Spicy Dried fish curry with gravy

Dried fish has been used in cooking from time immemorial. Salting and drying was the first known method of preserving fish. Dried fish has a storage life of several years.

Dried fish is not a healthy food. Therefore we use only a minimum amount to make the gravy rich. Good gravy is our target.

I used small fish. You can use big fish which is better. You will have to be careful about small fish because bones will become loose and be in the gravy. It is easy to separate bones from the big fish than from the small fish.

                                Spicy Dried fish curry with gravy

                                         Recipe summary
                                                    For
                                 Spicy Dried fish curry with gravy

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1. Soak the 100 grams dry fish and 50 grams dried anchovy separately for 15 minutes. This is to remove the excess salt from the salted fish.

 Making the spice paste
A. In a large pan heat 2 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to low add ½ tsp fennel seeds and fry for 2 seconds. 
B. Add ½ tsp cumin seeds and split 50 grams split chickpea and fry for 1 minute.
C. Add 1 dry red chili, 75 grams onions, coarsely chopped, 1 green chili, chopped fine, 3 garlic cloves, sliced, and 10 curry leaves, chopped, and fry for 1 minute. 
D. Stir frequently to prevent the ingredients from getting burnt.
E. Add 50 grams minced coconut and fry for 2 minutes.
F. Add tomato pieces and fry for 2 minutes.
G. Add 70 grams tomato, cut into small pieces and fry for 2 minutes.
H. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 6 minutes.
I.  Put the contents of the pan into a blender and grind the ingredients to a smooth paste, adding required amount of water.
J. Set aside the spice mix.

Spicy Dried fish curry with gravy

Making the curry
1. In a large pan a heat 2 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to low and add ½ tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 dry red chili (Optional) and fry for 10 seconds.                                                                                                                                

2. Add 75 grams onions, coarsely    chopped, 3 garlic cloves, sliced, 1 green chilli, chopped fine, ½ tsp ginger, 10 curry leaves, chopped and fry for 3 minutes.

3. Add 80 grams tomato, cut into bite size piece and fry for 3 minutes.
4. Add dried fish and fry for 3 minutes.
5. Add anchovy and fry for a minute.
6. Add the spice paste and fry for 3 minutes. Frying is important for the spice paste as it will bring out its full flavor.
7. Add 3 cups water.
8. Add ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp curry powder and ½ tsp garam masala.
9. Add tamarind juice (from 10 grams tamarind), water and cover the pan.Let it simmer for 15 minutes in very low heat.
10. Add ¾ cup coconut milk and cook for 3 minutes.
11. Add ½ tsp pepper powder. Now the curry is thick.
12. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
13. Let the curry cool.
14. Remove the fish from the pan. Take out the bones. Put the flesh back into the gravy.

Spicy Dried fish curry with gravy is ready.
                                  

                                      

                     Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
Main
100 grams dry fish
50 grams dried anchovy
80 grams tomato, cut into bite size pieces

Others
75 grams onions, coarsely chopped
1 green chilli, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, sliced
½ ginger, grated
10 curry leaves, chopped
10 grams tamarind piece, juice extracted

Ingredients for Spicy Dried fish curry with gravy

Spices
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
½ tsp pepper powder

Grated coconut

½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp curry powder
½ tsp garam masala

Water 3 cups
¾ cup Coconut milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil


Spice paste
75 grams onions, coarsely chopped
50 grams split chickpea
70 grams tomato, cut into small pieces
1 green chili, chopped fine
1 dry red chili
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
10 curry leaves, chopped
50 grams minced coconut
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Water as required according to your blender.

Preparation

Soak the dried fish and anchovy separately for 15 minutes. This is to remove the excess salt from the salted fish.

Dried fish is tender and will disintegrate during prolonged cooking. If you want to avoid disintegration you can lightly fry them. Frying will firm up the fish. I did not fry because I wanted the fish to dissolve in the gravy.

Preparation of spice paste
In a large pan heat 1 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to low add fennel seeds and fry for 2 seconds. 

Adding fennel seeds

 Add cumin, fenugreek seeds  and split chickpea and fry for 1 minute.

Adding cumin and roasted gram

Add dry chili, onion, green chili pieces, garlic and curry leaves and fry for 1 minute.

Adding dry chili, onion,garlic green chili and curry leaves

Stir frequently to prevent the ingredients from getting burnt.

Add minced coconut and fry for 2 minutes.

Adding coconut

Add tomato pieces and fry for 2 minutes.

Adding tomato

Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 6 minutes.

Put the contents of the pan into a blender and grind the ingredients to a smooth paste, adding required amount of water.

Set aside the spice mix.

For the curry
Method
In a large pan a heat 2 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to low and add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and fry for 10 seconds.

Add onion, garlic, green chili, ginger, curry leaves and fry for 3 minutes.

Add tomato pieces and fry for 3 minutes.

Frying cumin fennel seeds,onion,garlic tomato chili,curry leaves

Add dried fish and fry for 3 minutes.

Adding dried fish

Add anchovy and fry for a minute

Adding anchovy

Add the spice paste and fry for 3 minutes. Frying is important for the spice paste as it will bring out its full flavor.

Adding spice paste

Add water

Adding water

Add turmeric powder, curry powder garam masala.

Adding curry powder garam masala and turmeric powder

Add tamarind juice, water and cover the pan.
Let it simmer for 15 minutes in very low heat.

Add coconut milk and cook for 3 minutes.

Adding coconut milk

Add pepper powder. Now the curry is thick.

Adding pepper powder

Taste for seasoning and adjust.

Let the curry cool.

Remove the fish from the pan. Take out the bones. Put the flesh back into the gravy.

That is it. The curry is ready.

Spicy Dried fish curry with gravy is ready.