Sambal Ikan Bilis

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Ikan Bilis (Small dry fish)

1 Potato (cut into small bit size pieces)

2 onions (Finely Chopped)

3 inch long Lemongrass (Crushed)

2 strands of curry leaves

1/2 tsp Belachan stock

1/4 tsp Sugar

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

To grind:

10 Dry red chillies (Deseeded)

3 cloves of Garlic (peeled)

5 Shallots

Method:

• Bring enough oil in wok to high heat and fry the potatoes till soft and golden brown. Drain and keep aside. Now to the same oil, add the ikan bilis and fry till it is golden brown and crispy. Drain and keep aside. Discard the used oil.
• Soak the deseeded dry chillies in a cup of hot water for about 10-15 mins. Drain, cool it and grind it into a fine paste with few splashes of water, garlic and shallots. Keep aside.
• Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a wok and add the grinded chilli paste and fry till the raw chilli smell leaves. Then add the onion, curry leaves and lemongrass. Stir fry for few mins.
• Now add the belachan stock, fried ikan bilis, potatoes and sugar. Stir well to combine everything together.
• Taste and season with more salt if needed. Make sure you add very little salt at the beginning because ikan bilis can be salty at times.
• Serve it immediately with steaming hot rice.

Ikan Bilis with Potato Fry ( Nethili Karuvadu )

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Ikan Bilis (Small dry fish)

1 Potato (cit into small bit size pieces)

2 onions (Finely Chopped)

3 Green chillies (cut into 1 inch thickness)

5 cloves of Garlic (peeled and finely sliced)

3 strands of curry leaves

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Bring enough oil in wok to high heat and fry ikan bilis till it is golden brown and crispy. Drain and keep aside ikan bilis. Discard the used oil.
• Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a wok and add potatoes with turmeric powder and salt. Cover the wok and cook till its 3/4 done.
• Then add the garlic, onion, curry leaves and chillies. Stir fry for few mins.
• Now add the fried ikan bilis and stir well to combine everything together.
• Taste and season with more salt if needed. Make sure you add very little salt at the beginning because ikan bilis can be salty at times.
• Serve it immediately with steaming hot rice and tomato rasam.

Karuvadu Masala

Ingredients:

5 pieces of Dry fish (Neimeen Karuvadu)

5 onions (Finely Chopped)

3 Tomato (quartered)

6 Green chillies (cut into 1 inch thickness)

12 cloves of Garlic (peeled and finely sliced)

5 strands of curry leaves

1/4 tsp Mustard seed

1/2 tsp Fennel seed

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seed

1 tbsp Chilli powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp special masala (Chilli pwdr + Cumin Pwdr + Turmeric Pwdr)

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Soak the dry fish in a cup of warm water for about 10-15 mins. Squeeze dry and deep fry in a pan till it is well cooked. Drain and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a wok and splutter the fenugreek, mustard and fennel seeds. Then add garlic, onion, curry leaves and chillies. Stir fry for few mins.
• Then add the tomatoes. Cook till tomatoes are smashed and the oil comes to the surface.
• Now add the turmeric, chilli and the masala powders. Stir well to combine everything together.
• Then add the fried dry fish and try to break it up into small pieces using the spatula.
• Check the taste of the masala and add more salt if needed. Make sure you add salt only at the very end because dry fish is quite salty.
• Karuvadu masala is ready once the content turns to a semi dry stage and oil comes to the surface.