Thokku is an authentic Taminadu recipe, which literally means thick gravy almost of pickle consistency. This recipe is really delicious, spicy and mouth-watering, which goes excellent with plain rice and rasam. You can make this bulk and store it in fridge and enjoy for a week.

INGREDIENTS:

250 gms nethili fish (anchovies)

¾ cup sliced pearl onion (shallots)

¾ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

¾ teaspoon cumin seeds

Few curry leaves

½ teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoon red chilly powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 cup extract from 1 lemon sized tamarind

½ lemon sized palm sugar

Salt to taste

6 tablespoons gingelly oil

To grind:

1 big tomato

4 to 5 garlic cloves

INSTRUCTIONS:

Grind the tomato and garlic to a fine paste in a blender. Extract tamarind water and keep it ready.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Once it is browned, add tomato-garlic puree and cook for a min.

Then add in onion and continue cooking till the onion mashes well and oil oozes out.

Add red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder & garam masala and continue sauteing till the raw smell goes off.

Pour the tamarind extract & salt and continue cooking till it boils and oil begins to float on top. Then add in the fish, close the pan and continue cooking for 3 min in low flame. Don’t mix the curry using spoon or spatula. Just swirl your pan gently to mix. Otherwise the fish will break easily.

When the gravy reduces in consistency, add 3 more tablespoons of gingelly oil and curry leaves.

Turn off the flame and transfer to serving plate.