Netholi-Nethli Meen Fry/Anchovy Fry-Kerala Style

Hi all, it's been a long time i posted here something. I have been going through various things in life and now it was because of your likes and queries to my previous posts i thought of a reentry.Thanks everyone:). Finally i'm here with another easy recipe.

Netholi Porichathu is my all time favorite. Already i posted a recipe with anchovy. The below recipe comes with slighter variations.

Ingredients:

Anchovy fish/Smelt fish/Natholi	1 lb
Red chilly powder	5 tspoon
Turmeric Powder	1/4 tspoon
Pepper Powder	1 tspoon
Ginger	1 inch piece
Garlic	4 cloves
Small Onion/Shallots	8
Lemon juice	2 tspoon
Coconut Oil/Cooking Oil	to fry
Salt	to taste
Curry leaves(optional)	1 sprig

Preparation:

(1) Wash and clean the fish. I removed the head and tail part using hand. Remove the guts from its belly using hand. Scale the body from tail to head in some sharp surface or using a butter knife. (Knife is not necessary for cleaning anchovies or smelt fish )Handle as per your convenience. Take the cleaned fish in a bowl. Add lemon juice and little salt to it. Mix once. Keep it aside for 5 minutes. This helps to get rid of the fishy smell.

(2) Take onion, ginger and garlic in a mixer and grind it. To this add chilly powder, turmeric powder,pepper powder,curry leaves and salt. Grind it again and make a fine paste by sprinkling 1 tspoon of water to it.

(3) Add the ground paste to  fish and mix well so that it coats well. Let it marinate for another 20 minutes. You can also cook without marination.

(4) Heat oil in a pan and add fish to it. Allow to fry by turning the fish once. Let it turns crispy. Cooking time depends on the vessel and heat used. Once cooked drain on kitchen tissue.

Your yummy and crispy fish fry is now ready.Enjoy…

Tips:

• The whole fish is edible. You can eat its bone too.
• Since anchovy is a small fish,  it tends to break easily while cleaning and cooking. Handle with care.
• Adding lemon juice helps to reduce the fishy smell.
• Cooking with coconut oil gives an authentic flavor.
• Adjust spiciness according to your tolerance level.

Potato Egg Curry with Coconut Milk

This is a non-veg curry which goes well with chapathi/appam. Check the appam recipes here->Appam Traditional Recipe and Appam easy recipe

Ingredients:

Potato	2(small)
Egg	3 or 4
Onion	1(big)
Tomato	1(medium)
Green Chilly	3(small)
Ginger	1 inch piece
Garlic	5 cloves
Thick Coconut Milk(Onnam Pal)	3/4 cup
Thin Coconut Milk(Rendam Pal)	3/4 cup
Salt	to taste
Chilly Powder	1 tspoon
Coriander Powder	2 tspoon

To temper:

Oil	1 tbl spoon
Mustard	1/2 tspoon
Dry Red Chilly	3
Curry Leaves	1 Sprig
Whole Garam Masala	Cloves(2),cinnamon(1 inch),cardamom(2),bayleaves(1)

Preparation:

(1) Peel the skin of onion and chop it to small thin slices. Also chop tomato, green chilly, ginger and garlic. Also add eggs in hot water and allow to boil. After that cut boiled eggs into two halves. Keep everything aside.

(2) Also make needed coconut milk. For that take around 1/4 cup of grated coconut and add 1/2 cup of water to it. Grind it in a mixer/blender and make a fine paste. Extract around 3/4 cup of thick coconut milk by squeezing the ground paste using a strainer. This is called as onnam pal. Again add the same coconut to the mixer and add around 1/2 cup of water to it. Grind once again. Extract the remaining coconut milk from ground paste and make around 3/4 cup of thin coconut milk. This will be watery and called as rendam pal. Keep it aside (You can also use store bought coconut milk).

(3) Mean while heat oil in a pan and add the whole garam masalas one by one. After that temper with the rest of ingredients shown under table "to temper" heading. Now add ginger and garlic. Saute till the raw smell leaves. Now add onion slices with little salt. Saute till color of onion turns brownish. 

