Nethili Meen Kulambu | Anchovy Fish Kuzhambu Recipe | Village Style Fish Curry

Nethili Fish Kuzhambu is a semi thick gravy made with anchovy fish. This type of anchovy fish kuzhambu is commonly made in the villages of tirunelveli. Unlike the other fish kuzhambu which are made little watery, this nethili fish is always thick and the time to make is also less. Though this gravy is thick, it will suffice for rice. Here the fish should be first mixed with the masala and the other ingredients before keeping on flame. Also we add the tempering at the beginning itself and we do not add coriander powder to this curry.

Nethili Fish Kuzhambu

Recipe Cuisine: South Indian | Recipe Category: Kuzhambu

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cooking Time: 20 mins | Serves: 3

Ingredients:

Nethili fish - 1/4 kg

Tomato - 1

Green chilli - 1

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Tamarind - very small ball sized

To Grind:

Coconut - 3/4 cup

Onion - 100 gm

Cumin / Jeeragam - 1 tsp

Red chilli - 15

To temper:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds / Vendhayam - 1/4 tsp

Small onion - 100 gm

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Oil - 2 tblspn

Method:

Clean the fish and remove its head part. Wash it and keep aside.

Take coconut, cumin, red chilli and onion in a blender. Grind it to a smooth paste adding little water.

In a vessel, add the ground masala, chopped tomato, slitted green chilli, turmeric, salt and 1 cup of water. Unlike other kuzhambu, here we add only very little water. Cook on medium flame for 5 mins.

Pour tamarind extract to this.

Heat another pan, add 2 tblspn of oil. Once oil becomes hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds begin to crackle, add  fenugreek, chopped small onion and curry leaves.

Once onion becomes soft, pour it over the kuzhambu. Cook on low flame for 15 minutes or until it is ready.

Enjoy with hot rice.

Note:

• Adding more small onion gives a nice taste
• We don't add coriander powder to this.
• Keep the onions chopped before making this gravy for seasoning. Since the fish will be cooked soon, it should be added immediately after 5 minutes.
• Do not add too much tamarind as this gravy should not be very sour.

Pictorial:

Keep all your ingredients ready. Fenugreek is missing in the above picture

Take coconut, cumin, red chilli and a cup of onion in a mixer

Grind it to a smooth paste adding enough water

Chop the tomatoes and small onion. Slit the green chilli

Clean the fish remove its head part

Now in a vessel, take the ground masala, turmeric, slitted green chilli, tomato and salt to taste

Add the cleaned fish

Add 1 to 1.5 cup of water and mix well

Now, switch on the stove and keep in medium flame

Add tamarind extract and cook for 5 minutes

Meanwhile, in another vessel heat little oil and crackle some mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds(fenugreek not in picture)

Add chopped onion and curry leaves

Saute till the onion becomes soft

Add together the seasoned onion into the fish pot

Mix well and cook for 10 minutes or till the fish is ready

Remove from flame once done

Serve hot with white rice