Jhalke Alle Piyava Ambat (Konkani Fish Curry)

Fish curry was almost an everyday dish at my Ajja's & Bapama's (my Father's parents) place. Growing up, my school was right next door to Bapama's & I had the privileged to eat fresh home cooked lunch everyday. Since Bapama's house consisted of joint family and extended family members, fried fish was out of question.
Back home, fish curry was cooked in an earthen pot called as "Kulle" in Konkani. It gave a very distinctive taste to the whole dish & the flavor was just incredible. Cleaning the dish was very easy & no odor was left behind. (I now rinse dishes with vinegar after cooking!)
Some of the popular Konkani fish curries are Alle Piyava Ambat (coconut based curry made with ginger & onions), Piyava Ambat (coconut based curry seasoned with fried onions) & Phanna Upkari (chilli based sauce with spices) which I will post down the road.

Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillet (approx 1lb)
1 cup fresh grated coconut
6 dried red chillies, roasted (I use byadgi)
marble size tamarind
1" ginger, chopped fine
2 green chillies, cut in half
1 small onion, chopped
salt to taste
1/2 tsp coconut oil (optional)

How it's made:

Wash, rinse & cut fish into cubes.
Grind coconut, red chillies & tamarind to a smooth paste.
In a wide pan, mix in ginger, green chilli, onion, ground masala and salt to taste. Add a little water at a time to make a thick gravy. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Check for salt.
Add fish & give one quick stir.

Boil but stir only if required since fish tends to break apart easily.
Drizzle with coconut oil & serve hot with white rice.

Serves: 4-6

Note: I used tilapia since no one at home likes fish with bone in. This curry is traditionally made with pomfrets, king fish or mackerels.