Netholi (Smelt /Anchovy) is a commonly available tiny sea fish variety. It is generally available in fish markets in Indian coastal cities and as frozen-packed in sea-food stores worldwide. Netholi thoran (നെത്തോലി തോരൻ OR പീര) is a very common preparation of this fish in Kerala kitchens. The Netholi thoran  generally use Netholi cleaned by removing its head and tail part. The recipe here used an additional cleaning step to debone the fish, slightly time consuming, but worth doing it for the taste.

Ingredients

For marinating

1. Smelt fish (നെത്തോലി ) deboned          : 100 gm
2. Chilli powder         :          ½ Tsp
3.  Turmeric powder :         ¼ Tsp
4.  Salt to taste

For masala

1. Coconut    : ¼ to ½ cup
2. Turmeric  : ¼ tsp
3. Coriander powder  : ½Tsp
4. Chilly powder          : 1 ½Tsp
5.  Pepper powder       : 1 ½Tsp

For frying

1. Chopped onion   :    1
2.  Chopped Green chilly :  2
3.  Chopped garlic   : 3 Tbsp
4.  Chopped ginger  : 1 1/2 Tbsp
5.  Curry leaf             :  2 strig

For Seasoning

1. Oil            : 1 Tbsp
2.  Mustard : 1 Tsp
3.  Dried red chilly : 2

Method

• Grind the masala ingredients in a coarse form
• Heat a pan (kadai), pour the oil and put the mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter
• Add the red chilli pieces followed by the frying ingredients
• Sauté everything well in medium flame until the color changed brown.
• Add the marinated fish,  close the lid and cook for a while (about 7- 8 minutes) in low flame.
• Add the masala , close the lid and cook for about 2-3 minutes (until the raw smell goes)
• Take the lid off and mix everything well
• Finally wait for the water to evaporate from the mix and then turn the stove off.