Nethili Fry also known as anchovy fry is a spicy fish fry which is easy to make and taste delicious. This popular fried anchovy recipe is easy to make and taste so crispy. Learn how to make nethili fry with step by step pictures and video.
Nethili Fish Fry
This is one of hubby's favorite recipe. Fried anchovies which are coated in a spicy masala. These are perfect for appetizer or even as a side dish for rice and rasam. I already have anchovy avial in my blog.
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About Anchovy Fry (Nethili Fry)
Nethili is also known as anchovy fish, it is a tiny variety of fish which is usually used in the making of nethili meen kuzhambu or meen peera. We love it fried more than kuzhambu.
Fried anchovy is so much crispier and taste so crunchy. I marinate it with basic spices like chilli powder, turmeric, lemon, ginger and garlic. For binding I use egg and rice flour which makes it super crunchy.
If you want, you can mix all the ingredients together and leave in fridge for a entire day before frying.
Watch Nethili Fry (Anchovy Fry) Video
Nethili Fry Ingredients
Anchovy - I like to use small variety of anchovy fish because it gets super crispy when fried.
Spices - As far as the spices, I used only chilli powder and turmeric. You can use garam masala powder, pepper powder or garam masala powder.
Ginger & Garlic - freshly ground ginger and garlic is used to make the marination.
Rice Flour - I used rice flour which made the fry super crispy.
Egg - egg helps with the binding of the masala and rice flour to the fish.
Oil - for any fish recipes, I like to use coconut oil for frying. It adds so much flavour to the fish.
How to Make Anchovies Fry | Nethili Fish Fry Recipe
- Take fresh anchovies and clean them well. Now put them in a bowl.
- Add salt, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, rice flour, egg, lemon juice to it.
- Mix them well and let it marinate for 30 mins.
- Now heat oil for deep frying.
- Drop these fish in hot oil and fry till golden.
- Drain them in paper towel. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice.
How to Make Nethili Fry (stepwise pictures)
Cleaning Nethili | Anchovy
1)You can use small or slightly medium size anchovy for this recipe. I like to remove the head from the fish and gently pull it with my fingers, this removes the guts from the fish. Now wash it really well in multiple changes of water. Gently squeeze and remove excess water from it and take it in a container.
Marinating Fish
2)Add ginger and garlic paste to the fish.
3)Add salt, turmeric, chilli powder to the fish.
4)Add in rice flour. This helps to make the fish fry crispy.
5)Add in one beaten egg. This is what binds the masala to the fish.
6)Add in lemon juice. You can use vinegar instead of lemon juice.
7)Mix this really well. You can fry immediately or store it for few hours in fridge.
Frying Fish
8)Heat coconut oil for frying. Drop the fish in little at a time and fry on high heat till crispy. Strain and serve.
9)Nethili fry or anchovy fry taste best when served cold.
Expert Tips
- You can use a combination of black pepper powder, garam masala powder for the marination.
- Instead of rice flour, you can use cornstarch.
- Instead of egg you can use a spoon of yogurt.
- For deep frying, you can shallow fry the fish.
Storage & Serving
You can allow the fish to marinate for upto 2 days in fridge. Fried anchovy taste great when served hot. Enjoy it on its own or with rice.
More Fish Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe Card
Nethili Fish Fry Recipe | Anchovy Fry Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Deep Fry Pot & Slotted Spoon
Ingredients
- 25 no Fresh Anchovy / Nethili Meen
- 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Salt or to taste
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli powder
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 egg Egg
- 2 tbsp Rice Flour
Instructions
- Take fresh anchovies and clean them well. Now put them in a bowl.
- Add salt, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, rice flour, egg, lemon juice to it. Mix them well and let it marinate for 30 mins.
- Now heat oil for deep frying. Drop these fish in hot oil and fry till golden. Strain them in paper towel. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Video
Notes
- You can use a combination of black pepper powder, garam masala powder for the marination.
- Instead of rice flour, you can use cornstarch.
- Instead of egg you can use a spoon of yogurt.
- For deep frying, you can shallow fry the fish.
Storage & Serving
You can allow the fish to marinate for upto 2 days in fridge. Fried anchovy taste great when served hot. Enjoy it on its own or with rice.Nutrition
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.
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Priya Satheesh
oh wow...Looks divine for me...Love to grab them:)
సిరి
Looks crispy..but how to ensure that it got coked inside
Aarthi
@సిరిAnchovies don't take much time to cook,they will just take few mins to cook.
suthirecipe
hai aarthi
now only i saw your blogspot.
your recipes are yummy. i tried some of your recipes.
i tried your rava dosa. my son like very much.
i saw your tomato pachadi.
which main dish it will be good?
Saraswathi Tharagaram
Scrumptious fry. looks perfect..
Valarmathi Sanjeev
love this crispy anchovies fry, my fav...looks tempting and yummy.
Aarthi
@suthirecipeIt goes well with any spicy gravy like vathakulambu.
Monica
Hi Aarthi really its an awesome receipe, my hubby liked it a lot
Anonymous
Thanks for the recipe and the pictures. It helped me to refresh my memory of doing this. Your pictures look great. Keep going.
fathima
The whole fry was finished within a few minutes... thanks for the recipe..
Anonymous
Hi dear, am planning to make this tomorrow plz tell the role of egg in this recipe.Thanks in advance. I made ur chettinad fish gravy it came out so good.
Aarthi
@Anonymousit binds the mix and makes it crispy
Manimekalai M
Hi can dried anchovies be used instead of fresh ones????...TIA
Aarthi
@Manimekalai Mif u like that you can use
sweety
@ aarthi: Really yur dishes r awesome n I'm yur follower, even baby receipe n veg n non veg... Superb. Easy cooking learnt from u n tasty dishes..thank u.. Keep going.. Yur talent s really.good.