Mangalorean Fish Curry — Byadagi Chilli and Coconut (ಮಂಗಳೂರು ಮೀನು ಸಾರು)

Ingredients

• For the curry
• 700 g firm white fish (such as kingfish, seer fish, or pomfret), cut into steaks or thick fillets, bone-in pieces preferred
• For the coconut masala
• 150 g fresh grated coconut, raw, not roasted
• 6 Byadagi dried red chillies, stems removed; substitute Kashmiri chilli if unavailable, noting the flavour difference
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp turmeric, ground
• For the curry
• 3 pieces kodampuli (Garcinia cambogia / Malabar tamarind), soaked in 100 ml warm water for 20 minutes; soaking water reserved
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, finely sliced
• 2 green chillies, slit lengthways
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 250 ml water

Method

1. 1
   Soak the kodampuli pieces in 100 ml warm water for 20 minutes, so the fruit releases its sourness into the liquid and that soaking water becomes part of the curry's backbone rather than being discarded. Reserve both the pieces and the soaking water. Place the raw grated coconut, Byadagi chillies, coriander seeds, garlic, and turmeric in a wet-grinder or blender, add a small quantity of the kodampuli soaking water, and grind to a very smooth, deep burgundy-red paste — the masala is ready when no grit from the coconut or chilli skins remains and the colour is a uniform deep burgundy.
2. 2
   Heat the coconut oil in a wide, heavy pan over a medium flame. Add the sliced onion and slit green chillies and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent and fully softened — it must not brown, so that the finished curry is built on a pale, clean base rather than a caramelised sweetness that would muddy the sour, vivid character of the Byadagi and kodampuli. The onion is done when it yields fully and carries no raw sharpness.
3. 3
   Add the ground coconut masala to the pan and stir to combine with the onion. Cook over a medium-low flame for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, so the coconut loses its raw, milky smell and the whole paste takes on a cooked, rounded fragrance — you will know it is ready when the oil just begins to separate in small pools at the edges of the pan.
4. 4
   Add the reserved kodampuli soaking water, the soaked kodampuli pieces, salt, and the 250 ml water, then stir well and bring the curry to a gentle simmer. This is where the dish lives or dies: taste the broth now and confirm it carries the characteristic citrus-adjacent sourness of the kodampuli — distinct from tamarind — balanced against the mild heat of the Byadagi chilli and the richness of the coconut, because once the fish enters, the broth cannot be remade. Adjust salt here; the balance between sour kodampuli, vivid Byadagi colour, and raw-coconut freshness must be right before anything else goes in.
5. 5
   Add the fish pieces to the simmering curry and resist the urge to stir vigorously — instead, tilt the pan or use a spoon to bathe the fish with the broth, so the steaks hold together and do not break into the sauce. Cook for 8–10 minutes over a gentle simmer with the lid partially on; the fish is done when it yields at the thickest point to light finger pressure and the flesh is fully opaque with no translucency at the bone.
6. 6
   Remove from the heat and allow the curry to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes before serving, so the fish finishes gently in the residual heat and the broth settles into itself. The finished curry should present as a deep burgundy-red broth, glossy with coconut and coconut oil, with no grey or brown. Serve with neer dosa or steamed rice.