(4) To this add chopped tomato. Saute once and pour thin coconut milk. Close the vessel with a lid and allow to boil till onion slices are cooked well and coconut milk is completely dried off. 

(5) To this add chilly powder, coriander powder and mix well till the raw smell leaves. Immediately add 1 cup of water and allow to boil. Once water starts boiling add potato pieces and egg pieces upside down. Allow to boil for another 5 minutes in medium flame. 

(6) Now pour the thick coconut milk to it. Heat it for some seconds in low flame. Switch off the flame. Your potato egg curry is now ready. Close the vessel with a lid for 10 minutes before serving.

Have it with appam/chapathi. I had it with appam..

Tips:

• Don't boil thick coconut milk as it  will curdle. 
• Adjust spiciness(green chilly/chilly powder) according to your taste.

Crab Masala-Tamilnadu Style

Well, it was my long time desire to taste crab curry but i'm not pretty sure how to cook it. The thing i had no clue was regarding the cleaning process, but it was easy:). Luckily this weekend, my friend shiney invited us for lunch and guess what??Yeah it was THE CRAB!!! Wow i was super excited and asked her to start the process after our arrival so that i can learn the techniques. I clicked everything with my mobile camera and yeah sorry for the bad image quality, see how i love my blog :p. We had it with steamed rice and the taste was slurpp…awesome... A big thanks to shiney sangeeth:). I'm just sharing her recipe in my words.. You can expect various versions of crab curry in future….

Ingredients:

Whole Crab	8
Big onion	1 (big)
Tomato	1 (big)
Chilly Powder	2 tspoon or to your tolerance level
Green chilly	3 (medium)
Garam Masala Powder	2 tspoon
Turmeric Powder	1/2 tspoon
Tamarind (optional)	1 gooseberry size (Soak in hot water and extract the juice)
Salt	to taste

For grinding:

Garlic	20 to 25 cloves
Cumin seeds	2 tspoon

Preparation:

How to clean crab:

(1) If crab is live, kill it (:p) by dipping it in hot water/hot running water (We used both kitchen wash base for entire cleaning). 

(2) Take a crab. On the bottom side of the crab there is a flap like thing which will be in some triangular shape. See the picture.

(3) Lift that using hand or with a knife and pull away the top shell (other side) just like opening a box by holding the bottom of crab with one hand. Remove that shell. Gently scrape away the gills on either side and remove the intestine which runs down the centre (don't remove the flesh part). Remove the yellow layers in the cavity. Rinse the crab in running water/water and remove unwanted dirt/mucus like stuffs from the crab.

(4) After removing the dirt of all the crabs, cut it in a cutting board  Remove the ends from legs of the crab as shown in below picture. You can use the whole shell (centre part) or can cut into two. Use a sharp knife/back of a knife to break it. 

(5) Have a look at a clean crab:) (You can first remove the  legs one by one or you can keep it with the centre part, don't throw away the legs, they are edible).

There are lot many videos in youtube demonstating how to clean the crab. Click here.

How to Cook Crab Curry

(1) Chop onion and tomato into slices. Keep it aside.

(2) Grind garlic and cumin seeds in a mixer and make a fine paste by sprinkling little water. Keep it aside.

(3) Now heat oil in a bottomed kadai/vessel. Add onion slices, green chilly with little salt. Saute till onion changes light brown. Now add tomato and saute till tomato turns juicy.

(4) Add the ground paste to it and mix well. Now add chilly powder, garam masala and turmeric powder. Saute till the raw smell leaves and oil separates. Pour tamarind paste and add little salt. You can add add 1/4 cup of water if you find the masala dried. Mix well. Your masala for crab is now ready. To this add the crab pieces.

(5) Mix well. Make sure to coat all crab pieces with masala. Close the vessel with a lid and allow to cook for some 15 to 20 minutes in medium flame.

(6) Mix the crab pieces with masala in between cooking by opening the lid. Your crab curry is now ready.

