Squid Stir fry with coconut || Koonthal thoran (Gluten Free, Paleo, Whole30)

As I have mentioned many times before, we are all seafood lovers in our family. My son when he was younger, he loved to stick his nose inside the fresh seafood counter over at the Asian supermarket. He loves the smell of seafood so much 🙂 We usually get different varieties of fish and also shrimp. Crabs and lobsters are much rarer since they require some amount of work. One thing we have been getting more of lately is squid. We love it fried – Fried calamari. And you may recall a few months ago I made a grain free, paleo version of fried calamari with shredded coconut which was awesome. I have also made a gluten free chick pea batter version of fried calamari before. And then I make a spicy sauté Kerala style with red chillies and coconut chips.

Today I am posting yet another way to make squid – yes you can use squid and calamari interchangeably they mean one and the same thing! Calamari is the Italian name for squid. This recipe uses grated coconut and yet it has a fairly moderate amount of heat using red chillies and black pepper. There is slight tanginess to this dish which is brought on by the addition of Kodampuli (Kokum) which is a special kind of sour dried fruit. If you cannot get your hands on this ingredient, substitute some lime/lemon juice in its place.

Btw, I feel so lucky that I do not need to clean the squid since it comes already cleaned here where I purchase it from. If your squid does not come like that, you can look up videos on youtube where they show you how to clean it. Do try this recipe and let me know how you like it!

Squid Stir fry with coconut (Koonthal thoran)

Tasty Squid/Calamari spicy stir fried with aromatic spices and fresh grated coconut.

1 pound (lb) squid, cleaned
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup sliced onions
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger
2 no. green chillies (slit length-wise)
4-5 no. fresh curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper) (or as needed)
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp fennel powder (freshly roasted)
1/2 tsp salt (or as needed)
1 cup grated coconut (fresh or frozen(thawed))
1 no. kodampuli (kokum) (soaked in 1/4 cup warm water for 10 mins)
1 tsp black pepper powder (freshly powdered)
1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)

Cut the squid into 1/2 inch thin rounds. Remove as much water as possible from them using paper towels.
Heat the coconut oil in a medium size kadai (wok style pan) and add the sliced onions. Stir for 1 minute.
Add the chopped garlic, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves and stir for 2 mins.
Now add all the spice powders and salt. Add the squid pieces and stir to coat the squid with all the onion and spice mixture. Cover with a lid and let cook for about 5 mins on medium heat.
Open lid and add the grated coconut and the kodampuli(kokum) and its water. Also add the black pepper powder and stir well. Cover and cook for another 5 mins on low heat.
Now open lid and cook uncovered stirring occasionally for another 5 mins or so until very little water is left. Turn heat off. Drizzle fresh coconut oil on top before serving.