It is an easy and quick fish fry to surprise your family and friends with a restaurant-style appetizer at a party or gathering.

Nethili varuval/ Anchovies fry is an easy and quick recipe to prepare within few minutes. It all needs a handful of ingredients that are available in your pantry. It is a spicy, crispy fry that goes well for rice dishes. This Nethili/ anchovies fry is a great appetizer or serves as a side dish. It is one of my favourite dishes I would love to eat anytime.
Ingredients need for nethili varuval/ anchovies fry
- nethili fish
- gingergarlic paste
- kashmiri chilli powder
- chilli powder
- turmeric powder
- all-purpose flour
- cornflour
- salt
- oil
What is Nethili / Anchovy fish?
Nethili/ Anchovy fish is a tasty saltwater fish that is shiny and small in size. The size of the fish varies from 2 to 30cm in length. There are many varieties of nethili/ anchovies. Among them, black and white are in demand. Also, the white nethili/ anchovies are high in medicinal properties, and it is slightly costly than the black variety.
Nethili/ anchovy fish is available in abundance, and it is also cheap compared to other fish varieties. This fish is easy to clean, and the bones of the fish are so delicate that you can chew easily. It is one fish where you can eat a whole small fish with bones at ease.
How to make Nethili varuval/ Anchovies fry?
Nethili varuval/ Anchovies fry is a simple fry, and it takes only a few minutes to prepare a restaurant-style fish fry and surprise your family and guest.
Firstly, clean the fish thoroughly in running water. Wash thrice and pat dry with a kitchen towel and keep it aside. In a bowl,j add fish, turmeric powder, Kashmiri chili powder, regular chili powder, ginger garlic paste, all-purpose flour, cornflour, and salt to taste. Mix well and shallow fry on a pan with medium heat. Fry fish until it turns golden brown and crispy. Tada, it’s done. Serve this yummy crispy nethili varuval/ anchovies fry for any rice dish or serve as an appetizer or snack just like it.
Some seafood recipes you may like to try.
Sankara Meen kuzhambu,Red Snapper Curry
Simple/Easy Fish Fry/South Indian Style
Crab Curry/Nandu Masala Recipe
Let’s see how to prepare nethili varuval/ anchovies fry
In a wide bowl, add thoroughly cleaned fish and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
In a wide bowl, add thoroughly cleaned fish and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Now add all the masala powders, ginger garlic paste, all-purpose flour and cornflour, and salt and mix well until the masala paste coats evenly onto the fish.
In a wide nonstick pan, add two to three tablespoons of oil and shallow fry nethili/ anchovies on medium heat, and this nethili/ anchovies fish cooks within a few minutes. So, have an eye and gently flip the fish onto the other side to cook perfectly. This fish hardly takes three to four minutes to cook.
Cook fish to perfection until it turns lovely golden crispy brown texture on one side. Now transfer the fish fry gently onto the absorbent tissue to absorb excess oil. Tada. Nethili varuval/ anchovies fry is ready to serve.
Garnish with lemon and coriander leaves. Serve this nethili varuval / anchovies fry as an accompaniment to rice varieties, as an accompaniment or snack just like that.
I hope you like the recipe! If you like it, rate the recipe and write your feedback which means a lot to me. I always love to hear from you guys and respond as soon as possible. Happy cooking!
More appetizers you may like to try.
Grilled Coffee Marinated Chicken
Easy and Simple Grilled Chicken
Chicken Cutlet/Patties/Tikka/Croquettes
Potato Bites with Sour Cream Cheese Dip
Pan fried crispy chicken wings
Baby corn fritters ( In Air-Fryer )
Some rice recipes you like to try
Notes
Clean the fish well and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Add masalas and gently mix as this fish is delicate and tender. You can marinate the fish overnight. Also, you can marinate only for fifteen minutes and then fry immediately.
Nethili Varuval/ Anchovies Fry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 300 g nethili / anchovies ( medium sized )
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- 1¾ teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornflour
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon GingerGarlic Paste
- 5 tablespoon oil ( sunflower oil )
- ½ teaspoon salt ( to taste )
Instructions
- In a wide bowl, add thoroughly cleaned fish and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
- In a wide bowl, add thoroughly cleaned fish and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Now add all the masala powders, ginger garlic paste, all-purpose flour and cornflour, and salt and mix well until the masala paste coats evenly onto the fish.
- In a wide nonstick pan, add two to three tablespoons of oil and shallow fry nethili/ anchovies on medium heat, and this nethili/ anchovies fish cooks within a few minutes. So, have an eye and gently flip the fish onto the other side to cook perfectly. This fish hardly takes three to four minutes to cook.
- Cook fish to perfection until it turns lovely golden crispy brown texture on one side. Now transfer the fish fry gently onto the absorbent tissue to absorb excess oil. Tada. Nethili varuval/ anchovies fry is ready to serve.
- Serve this nethili varuval / anchovies fry as an accompaniment to rice varieties, as an accompaniment or snack just like that.
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