Heat about a quarter of a cup of coconut oil or vegetable oil in a frying pan or chatti.
Add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add the chopped onions, crushed ginger and garlic, few curry leaves, split green chilies and stir fry.
Add a mixture of turmeric, chilly powder and paprika powder mixed in half a cup of water and allow it to cook.
When the oil begins to clear, add half a cup of `puli water` and sufficient additional water to make enough gravy to cover all the fish pieces when cooking subsequently.
Add salt and cook until the gravy is thick. Keep this aside.
For cooking the fish in the gravy:
Take a fairly large frying pan.
Prepare a bed of curry leaves.
Arrange the pieces of fish on this bed.
Pour the previously prepared gravy over this. The pieces of fish should be completely covered.
Add the remaining curry leaves and kudumpuli pieces, cover with a lid and cook slowly. Do not stir.
:- If necessary, you can lift the frying pan by it`s handle and give it a gentle rotating or rocking motion during cooking to spread the gravy evenly. Stop cooking when the fish pieces are cooked sufficiently and the gravy is thick.
:- This kottayam meen curry preparation is best after it sits for a day or two to allow time for the spices to get into the fish. The meen curry gets better as it stays in the chatty.