Fish-O-Fish

This morning I got a message from a friend with whom I haven't spoken to in months! The first thing she told me was that me she enjoyed reading my blog! :) Just yesterday I was wondering whether anyone is reading my blog at all, so when I heard from my friend needless to say I was overwhelmed. She is also a foodie much like me and loves seafood especially FISH! So here are some really easy to prepare fish recipes which I hope she enjoys!

Our subject for today ~ Anchovies commonly referred to as Nethili Meen in Tamil

This one is for one of ente favorite ommana pen kutties :)

Nethili 65: Deep fried Anchovies

Deep Fried Anchovies

Ingredients
Anchovies: A cup full- cleaned, washed and marinated in lime and rock salt
1/2 spoon turmeric powder
1/2 spoon wheat atta or maida (this will serve as a binder)
1/2 rice powder (this will make the dish crispy, crunchy & YUMMY)
4-5 spoons of chilli powder
1 spoons of ginger &garlic paste
Optional: 1/2 spoon coarsely crushed pepper corns

Nethili 65

Method

• Take big bowl- mix the anchovies with the following ingredients
• chilli powder
• turmeric powder
• ginger garlic paste
• rice powder atta/maida 
• Sprinkle water and mix the contents 
• Make the marinate into a smooth paste
• Keep it aside for 15-20 minute
• Heat a pan with oil 
• Add the anchovies and cook over low heat
• The  fish will be done in less than 5-7 minutes

Serve hot just as a snack or as a side dish for sambhar rice, rasam rice or even better fish gravy & rice:)

Nethili Thokku: Anchovy gravvy

Nethili  Gravvy

Ingredients

• Shallots/ small onions a cup full -
• Wash and peel the small onions
• Do not chop- adding them whole make the dish taste better
• Anchovies a cup full
• cleaned & washed
• marinated in turmeric, lemon and rock salt 
• One whole Garlic peeled 
• Do not chop or crush garlic
• Add them as whole cloves
• A piece of ginger (2 inches-crushed )
• 10 curry leaves 
• 1/2 spoon asafoetida  
• 3-5 spoon pure chilli powder 
• Tamarind a medium sized ball- soaked in a cup of water, dissolved, and filtered 
• Take the tamarind water - add chilli powder and turmeric powder

For spluttering:  Mustard seeds, fenu greek seeds, Jeera seeds, (Optional-pepper corns), Dry red chillies & 4-5 spoons of gingelly oil


Method

• Heat a thick pan, add 4-5 spoons of Gingelly oil (you can also use vegetable oil)
• Add the mustard seed, fenu greek seeds, Pepper corns, Jeera, red chillies and fry
• Add shallots and curry leaves and saute till it turns light brown
• Add the peeled garlic and crushed ginger and saute
• Note:- this recipe does not need tomatoes, however if u want to,  you can add half a tomato finely chopped and saute it after the ginger garlic
• Add the tamarind water mixed with chilli powder and turmeric powder
• Bring to a boil, let the contents simmer until it reaches a consistency of gravy
• Add the 1/2 spoon of asafoetida
• Add the anchovies and reduce the flame
• Let it simmer in low flame for 10minute(maximum 15 minute)
• Note:- Do not stir, this will break the fish into a million tiny bits :)
• Remove from stove in 15 minutes and serve with hot rice or Idlies

 See I told ya it was an easy recipe :)

I hope these recipes were useful, do try them and tell me how it tasted! Happy eating !

P.S. Amma has made chicken curry and chappathi for dinner tonight, I m off :)

Enjoy your fried anchovies!

 

~Fin~

Combating Culinary Disasters :P

• If you have added too much salt or chilli powder ~add one of the following depending on the dish
• Coconut paste
• Chopped potatoes
• Chopped tomatoes
• Tamarind paste
• Coriander powder
• A spoonful of sugar/jaggery
• Worse case scenario water :P
• If you have added too little chilli powder, add slit green chilli/ crushed pepper!
• If you run out of cooking gas then take a deep breadth, lie down on the couch and take a power nap!
• If you are bored hovering over the stove, try singing,  you can also try tap dancing, vegetable carving just don't forget the stove is on- I often do ;)
• If the dish you are cooking gets burnt- transfer contents to another bowl, destroy evidence and blame the neighbors :P
• If you find someone has tail gated you to the kitchen and wont leave, stop complaining and enjoy the company! :)
• If you find your mommy is standing behind you and giving you step by step instruction
• Cool down
• Slice a cucumber
• Seat her on the couch
• Place it on her eyes 
• Tell her its her special spa time :P works like a charm Every time!

P.S. I solemnly promise my next post will be better and will be of some use  :)