{"product_id":"red-fish-curry-masala-kottayam-10058","title":"Red Fish Curry Masala (Kottayam)","description":"\u003cp\u003eRecreate the signature taste of Kottayam’s fish curries with Miller Stores’ Kottayam Fish Masala. Featuring chili, coriander, turmeric, black pepper, and fenugreek, this blend infuses fish with a tangy-spicy note typical of Kerala’s backwater cuisine. Perfect for coconut-based or tamarind-based curries.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!--story--\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"blk\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKottayam Fish Curry Masala — The Red Meen Curry Blend\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Kottayam fish curry masala, ground to order. Central Travancore meen curry is the red, fiercely sour one — no coconut milk, soured with kudampuli rather than tamarind, and built on a chilli-forward blend that is quite different from the mild Malabar style.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"blk\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHow we make it\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChilli, coriander, fenugreek, turmeric and pepper are roasted separately and milled together to a fine powder. The blend is deliberately chilli-heavy and coriander-light compared with a sambar powder, because a Kottayam meen curry gets its body from the reduction and the kudampuli rather than from ground coriander.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"blk\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat goes in, what stays out\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoasted whole spices only. No rice flour to thicken, no added colour to redden the gravy, no preservative, no MSG.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"blk\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKottayam-style red fish curry with kudampuli\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKarimeen and seer fish preparations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrawn roast and fish fry marinades\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAny Kerala curry where you want heat and sourness rather than coconut richness\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClay-pot fish curry, which tastes better the next day\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"blk\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHow to store it\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAirtight, cool and dark; use within three months. Keep it away from steam — this is a masala people reach for with wet hands while cooking, and that is how a jar gets ruined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"blk\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat it is called\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eLanguage\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eName\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMalayalam\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMeen curry podi\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTamil\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMeen kuzhambu podi\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTelugu\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eChepala pulusu masala\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHindi\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMachhli masala\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eKannada\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMeenu saaru pudi\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"blk blk--buy\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhere to buy it\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMilled to order at \u003ca href=\"\/hyderabad\"\u003eour Kondapur and Serilingampally stores in Hyderabad\u003c\/a\u003e, or shipped across India. Browse the rest of our \u003ca href=\"\/shop\/category\/masala-blend-34\"\u003eMasala Blends\u003c\/a\u003e range, or see \u003ca href=\"\/shop\/online-productpowder-sambar-sambar-powder-10107\"\u003esambar powder\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/shop\/cold-pressed-coconut-oil-10012\"\u003ecold pressed coconut oil\u003c\/a\u003e. If you want the background, read \u003ca href=\"\/blog\/purity-adulteration-12\/kashmiri-vs-guntur-vs-byadgi-chilli-which-to-use-when-9\"\u003eKashmiri vs Guntur vs Byadgi chilli\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c!--faqs--\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"faqs\"\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eWhat makes Kottayam fish curry masala different from other fish masalas?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"a\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKottayam style is the red, sour, coconut-free one. It is soured with kudampuli rather than tamarind and is far more chilli-forward than Malabar fish curry, which uses coconut milk and a gentler blend. The two are not interchangeable.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eWhat is kudampuli and do I need it?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"a\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKudampuli, also called Malabar tamarind or kodampuli, is a smoked dried fruit rind used to sour Kerala fish curry. It is essential to the Kottayam style — ordinary tamarind gives a different, blunter sourness. Soak two or three pieces before adding.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eWhich fish suits this masala best?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"a\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirm-fleshed fish that holds up to a long simmer — seer, kingfish, sardine and karimeen are all traditional. Delicate fish tends to break up in the reduction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eIs Kottayam fish curry masala hotter than other Kerala masalas?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"a\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes, by design. Kottayam meen curry is a hot, sour curry and the blend reflects that, unlike the coconut-milk Malabar style. We can grind it milder to order, though it moves the dish away from the traditional taste.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eWhy does the curry taste better the next day?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"a\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe kudampuli keeps releasing sourness and the masala continues to penetrate the fish as it stands. Kerala households routinely cook it a day ahead, and a clay pot helps.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eIs Kottayam Fish Curry Masala suitable for vegetarians?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"a\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes. It is made from spices, dal and salt only, with no animal-derived ingredient and no anti-caking agent.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eDoes Kottayam Fish Curry Masala contain MSG or artificial flavouring?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"a\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo. No MSG, no artificial flavour, no colour and no preservative. The flavour comes from roasting the whole spices properly, which is also why it has a shorter shelf life than a supermarket packet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eWhat makes Kottayam Fish Curry Masala different from a supermarket masala?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"a\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is blended and ground in small batches from whole spices rather than produced in a long factory run and warehoused. There is no filler, no colour and no preservative in it, so it smells of the spices themselves - and it has a shorter useful life than a packet, which is the honest trade-off.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eIs Kottayam Fish Curry Masala ground to order?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"a\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes, in small batches. Ground spice loses its aroma within a few months, so holding large quantities of a finished blend would defeat the point.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Miller Stores","offers":[{"title":"100g","offer_id":67913165897902,"sku":"online-productMASALA_KOTTAYAM FISH_","price":145.13,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0686\/5318\/7246\/files\/g1_5e44dbbf-48c0-49fd-80cd-7a63b15a29fa.webp?v=1793547832","url":"https:\/\/www.millerstores.com\/products\/red-fish-curry-masala-kottayam-10058","provider":"Miller Stores","version":"1.0","type":"link"}