Koonthal Roast | Kerala Style Kalamari Roast | Squid or Kanava Roast

Hey Folks, 

Koonthal Roast / Squid Roast is a spicy and flavorful seafood recipe loved by Keralites. It has rich and intense masala flavors locked in to devour the true traditional seafood cuisine of Kerala. Squid is known by different names in different parts like koonthal, kanava, kalamari, and so on. 

Koonthal Roast - The Perfect Cook Book

INGREDIENTS:

1. Squid / Koonthal - 600 gms
2. Shallots - 15 - 20 
3. Onion - 2 medium-sized
4. Garlic - 3 tbsp
5. Ginger - 2 tbsp
6. Tomato - 1 big
7. Curry Leaves - as needed
8. Salt - to taste
9. Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
10. Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
12. Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
13. Pepper Powder - 3 tbsp
14. Meat Masala - 1 tsp
15. Garam Masala -  a pinch
16. Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp
17. Cardamom - 3 - 4
18. Cinnamon - 1 stick
19. Cloves - 2 
20. Lemon Juice - 1/2 tsp
21. Coconut Oil

PREPARATION:

The first step is to clean the squid. It should be cleaned well, or else some parts of the squid may upset your stomach. Cut squid into your desired shape like rings or long pieces. Soak the squid in salt and vinegar for 30 minutes to remove the fishy smell. Marinate the squid with 1/2 tsp of turmeric, salt, and 1/2 tsp chilli powder for 30 minutes.

Use a Mannchatty, or Cheenachatty for cooking. It helps in enhancing the flavor of the curry with earthy goodness. To this, add Coconut Oil. As I always say, traditional recipes are best when cooked in coconut oil. 

Into the coconut oil add the whole spices, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and some crushed fennel seeds. Saute them in the coconut oil for a minute. Now add crushed garlic and ginger to it. Saute until the garlic and ginger start to change color. Now add sliced shallots to it. Saute for a minute and add the thinly sliced onions and curry leaves. Saute everything until the onion turns brown in color. 

Now add the masala powders, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, kashmiri chilli powder, pepper powder, and meat masala. Saute on low heat until the raw smell of the masala goes off. Now add the chopped tomato to this and cook for 3 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked well. 

Now add the marinated squid to this and coat them in the masala mixture. Add a 1/4 cup of water to it. 

Cover and cook for 8 minutes on medium flame. If you need some gravy you can add about a half cup of water. I like squid to be a thick roast. Also, squid will also give out some water on cooking. Mix in between. 

Once the squid is cooked well, add a pinch of garam masala to it. Koonthal Roast should be spicy, so I use some more pepper powder for spiciness. You can adjust the amount according to your desired level of spiciness. Add some more curry leaves and 1/2 tsp of lemon juice and saute well. Turn off the flame and the spicy koonthal roast is ready to be served.

Best to have with porotta, rotis, rice, or kappa puzhukku. Check out my recipe for kappa puzhukku. 

Do give it a try when you get fresh squid and comment in your cooking experience with me in the comment section below. 

See you all in my next cooking blog!