Nethili Fry
Also known as Crispy Fried Anchovies, Crispy Nethili Fry, Nethili Meen Varuval · Non-veg · Dry sides, Snacks & Starters
Good for: Party, Rainy Day
Cook along
4 steps, each one filmed
A short video for every step, so your hands never have to leave the pan.
Nethili fry, Tamil Nadu crispy anchovies in a batter of rice flour, cornflour, ginger garlic and curry leaves. Medium-spicy, serves 4, 25 minutes, video.
High proteinLow calorie
Ingredients
14 itemsNethili (Anchovies)500 grams
Ginger Garlic Paste1 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder¼ tsp
Garam Masala Powder1 tsp
Lemon Juice2 tsp
Salt1 tsp
Maida1 tbsp
Corn Flour1 tbsp
Rice Flour1 tbsp
Curry leaves, Finely Chopped10
Water2 tbsp
Sunflower OilTo Deep Fry
Black Pepper Powder½ tsp
Contains: wheat, fish.
Nutrition
One serving, and the whole batch of 4. Worked out from the ingredients, so treat it as a close guide.
| Nutrient | Per serving | All 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 231kcal | 924kcal |
| Protein | 26g | 105g |
| Carbohydrate | 7.1g | 28g |
| Fat | 10g | 40g |
| Fibre | 1g | 4g |
| Sugar | 0.3g | 1.2g |
Cookd masalas for nethili (anchovies)
Method
- 1
Remove the head, clean and wash the Anchovies and pat dry.
Nethili (Anchovies)
- 2
In a mixing bowl, add ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, garam masala powder, salt, maida, cornflour, rice flour, chopped curry leaves and mix together to form a thick batter.
Ginger Garlic PasteRed Chilli PowderTurmeric PowderGaram Masala PowderLemon JuiceSaltMaidaCorn FlourRice FlourCurry leavesWaterBlack Pepper Powder
- 3
Add the clean anchovies to the batter. Mix and coat each piece of the fish with the batter.
- 4
In a deep frying pan, heat oil necessary to deep fry the anchovies. Once the oil is hot, deep fry the anchovies in batches. Serve hot with a lemon wedge and onion rings.
Sunflower Oil
Before you start
- How long does Nethili Fry take?
- 25 minutes from start to finish. That is 15 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking.
- How many people does Nethili Fry serve?
- 4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.
- Is Nethili Fry vegetarian?
- No, it contains meat or fish.
- Is Nethili Fry spicy?
- It is medium: 2 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.
- What do I need to make Nethili Fry?
- 500 grams Nethili (Anchovies), 1 tbsp Maida, 1 tbsp Corn Flour, 1 tbsp Rice Flour, 10 Curry leaves, 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste, and a few more listed on this page.
- Do I need a pressure cooker for Nethili Fry?
- No, it is cooked in an open pot.
- How many calories are in Nethili Fry?
- About 231 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.
Tips from other cooks
2 notes- C
A Cookd cookMay 2025
Taste was delicious. My kid and husband both liked and that was my first try. the dish came out very well. Thanks for the recipe 🙏
- P
PinkyJune 2022
tried it for the first time . it came very delicious. i took photo but am not able to upload .
