Dry Anchovies Curry/ Dry Nethili Curry/ Endu Nethalla Kura
Anchovies are small fish and known as Nethallu in Telugu, Nethili in Tamil and Malayalam, Bolingei Kollathuru in Kannada. We can get Anchovies fresh and dried. Sun dried Anchovies can be stored long. Dry Anchovies are smelly. We have to wash them until we see clear water. Proper washing will avoid the smell. We can cook them with milk/pallu posina kura or with tomato or with yellow cucumber. Today I made onion-tomato based Anchovies curry. Simple, spicy and quick.
Dry Anchovies - 1 cup
Onions - 2, Medium size
Large tomato - 1
Green chilies - 2 (optional)
Avalu/Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1.5 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp or to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup, chopped
Salt to taste
Oil - 4 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Directions:
Remove head and tail of dry Anchovies and soak in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes, so that they become soft. Wash them for 5 to 6 times until there is no sand and in the final wash water must be clear.
Chop onions, tomato and slit green chillies.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When they start spluttering add green chilies and curry leaves and fry for 2 to 3 second.
Add onions, little salt,turmeric powder and fry till they turn brown.
Add ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes and cook until tomato pieces turn soft.
Add cumin- coriander powder, chilli powder, salt and mix.
Add anchovies and cook till they are done. (They will take approx 10 minutes)
Add coriander leaves, adjust salt and mix.
Serve with Rice.
Footnotes:
Dry Anchovies are smelly. We have to wash them until we see clear water. Proper washing will avoid the smell.