Naavara Fish Curry

 

Navar Fish Curry

Kerala Style Fish Curry

🔥 Spicy Red Fish Curry with Navara Fish (Fin Beam/Snapper)! 🔥

Nothing beats the bold, rich flavors of a traditional red fish curry made with fresh Navara fish. Tender, juicy, and full of taste, this fish is a favorite in Kerala kitchens!

👉 A few tips while making and cleaning Navara Fish:

• Always wear gloves or handle carefully — the sharp fins can cause painful cuts.
• Clean the fish thoroughly, removing all scales and inner parts for a clean, fresh flavor.
• While cooking, let the curry simmer slowly to absorb all the spices beautifully into the fish.
• Cleaning scissors are ideal while cleaning the fins and tail section
• Use tamarind or kudampuli for that perfect tangy twist!
• Use rock salt to clean the fish as it removes the slime cost of the fish.
  
  ( The top fin (the one running along the top of the fish’s body) is called the dorsal fin. The sharp bones that are part of the fins are called fin rays — they support the fins and in many species (like snapper/Navara fish), they are quite hard and sharp ( Source: ChatGPT)
  
  
• Recently while cleaning Navara I got a sharp stinking pain as my hand pierced one of the fin rays! I felt like a tingling sharp pain! So, be careful while cleaning that part of the fish.

A little patience in cleaning and careful cooking will give you a fish curry that's absolutely unforgettable. 

In Kerala households, when cleaning freshly caught or market-bought fish, rock salt (chunky, crystalline salt) is often used to remove this slime coat before cooking. Here's why and how:

🔹 Why rock salt?

The coarse texture of rock salt helps scrape away the slippery slime easily without damaging the fish flesh.

Salt also has mild antiseptic properties, reducing any lingering bacteria or fishy smell.

🔹 How it’s done:

• The fish is sprinkled generously with rock salt and gently rubbed all over.
• As you rub, the slime lifts off and the skin feels firmer and cleaner.
• After rubbing, the fish is rinsed thoroughly with water.

This traditional step makes a big difference — it enhances the taste, freshness, and hygiene of the fish before it goes into a curry, fry, or roast.

Check out my 2011 post about cleaning sardine fish. This was taken at my mom's place at Lottegollahalli house in Bangalore. Now as I look back at those years, it all seems so far away, so distant from my current life and surroundings.