Recipe: Nethili or Anchovies Fish Fry

Kerala-style Nethili Fry or Anchovies Fry is extremely simple to make and can be had as an appetiser or an accompaniment with curd rice, sambar-rice or dal-chawal.

Bethica Das marinates it with ginger-garlic paste, corn flour and rice flour and then fries it up.

These crispy small bites taste awesome when had hot, right out of the pan, and served with fried curry leaves, slit green chillies and lime wedges.

You could use the same recipe to make a crispy vegetable fry too for a meal where vegetarians are present too.

Bethica has published online three cookbooks -- Regional Flavours of India, Bengali Cuisine and Snacks and Starters.

Nethili Fry

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• 300 gm nethili or anchovies, washed and drained
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp rice flour
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• Pinch haldi or turmeric powder
• 1-2 tbsp Kashmiri red chilly powder
• 1 tsp dhania or coriander powder, roasted 
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Oil for shallow frying
• 1-2 sprigs curry leaves
• Salt to taste, about 1 tsp 

To serve

• Slit green chillies
• Lime wedges

Method

• In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, except the oil and the curry leaves, and keep aside to marinate for 10-15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
  Fry the curry leaves for a few seconds.
  Drain and keep aside.
• In the same oil, fry the marinated fish in batches over medium heat till crisp and golden.
  Drain on a tissue or paper towel-lined plate.
  Garnish with the fried curry leaves and serve with slit green chillies and lemon wedges.
  It can be had as an appetiser or as an accompaniment with a bowl of steamed rice and dal, curd rice or sambar-rice.

Editor's Note: The same recipe will work well with an equivalent amount of sardines. And for baigan (eggplant) or bhindi (okra or lady's fingers), if you have vegetarians to serve as well.

Bethica Das is a Sharjah-based food blogger.

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