Kerala Fish Curry with Kodampuli

Ingredients

• 3–4 pieces kodampuli (Malabar tamarind / Garcinia cambogia), dried pods, soaked in warm water 10–15 minutes; soaking water reserved
• 150 ml warm water, for soaking the kodampuli
• 700 g firm white fish fillets, cut into large pieces suitable for poaching
• 400 ml thin coconut milk, second extraction
• 200 ml thick coconut milk, first extraction, highest fat; added in final 5 minutes only
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dried red chillies
• 10–12 fresh curry leaves
• 2 medium shallots, finely sliced
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp fine salt, or to taste

Method

1. 1
   Place the kodampuli pods in 150 ml of warm water and soak for 10–15 minutes, so the warm water draws out the acid and colour from the pods more fully than cold water would, deepening the liquid to a concentrated, dark brown. Set both the pods and the soaking water aside — both enter the curry.
2. 2
   Heat the coconut oil in a wide, heavy pan over a medium flame and add the mustard seeds, waiting for them to pop before adding the dried red chillies and curry leaves — this sequence matters because each addition needs a moment of direct contact with the hot oil to release its fragrance rather than simply steaming against what came before. Add the sliced shallots and cook, stirring, until they are soft and lightly golden at the edges.
3. 3
   Add the ground turmeric, chilli powder, and ground coriander, and stir them into the oil for 1 minute so the heat drives off the raw, floury edge of the spices and coaxes out a deeper, toasted aroma that will hold through the long, liquid simmer ahead. You will smell the shift before you time it.
4. 4
   Add the softened kodampuli pods and all of their soaking water, then pour in the thin coconut milk. Stir, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered for 8–10 minutes so the sour, spiced base can knit into a single, rounded depth before the fish enters — a base that has not simmered long enough will taste flat and unintegrated, while one that has boiled hard will break the thin milk and dull the kodampuli's clean acidity. This is where the dish lives or dies: the surface should tremble, not boil.
5. 5
   Lower the fish pieces into the simmering base in a single layer and poach — do not stir — for 8–10 minutes, because stirring at this stage will break apart fillets that are still fragile before the heat has had time to firm them through. The fish is done when the flesh is opaque throughout and separates cleanly at the thickest point when pressed lightly with a spoon.
6. 6
   In the final 5 minutes of the fish's cooking time, pour in the thick coconut milk and stir gently once to distribute, maintaining a bare simmer so the rich first extraction stays smooth and glossy rather than splitting into grainy curds under hard heat. The surface should appear ivory-tinted and the sauce should coat the back of a spoon; do not allow the curry to boil from this point.
7. 7
   Taste for salt. Serve immediately from the pan.