Chepa Iguru ~ Andhra Fish Curry

Chepa Iguru / Andhra Fish Curry is my home style rustic dish, which often makes our Sunday comfort lunch menu.

Fish, as most of us are aware, is good for health when compared to any other meat. It is a super-food packed with vitamins and minerals, and a major source of omega-3 fatty acids, which is a reason in helping to protect against a range of diseases, from cancer to heart disease, depression to arthritis. This recipe is so versatile that it is perfect for any kind of fish.

This spicy, hot curry goes excellent with piping hot steamed rice.

Ingredients

½ kg fish cut into 1’’ thick slices (I used rohu / bocha in Telugu, but you can use any fish)
1 medium onion, ground to fine paste
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
3 tbsp oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 dry red chili
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste)
few curry leaves
salt to taste
lots of fresh coriander, chopped

Method

• Wash the fish thoroughly, and apply little salt & turmeric powder on both sides.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a thick bottomed wide pan, fry the fish pieces for half-a-minute on both sides and set them aside.
• In the same pan, heat the remaining oil, add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Now add torn dry red chili, curry leaves, chopped onion and sauté till onion turns brown.
• Now add onion paste and sauté till it lightly browns.
• Then add ginger-garlic paste and sauté till the raw flavor disappears. 
• Add coriander power, cumin powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt and quickly sauté.
• Immediately, add chopped tomatoes mix it well, sprinkle little water and cover with lid.
• Cook until tomato turns mushy. Add just enough water to immerse the fish and let it boil.
• Now drop the fried fish pieces very gently in the boiling gravy and cook uncovered till the gravy reduces to the desired consistency.
• Finish it off with lots of fresh coriander and serve with steamed rice.

I have blogged another fish recipe earlier which is basically fish cooked in a tangy stew called Chepa Pulusu. Try this which goes excellent with steamed rice.