Sardines in Tamarind sauce/ Chaalai meen puli kulambu

I had a craving to have fish. I just went to fish market without having idea of what I am going to make. I saw sardines in the shop, at once I remembered Amma’s fish curry. Sardines in tangy tamarind sauce.

Ingredients:

Sardines	500 gm
Tamarind	Lemon size soaked in hot water.
Shallots	5 or 6
Garlic	4 or 5 gloves crushed
Tomato	1 chopped
Chilli powder	1 tbsp
Coriander powder	1 tbsp
Turmeric powder	½ tbsp.
Salt	To taste
Curry leaves	A few
Mustard seeds	1 tbsp
Green chillies	2 or 3 slit lengthwise

Method:

1.       Clean the sardines and keep it aside

2.       In a pan, heat oil and splutter the mustard seeds. Add the curry leaves, green chillies,garlic and onion and fry till it becomes transparent.

3.       Then add the chopped tomatoes and fry till it becomes mushy.

4.       At the same times, take tamarind juice. Mix all the masala powders to the tamarind extract, add to the pan and allow the sauce to cook.

5.       Once it starts boiling, add sardines and cook fish. Allow the curry to thicken a bit.

6.       Serve hot with rice