Dry Fish Gravy

கருவாட்டுக் குழம்பு (Dry Fish Gravy)

Dry Fish Gravy is a special gravy prepared from karuvadu and served in TamilNadu. Karuvaadu is famous in southern part of India, Sri Lanka and many other places. Drying and salting are ancient techniques to preserve nutrients and the process makes the codfish tastier. The preparation of karuvattu kulambu is easy and here you can find step by step pictorial instructions.

Ingredients for Dry Fish Gravy

Dry fish (குச்சி கருவாடு) – 250 gm
Small onion chopped – 1/2 cup
Garlic – 15 pods
Tamarind – lemon size (soak that in water)
Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
Curry powder (Masala) – 1 tbs
Chilli powder – 1/2 tbs
Seasame oil – 1/4 cup
Shredded Coconut – 1/2 cup
Salt – as needed

Cleaning

Soak karuvadu in water for 30 mins to an hour.
If the dry fish have head remove it along with the intestine (black stripe).
Dry fish does always have some sand so clean that very well.
Rinse at least 4 to 5 times.

Directions

Take a pot; add oil and chopped onions, fry it well.
Once onions turns in to golden brown, add garlic pods and leave it for couple of minutes and then add dry fish.
Mix everything well and leave it in a small flame
Now, dry fish starts to become soft.
Add turmeric, curry powder, chilli powder and close the lid until some oil comes from the mixer.
Get tamarind pulps from the soaked tamarind.
Grind coconut and make it to fine paste.
Mix tamarind pulp, coconut paste to the mixer in the pot.
Now check the salt, spicy and tangy taste and add as needed based on your taste.
Add 1 more cup of water and allow the curry to cook for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Cover the pot with lid.

After 5 to 10 minutes, take one garlic pod and check how well it is cooked.
If it cooked well then dry fish also cooked.
Now leave the kuzhambu in a very low flame to let the oil come out from the gravy (close the pot with lid this time).
Karuvattu Kulambu ready.

Notes

Karuvadu does already have salt, so add salt to the gravy very carefully.