How to prepare Kozhuva fry (anchovy fry)?
In this article, I have explained how to make Kozhuva fry. It is a Kerala dish made of kozhuva fish and other spices. From kids to elderly people, all like this dish very much because it's a crispy and crunchy dish suitable for the meals dish.
Kozhuva (Malayalam), Nethili (Tamil), or Anchovy fish (English) is a small salt water forage dark oily fish. The fish is said to be containing high amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A is good for vision development and to keep the skin healthy. Kozhuva is available in both forms i.e. Dry and fresh form in the market. I learnt this dish from a friend, who used to have this dish frequently with porridge. In Kerala, Most of the hotels and restaurants keep this dish in their top special menus. And also preparing this dish is an easy task where even a bachelor can prepare it. This dish comes in handy, when you find there is depletion of all the vegetables in the kitchen. All you need is to stock some packets of dry kozhuva in the cupboard and use it anytime you need.
Ingredients required:
Kozhuva (Dried or fresh) – 250 g
Marinating agents required:
Ginger garlic paste – 1 big table spoon
Red chilli powder- 2 ½ table spoon
Lemon juice – ½ fruit
Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
Jeera powder – 1 teaspoon
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
For dressing the dish:
Onion (Sliced thinly) – 2 large ones
Coriander leaves (chopped) – small bunch
Curry leaves – 15 nos
Fresh green chilli -5
Preparation method:
1. If the fish is salted dried one, then soak them in water for 30 min and also immerse some pieces of newspapers for absorbing excess amount of salt present in it. And also squeeze half lemon into it, so the stink will go off. Otherwise, if you get a fresh one (non dried), then clean them with water and directly use.
2. Add the marinating ingredients one by one and mix them thoroughly with the fish. Keep them marinating for one hour by covering the bowl with lid. The fish can be stored in refrigerator and can be used after 24 hours also.
3. After an hour, heat the oil in a kadai. Once the temperature is attained, drop the fish mixture into it separately. Please don't drop as bunch, instead try to separate each fish using your fingers.
4. Fry them in low flame and take it out once it reaches a nice crispy nature.
5. Take them out in a plate layered with tissue paper or paper towel and then pour some more oil in the kadai.
6. Now fry all the dressing items except coriander leaves. Fry till the onion reaches a golden brown color.
7. Pour the dressing items over the Kozhuva fry and serve hot with coriander leaves.
Note: This dish will best suit for meals, egg biriyani, curd rice, lemon rice. Kids, who hate fish, will definitely love this dish very much. For making it tastier, try mixing this Kozhuva fry with egg burji. Instead of making this marinating masala using the factory made species, you can prepare the masala by grinding it in 'ammi kallu' or mortar and pistil. Because handmade masala always gives more taste than the normal method we do.
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I would like to know that can we use some alternate fish for this recipe? Have tried this same recipe for some other type of fish? I am very much interested to use the same recipe for cooking of some other fishes. Kindly advice me about this.