Kerala Style Netholi Fry (Anchovy/ Kozhuva Varuthathu)
Crispy and spicy Anchovy or Netholi or Kozhuva fry. Anchovies marinated with spices and then shallow fried. Anchovy is also called nethili or chooda or podimeen in different parts of Kerala. A quite easy and tasty appetizer.
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 27kcal
Ingredients
- ½ kilogram Netholi / Kozhuva/ Anchovy
- 1 tablespoon rice flour
- coconut oil / vegetable oil
- curry leaves
Grind
- 5 number small shallot
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 2 tablespoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Clean the fish (netholi / kozhuva / anchovy) and pat dry using a paper kitchen towel.
- Grind the ingredients listed under grind section and make it a fine paste - shallots, ginger, garlic, chilli powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder, lime juice, and salt. As needed, add just enough water to grind. Adjust the salt as per your taste.
- Marinate cleaned fish with the prepared marinade and curry leaves. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.
- Before frying, add rice flour. Rice flour gives a crispy touch.
- Heat oil in a flat pan. Add the marinated fish to the pan. Deep Fry the fish over medium high flame until done and crispy. It would turn into golden color.
- Serve it with onion rings and lemon. Enjoy :)
Notes
- For extra crispness, add rice flour, cornflour, or semolina (rava) to the batter.
- Marination is key. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes to absorb the flavors fully.
- Drain the fried netholi (anchovy) on a wire rack or absorbent paper to remove excess oil.
Nutrition
Serving: 144g | Calories: 27kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 475mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 1582IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg