Comforting Kerala Lunch: Trevally Fish Curry, Rice & Veggies

Vattakanni fish curry ( Vatta Meencurry )

Trevally Fish Curry, Meals

 Today’s lunch was a soulful plate and I couldn't help but to capture this pic to share  — Trevally Fish Curry, white rice, and a simple medley of vegetables. Sharing this on the blog because some meals deserve to be remembered and passed on — not just for the taste, but for the nostalgia they bring.

This is a plate for my mom-in-law. She prefers white rice.

The Trevally, locally known as Vatta, was simmered in a rich coconut-based curry — mildly spiced with red chili, turmeric, coriander, and tamarind.

The gravy was creamy yet vibrant, soaking up the flavours of curry leaves, and mustard seeds. Paired with rice and sautéed mezhukkupuratti vegetables, it was a classic Kerala lunch that never goes out of style.

Some Coconut-Based Kerala Curry Variations You Might Love:

Varutharacha Meen Curry – Fish curry with roasted coconut and spices ground to a rich paste.

Kappa Meen Curry – Tapioca with spicy fish curry, often coconut-based in central Kerala.

Moru Curry – Buttermilk curry with coconut, green chilies, and cumin, perfect with rice.

Olan – A gentle stew of ash gourd and red beans cooked in coconut milk, served during Sadhya.

Vegetable Theeyal – Tangy and deep-flavoured curry with roasted coconut, often made with shallots or brinjal.

📸 Will be uploading the picture as another blog post — because nothing speaks louder than a plate full of memories.

Do you have a favorite fish curry variation? 

Btw, I'm now teaching a lady who's attending 30 day baking class. One of these days, she had meals at a popular restaurant at Vanchiyoor side. It seems this place shot up in popularity in the recent time. Probably, some vlogger must have taken some videos in the most alluring way!

 And, when I asked about the fish curry dishes, she said all they had was fish fry. 

Well, these days many restaurants who cater to lunch (fish-meal), often provide more choices of fish fry. I wonder why they choose the easy path of frying fish, instead of choosing to make excellent fish curry dishes. 

Art of Making Fish Curry ( Gravy Types) 

I would rate high any restaurant which prepares fish-curry in it's best way. Sadly, most popular food joints focus on fish fry instead of taking the hard-route. Making good quality fish is time-consuming, involves more effort, skill and care.

 Fish fry is something anyone can make! And, most restaurant don't marinade it for a long time nor provide any extra flavor for fry. Even though I love fish fry, imagine the oil that goes with fish fry. It's not good to have fish fry on a regular basis.  

That's why at our house we make fish curry on most days! 

So, next time you choose a restaurant, rate them for the fish curry preparation.

• Is the curry made well?
• Is the fish cleaned well? Fish curry will expose cleanliness issues. Scales are easily seen in curries than in deep fried fish. 
• Is it rightly cooked? ( Mostly it gets overcooked)
• Do they have different types of curries or just one coconut based one? 
• Did they have two types of curries - one with kodampuli or one with the normal tamarind ( Trivandrum way). What about fish ( tuna) vindaloo?