Tender white fish cooks in a light coconut sauce with ginger, green chili and fragrant curry leaves. Tomato and lime keep it fresh; serve with rice to soak up the sauce.
Moilee, also spelled molee, is a mild fish dish associated with the coastal cuisine of Kerala in South India. Coconut milk forms its gentle base, while onion, ginger, green chili and curry leaves add fragrance without making the sauce heavy or distinctly hot. Recipes vary from household to household and region to region; for example, tomato and sour citrus may be more or less prominent. In this version, tomato and lime bring freshness alongside the rounded flavor of coconut.
The order in which you build the flavors makes a difference. Mustard seeds release their nutty aroma in hot coconut oil; then the onion, ginger, chili and curry leaves are gently softened. Let the spices become fragrant, but don't let them brown too much: burnt chili or mustard makes a mild sauce bitter. Turmeric gives the sauce a golden-yellow color, and ground coriander adds a warm, earthy note. The coconut milk doesn't need to boil hard. A gentle simmer keeps the sauce smooth and prevents the fish from falling apart.
Choose firm white fish cut into pieces of roughly equal size so it cooks evenly. Cod, sea bass or pollock will work; a very thin fish fillet is less suitable for this preparation. Add the fish only once the tomato is soft. Then keep the pan over low heat and check a thick piece: the flesh should be opaque and flake easily, but remain juicy. For a milder flavor, remove the seeds from the green chili or leave it out. Coconut oil goes well with the other ingredients; a neutral oil is a practical substitute.
Serve the moilee straight away with steamed rice. Basmati is convenient and fluffy, while Kerala matta rice has a firmer, nuttier bite and usually takes longer to cook. There should be plenty of the thin coconut sauce to soak into the rice; don't thicken it with flour or extra spices. Stir in the lime juice at the end and taste before adding more, since tomatoes vary in freshness. Cool leftovers quickly, store them covered in the refrigerator and use within two days. Reheat them gently until piping hot throughout; boiling hard will quickly make the fish dry and crumbly.
Rinse the rice until the water is mostly clear. Put it in a pan with 375 ml water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low and cook covered for 10–12 minutes, or according to the package directions. Remove from the heat and leave covered while you make the curry.
Pat the fish dry and season lightly with some of the salt for the sauce. Set aside. Heat the coconut oil in a large, deep frying pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Add the mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop, add the onion, garlic, ginger, green chili and curry leaves. Cook gently for 4–5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Stir in the turmeric and ground coriander and cook for 30 seconds.
Stir the tomatoes into the onion mixture and cook for 3–4 minutes, until they soften. Pour in the coconut milk and 150 ml water, then add the remaining salt for the sauce. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
Place the fish pieces in the sauce and spoon some sauce over them. Cook gently over low heat for 6–9 minutes, depending on thickness; don't let the sauce boil hard. The fish is ready when it is opaque and flakes easily.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste and add a little more salt or lime if needed. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve with the fish and plenty of coconut sauce.
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