Kozhuva thoran - Kerala style anchovies

The picture of the fish is from net search.

Have been enjoying mom's cooking for a while now, with just a few of my own dishes for a change now and again. One fish that is used often in our diet is Kozhuva. It was only when I saw a picture, I realised that the (in)famous anchovies in pizza are the same fish !!!

We get them absolutely fresh , silver-coloured and glistening from the backwaters.....and the, smaller they are, the tastier the dishes. So here is my mom's famous kozhuva thoran.

Clean the anchovies by cutting off the head and the tail. they are very tiny and the bones dont matter.

Soak two pieces of tamarind (one used in fish curries/ kudampuli) in 1 cup of warm water.

Kozhuva / anchovies - 250 gms cleaned

Tamarind / kudam puli - 2 pieces

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Small onions/shallots - 3 nos

Green chillies - 2

Jeera/cumin - a pinch

Ginger - 1/4 inch piece (peeled)

In a kadai, add the fish, chilly powder, turmeric powder, the tamarind with the soaked water, salt to taste, keep on low fire and cook till all the water evaporates.

Lightly crush or pulse twice in a grinder - the grated coconut, small onions, ginger, cumin, and the green chillies. Add this to the fish.

For tempering

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 2 tsp

Boiled rice - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - a handful

Dried red chillies - 2 (broken in half)

Heat the oil, put in the mustard seeds, dried red chillies, boiled rice , curry leaves and wait till the mustard seeds burst and the boiled rice turn light brown. Add the prepared fish and slowly mix till the tempering is mixed in well.

The taste is simply superb....