera is made with shredded fish as well as whole small fishes like anchovies(nethili).