Enjoy the crab curry with boiled rice/appam…

Tips:

• Adjust spiciness according to your tolerance level. 
• Eating crabs develops lot of heat in your body. Drink more water.

Egg-Drumstick Aviyal/Mutta-Muringakka Aviyal

This is an easy side dish which goes good with both rice and chapathi. If you have no other veggies in stock you can try this during the season of drumstick which is the most common tree in India. Its a healthy dish as you know drumstick is called as "power house of minerals"...

Ingredients:

Egg	5
Drumstick	3(big)
Small Onion/Shallots	10
Fennel Seeds	1/4 tspoon
Cinnamon	1 inch
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Salt	to taste
Oil	2 tspoon
Coriander leaves	1 fistfull

For Grinding:

Grated Coconut	1/2 cup
Chilly Powder	1/2 tspoon
Turmeric Powder	1/4 tspoon
Garlic	2 cloves

Preparation:

(1) Boil eggs in water. Deshell it and cut into two halves. Keep it aside. Mean while chop shallots into lengthwise pieces. Chop green chillies to lengthwise and also chop drumstick to around 2 inch even lengthy pieces. Then cut each vertically. Keep it aside.

(2) Heat oil in a pan and add chopped shallots. Saute for 2 minutes so that the raw smell will leave. To this add fennel seeds, cinnamon, curry leaves and green chillies. Saute for another one minute.

(3) Now add drumstick pieces to it. Pour around 1&1/4 cup of water to it with needed salt. Mix once. Close the vessel with a lid and let it boil for another 10 minutes in medium flame.

(4) Mean while grind the ingredients shown under "for grinding" heading in a mixer and make a coarse mixture with 2 tspoon of water. Keep it aside.
(5) After 10 minutes open the lid, add the ground mixture to the pan and give a quick stir (Retain the remaining water in the pan). Again close the vessel with a lid and cook for another 2 minutes.

(6) Now add eggs to it with the yellow side facing down. Close the vessel with the lid and cook for another 2 minutes.

(7) Open the lid and carefully mix the ingredients without breaking the eggs. Add coriander leaves to it and close the pan with a lid for another 3 to 5 minutes in low to medium flame. The water content will be completely dried now. Switch off the flame and your mutta-muringakka aviyal is now ready.

Have it with your rice/chapathi..

Kerala Style Meen Curry/Pomfret Fish Curry With Malabar Tamarind(no coconut)

I already added Puzha Meen Curry/Fresh Water Fish Curry  which was my mom's recipe. This is some what same but with slight variations. This is my families favorite and finger licking fish curry, simply drooling :)

Ingredients:

Fish(Pomfret/Avoli)	1(1/2 kg)
Small Onion/Shallots	20
Garlic	10 cloves
Ginger	3 inch+1 inch(chopped finely)
Fenugreek seeds/Uluva	1/4 tspoon
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Kudampuli/malabar tamarind (or)tamarind	4 to 5 pieces (or)1 lemon size(soak in hot water and extract the juice)
Salt	to taste
Oil	1+1 tspoon
Chilly Powder	2 tspoon
Coriander Powder	1&1/2 tspoon
Turmeric Powder	1/4 tspoon

For Seasoning:

Oil	1 tspoon
Dry red chilly	3
Mustard	1/2 tspoon
Curry Leaves	1 sprig

Preparation:

(1) Wash and clean the fish. Chop it into medium slices.

(2) Peel the skin of shallots and chop ginger, garlic into cube shapes.

(3) Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic, ginger and saute for a minute. To this add shallots with little salt. Saute well so that the raw smell will leave. To this add fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Saute everything so that color of onion, garlic will change and it will emanates a nice flavor. Now switch off the flame and allow to cool.

(4) Once it is cooled down grind it in a mixer to a fine paste by sprinkling little water to it. Keep it aside.

(5) Heat oil in an earthen bowl. To this add 1 inch piece of ginger and saute well. Now add ground paste. To this add chilly, coriander and turmeric powder. Mix well so that the raw smell of masalas will goes off. Now pour 3/4 cup of water to it. Mix once.

