Fish Muttiya

Steamed fish dumplings from Kochi’s Kutchi Memon kitchens

Prep Time 30 min
Cook Time 30 min
Serving Size 4
Recipe Type

Fish Muttiya is a traditional Kochi dish made by shaping spiced fish and coconut mixed with rice flour into dumplings and steaming them until tender. Brought to Kerala by the Kutchi Memon community and adapted to the coastal pantry, it reflects a meeting of migration and local abundance. Light, fragrant, and always served with coconut chutney, Fish Muttiya is a quiet heirloom—pressed by hand and shaped by settlement.

Ingredients

For the fish:

fleshy fish like king fish or sailfish, cut into large chunks
Chilli powder
turmeric powder
vinegar ( preferably coconut)
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil, to shallow fry the fish

For the gravy:

vegetable oil
curd
garam masala
Juice of 1 lime
chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste

For the paste:

shallots
ginger-garlic paste
green chillies
chilli powder
turmeric powder
fennel seeds
grated coconut

For the muttiyas:

5 cups water
3 cups rice flour
3 tbsp ghee
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste

For garnish:

crisp fried onions
coriander leaves

Method

Mix the chilli and turmeric powders with salt and vinegar. Smear this on the fish and leave to marinate for a couple of hours, then fry the fish lightly and keep aside.
Grind the ingredients for the paste until smooth. Heat oil, add the paste and fry well till the oil separates. Now add the curd, garam masala, coriander leaves, lime juice and salt.
Carefully add the fried fish pieces, coating them well with the (thick) gravy. Simmer for a minute and remove the fish pieces, leaving a couple of spoons of the thick gravy in the pan. Now take out this gravy, scraping out all the bits from the pan, and keep aside.
To make the muttiyas, start by boiling the water with salt. Add the flour a little at a time, stirring well till the mixture comes together.
Tip it onto a large plate and add the ghee, gravy, lime juice and coriander leaves. Knead well and make lime sized balls. Now take a piece and gently clench it between your fingers and palm as if you are making a fist. This will create the characteristic ""mutti/ fist"" shape with finger markings. Continue making the rest of the muttiyas.
Take a large steamer and neatly arrange the muttiyas on the perforated plate. Steam for 5 minutes. Now open the lid and place no more than half the fish pieces over the muttiyas. Steam for 3 minutes and remove the fish.
Next, place the remaining fish pieces and steam again for 3 minutes.
Arrange the muttiyas and fish in a large serving platter. Garnish with crisp fried onions and coriander leaves.
Serve with chatni on the side.

Find out more about the history and tradition of the dish

In India, ragi has been found in archaeological excavations dating back to 1800 BC, and has been associated with honouring poets with a concoction of ragi, milk, and honey.

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