Coconut Fish Soup
Meen stew is a South Indian fish soup where firm white fish simmers gently in homemade coconut milk spiced with garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and turmeric. Soups of this kind are everyday food along India’s west coast, especially in Kerala and Goa, where fish and coconut are the foundation of the cooking.
The point of making your own coconut milk is that you get two things from one coconut: a thin, light milk that acts as the cooking liquid, and a rich cream stirred in at the end that gives the dish its depth. It takes a little longer than opening a tin, but the flavour is cleaner and less sweet.
Serve very hot with rice on the side. The soup is not sharp, but aromatic, and works well as a main course for four.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 500 g firm white fish (monkfish or halibut), skinless, cut into large pieces
- 25 g desiccated coconut
- 6 shallots
- 6 almonds, unsalted
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 piece fresh ginger (2½ cm), peeled and sliced
- 2 stalks lemongrass, sliced
- 2–3 tsp turmeric
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 red chilli, deseeded, sliced
- salt
- coriander leaves, to garnish
Coconut milk
- 300 g freshly grated coconut
- 400 ml boiling water
Coconut cream
- 300 g freshly grated coconut
- 400 ml boiling water
Directions
Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream
Put 300 g grated coconut and 400 ml boiling water in a blender. Blend for 20 seconds. Pour into a bowl and leave to steep for a couple of minutes as it cools. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean jug. This is the coconut milk.
Repeat with the other 300 g coconut and 400 ml boiling water to make the coconut cream. Leave to rest. The rich cream will rise to the top – skim it off and set aside. The thinner liquid that remains is not used here.
The Soup
Season the fish chunks with salt and leave while you prepare the rest.
Toast the desiccated coconut slowly in a dry wok or pan until golden. Remove from the heat and stir so it does not burn. Set aside.
Blend the shallots, almonds, garlic, ginger, and 6 cm of the thick end of the lemongrass to a rough paste. Reserve the rest of the lemongrass. Stir the turmeric into the paste.
Heat the oil in a pot and fry the paste for a couple of minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil, stirring constantly so it does not split. Add the fish, chilli, and remaining lemongrass. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the toasted desiccated coconut and let the soup simmer for 5 minutes more until the fish is just cooked through.
Fish out the lemongrass and stir in the coconut cream. Season with salt. The soup must not boil after the cream has gone in.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve very hot with rice.
Notes
Active time about 25 minutes, cooking time 15–20 minutes.
The fish must be firm and hold its shape in the soup. Monkfish is the safest choice, but halibut, haddock, or another firm white fish also works. Avoid salmon and other oily fish – they become dry and crumble.
You can replace the 600 g fresh grated coconut with 400 ml coconut milk and 200 ml coconut cream from tins. The flavour will be sweeter and less fresh. Shake the tin before opening, or let it settle and skim the cream from the top.
The turmeric provides the colour. Start with 2 tsp – 3 tsp becomes noticeably bitter.
The soup does not keep well. Prepare the paste and coconut milk ahead if you like, but the actual cooking should happen just before serving.
See Also
Ambulthiyal (Sri Lankan Sour Fish Curry)
Coconut Chutney
Green Chutney
