Nethili karuvadu varuval (Dried anchovies curry)

DESCRIPTION

Nethili karuvadu varuval (Anchovies dry fish curry) is a south Indian side dish recipe that pairs best with hot rice/dosa and even better with Raagi koozhu (porridge). Sea food lovers would love it for sure! I indeed relish this from my childhood and so adapted this recipe from my mom. I have made this as a semi dry curry with lots of onions and exotic spices.

Prep Time: 1 Hour

Cook Time: 20 mins

Yields: 2 - 3 Servings

 

INGREDIENTS

• Dry fish (Dried Anchovies/Nethili fish) – 1 Cup(100 gm)
• Cinnamon – 1 Inch stick
• Cloves – 3
• Fennel seeds – 1 Tea spoon
• Curry leaves – 2 Springs
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 Table spoon
• Green chili – 1 Slit at end
• Onion – 2 Finely sliced
• Tomato – 1 Finely sliced
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 Tea spoon
• Coriander powder – 1 ½ Tea spoon
• Oil – 1 Table spoon + 1 Tea spoon
• Salt – Optional

INSTRUCTIONS

Cleaning the dry fish

• Soak dry fish in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes.
• Once soaked well, clean the dry fish by removing head and black abdominal portion, rinse well and keep aside.

Cooking

• Heat 1 Teaspoon oil in a pan and roast the cleaned dry fish for 3 - 4 minutes. This step is to remove raw smell of dry fish to some extent. Remove from pan and keep aside
• In the same pan heat 1 Table spoon oil and add cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds and curry leaves. Sauté for a minute
• Now add sliced onion, slit green chili and sauté until onion is translucent. This will take few minutes
• Add Ginger garlic paste and chopped tomato & spice powders, cook well until oil leaves at the sides. Can add little water if bottom found burning
• Now add the sautéed dry fish to masala on pan, mix it well, close and cook until fish is cooked well for 10 minutes in simmer or low heat. Add few spoons of water if the curry found dry
• Switch of heat once dry fish curry is done, It will be in semi-dry consistency

STEP BY STEP PREPARATION

Clean the dry fish by removing head and black abdominal portion, rinse well and keep aside

   

Heat 1 Teaspoon oil in a pan and roast the cleaned dry fish for 3 - 4 minutes. This step is to remove raw smell of dry fish to some extent. Remove from pan and keep aside

Photo not avilable

In the same pan heat 1 Table spoon oil and add cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds and curry leaves. Sauté for a minute. Now add sliced onion, slit green chili and sauté until onion is translucent. This will take few minutes

 

Add Ginger garlic paste and chopped tomato & spice powders, cook well until oil leaves at the sides. Can add little water if bottom found burning

 

 

Now add the sautéed dry fish to masala on pan, mix it well, close and cook until fish is cooked well for 10 minutes in simmer or low heat. Add few spoons of water if the curry found dry

 

NOTES

• The first step of sauteing dry fish helps remove raw smell to some extent
• In the above recipe I have not added salt, because dry fish itself had enough salt. Once curry is done, taste and add required salt
• Clean the dry fish thoroughly to remove fine sand particles/dirt
• Cleaning this dry fish is time consuming, so clean it ahead of time and store it in refrigerator, use/cook it by next day
• Dry fish is available in Asian market/China town market. In India it is available easily