Mangalorean Fish Curryಮೀನ್ ಪುಳಿಮುಂಚಿ

Name: Mangalorean Fish Curry
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Karnataka
Ingredients: 500 g mackerel (bangda / bangude), cleaned and scored; 1 lemon-sized ball tamarind (hunase hannu / imli); 8–10 Byadagi dried red chilies (byadagi menasina kai); 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut (tedina thengina kai); 1 tsp coriander seeds (kothambari); 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeerige); 1/2 tsp black pepper (menasu); 1/4 tsp turmeric (arishina); 1 medium onion (eerulli), sliced; 4 cloves garlic (bellulli); 1-inch piece ginger (shunti); 10–12 leaves curry leaves (karibevu); 2 tbsp coconut oil (thengina yenne); to taste salt

⏱ Prep 25m🍳 Cook 25m🍽 Serves 4🌿 Non-veg

Video: Chef Nehal Karkera (YouTube)

Pullimunchi means sour and pungent in Tulu, the language of coastal Karnataka, and this curry earns the name on every count. Plump mackerel or seer fish simmer in a brick-red tamarind gravy built on Byadagi chilies, which deliver warmth and colour without scorching heat. This is the weekday fish curry of Mangalorean Catholic and Muslim households, cooked in a clay pot and eaten with neer dosa or boiled red rice.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

Finding Desi spots near Plano…

Ingredients

▪mackerel (bangda / bangude), cleaned and scored500 g
▪tamarind (hunase hannu / imli)1 lemon-sized ball
▪Byadagi dried red chilies (byadagi menasina kai)8–10
▪fresh grated coconut (tedina thengina kai)1/2 cup
▪coriander seeds (kothambari)1 tsp
▪cumin seeds (jeerige)1/2 tsp
▪black pepper (menasu)1/2 tsp
▪turmeric (arishina)1/4 tsp
▪onion (eerulli), sliced1 medium
▪garlic (bellulli)4 cloves
▪ginger (shunti)1-inch piece
▪curry leaves (karibevu)10–12 leaves
▪coconut oil (thengina yenne)2 tbsp
▪saltto taste

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Byadagi chilies give a deep red colour with moderate heat; outside India, substitute Kashmiri dried red chilies or a 3:1 blend of mild paprika and cayenne for similar warmth and colour. Found at Indian grocery stores in most diaspora cities.
Coconut oil is essential to the Mangalorean character here; cold-pressed virgin coconut oil from Indian or Sri Lankan grocery stores is ideal, but refined coconut oil works and has a more neutral flavour.
Mackerel (bangda) is traditional; outside coastal South Asia, look for it frozen at Indian, Filipino, or Japanese grocery stores. Fresh seer fish, salmon steaks, or firm white fish (cod, tilapia) are workable substitutes but will change the flavour profile.

Method

1Soak tamarind in 1 cup warm water for 10 minutes, then squeeze out the pulp and strain the juice; discard the solids.
2Rinse and pat dry the fish. Score each piece twice on both sides. Rub with a pinch of turmeric and salt; set aside for 10 minutes.
3Toast the Byadagi chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and black pepper in a dry pan over low heat for 1 minute until fragrant. Grind with grated coconut, garlic, and ginger to a smooth paste, adding a few tablespoons of water as needed.
4Heat coconut oil in a clay pot or wide pan over medium heat. Add sliced onion and curry leaves; cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and faintly golden, about 5 minutes.
5Add the ground masala paste and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until the raw smell fades and the oil starts to separate at the edges.
6Pour in the tamarind water and 1 cup of fresh water. Season with salt. Bring to a gentle boil.
7Slide in the marinated fish. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, turning the pieces once, until the fish is just cooked through and the gravy has thickened slightly.
8Taste for salt and sourness. Rest the curry 5 minutes off heat before serving — the flavour deepens as it sits.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.