Meen Pollichathu / Fish baked in homemade sauce

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    Fishing is my uncle's hobby.  He is so good one feels he can catch them with his bare hands.    He can fish with fishing rods, nets and also by one of the more primitive ways of forking out the fish.  If you are not squeamish about watching a fish being caught then watching him fish is worthwhile. It amazes me every time I accompany him on his fishing expeditions.  He plops some cooked tapioca by the edge of the river and keeps a close watch from the banks.  After a couple of minutes, he positions the spear (an iron rod with a pointed tip) and in a sweeping movement cuts through the water and hits the target.  He's got his pearl spot (fish) of the day .  Tapioca according to him is the best lure to catch black pearl spot from the river.

Once the fish is caught it is mostly fried.  But once in a while a more elaborate preparation, pollichathu.  The malayalam word pollichathu more or less means 'searing.' However, the preparation for this dish includes two processes.  Searing and then slow cooking.  Once the fish is lightly browned on both sides it's wrapped in banana leaf with a sauce and cooked in a shallow earthen pot turning intermittently.  The flavor of this dish is acquired from 1. Obviously the sauce 2. From banana leaf paired with the fact its cooking in an earthen pot on coal.  The slow burning of the banana leaf in the earthen port exudes a flavor which cannot be mimicked in a modern day oven.  However, to indulge in anything even remotely tasting like the real deal of a meen pollichathu is worthwhile.  I bought some whole tilapia (by the way it has an uncanny resemblance to pearl spot) on my last shopping fix and regaled, so to speak.  I have given a modern day approach for cooking a traditional dish here.  The method given below is using foil paper instead of banana leaf and cooking in a electric oven as against the earthen pot.  Hope you enjoy this favorite of mine.

Ingredients:
Whole Tilapia with skin and tail on - 2
Onions - 1 Medium
Tomato - 1 large
Kokum - 1 small piece
Ginger - 1 Tbspn
Garlic - 1 Tbspn
Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
Turmeric - 1  tspn
Chili powder - 1 Tbspn
Pepper powder - 1 tspn
Coconut Milk - 1/4 cup

Method:
1. Clean and gash the fish and pat dry.  I cleaned out the gills, fins etc.  I mostly get fish which is already gutted
2. Rub salt about 1/2 tspn, turmeric 1/2 tspn, pepper a little and vinegar just enought to moisten the powders or help you spread it on the fish.  Marinate for about 1/2 hour
3. Soak the kokum in as little water as you need to soak
3. At this point you can start on your sauce.  Saute the onions to tanslucent and add ginger followed by garlic and saute
4. Add all the powders turmeric, chili and pepper and once oil clears or you get the cooked smell add chopped tomatoes
5. Saute till oil seperates and add the kokum with the water.
6. You need a thick consistency for the sauce so if there is a lot of water cook it down and reducing the heat  add coconut milk.  Mix in and turn off the heat.
7. Place foil paper in case you do not have banana leaves into a baking pan big enough to hold the fish
8. Spread half of your sauce at the base

Searing the Fish
8. In a non stick skillet add a tinge or oil and brown the fish on both sides turning carefully to keep the fish in tact.
9. Place it over the sauce in the baking pan and top it with the remaining sauce
10. Close the foil over to wrap the fish and sauce
11. Bake in 300 F oven for 35 - 40 minutes. 

Contributor : Sunitha