 (6) Add salt and malabar tamarind (or tamarind juice). Mix and make a salt test. To this add  fish pieces. Let it boil for another 15 to 20 minutes. Fish will be now completely cooked and you will find the curry dried up.

(7) At the last minute heat oil in a pan and season with the ingredients shown under "for seasoning" heading. Pour it to the curry (you can do the seasoning before adding the ground paste too) Close the vessel with a lid for 10 minutes before serving. Yummy fish curry is now ready.

Have it with rice/kappa..

Tips:

• You can clean the fish pieces by rubbing it on a stone surface to remove the outer silver color. As i don't have that option i removed the skin which is not recommended.
• It is better to use earthenware to cook fish(i don't have).
• You can try the same with king fish/tuna/pompano,  you can use any fleshy fish.
• Using malabar tamarind/kudampuli will enhance the taste(i don't have it so i used tamarind juice :) ).
• Don't disturb the fish pieces with spoon while cooking as the pieces might break.
• Ensure fish curry doesn't get burnt at the bottom by slowly moving the vessel side by side in between cooking.
• If you find the curry completely dried up and want some gravy, you can add little water in the same vessel and heat it.
• Coconut oil will give extra flavor.

Chicken Kurma/Chicken Kuzhambu

This is a south indian style chicken curry. I got the basic recipe from a website "spiceindiaonline". If you want more gravy with chicken you can try this which goes good with rice/chapathi/appam/dosa/idly...

Ingredients:

Chicken	1 kg
Small Onion/shallots	10 to 15
Big Onion	1
Tomato	1
Ginger	3 inch piece
Garlic	7 cloves
Green chilly	5(slit open)
Chilly Powder	2 tspoon
Coriander Powder	1&1/2 tspoon
Turmeric Powder	1/4 tspoon
Garam Masala	1&1/2 tspoon
Salt	to taste
Coriander leaves	1 fistfull

For Grinding:

Grated Coconut	1/2 cup
Pepper	1 tspoon
Cashewnuts	5 to 7
Fennel Seeds/Perumjeerakam	3/4 tspoon
Roasted gram/Fried Channa/Pottukadalai	1 tspoon

For seasoning:

Oil+Ghee	1 tbl spoon
Cardamom	4
Cloves	3
Cinnamon	2 inch
Bay leaves	2
Curry leaves	2 sprig

Preparation:

(1) Wash and clean the chicken. Chop into medium pieces. Soak cashewnuts in water. Chop onion and tomato into cubes or pieces. Also chop ginger, garlic and green chilly. Keep everything  aside.

(2) Mean while grind the ingredients shown under "for grinding" heading in a mixer by adding little water (i didn't used roasted gram). Make a smooth paste. Keep it aside

(3) Heat oil/ghee in a pressure cooker. Add the ingredients shown under "for seasoning" heading one by one. To this add ginger, garlic and green chilly. Saute well. Now add chopped onion and shallots with little salt. Saute till color changes. No need to saute till brownish.

 (4) Now add tomato. Saute till it turns juicy. To this add chicken pieces with chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala along with needed salt. Mix well.

(5) Now pour 1 cup of water to it. Mix once and pressure cook for 2 whistles (in india chicken will cook in some 3 to 4 whistles, here in US 2 is fine :) Open the lid once pressure is released.

(6) To the cooked chicken add ground paste. Mix once and make a salt test here.

(7) Close the vessel with a lid and cook for another 10 minutes in low flame or till oil separates. Add coriander leaves and switch off the flame. Close the vessel with a lid for some 15 minutes before serving.

Have it with rice/chapathi/appam/idly/dosa..

Tips:

• Cooking time of chicken depends on its type.
• Addition of chilly powder depends on your tolerance level. The above one is less spicy which suits my kid's taste.
• Chicken tends to thicken once it is cooled down. Adjust water level accordingly.

For more non-veg recipes from shyama's tastes CLICK HERE