Dry Fish Thokku Recipe | Karuvadu Thokku Recipe

Dry fish thokku, also known as karuvadu thokku, is a simple South Indian dish that is made with dry fish, garlic, onion, tomatoes, chillies, tamarind and basic spices. My family love having it with hot rice, rasam, curd or a bowl of ragi kanji.

Karuvadu Thokku

I still wouldn’t say I am a huge fan of dry fish, but this thokku is something I enjoy eating. The thick, spicy onion tomato masala goes so well with the dry fish and it makes a really tasty side dish.

Jump to:

But First What is Dry Fish?

Fish pieces are cleaned and coated in a generous amount of salt and turmeric. The fish is dried under sun for several days till it is completely dry and shrunk in size. It is dried by spreading in mat or tied with a thread and hung dry under sun. Drying fish is a way to preserve fish to store for a longer period of time.

About Karuvadu Thokku

I have already shared a nethili meen thokku on my blog, which is loaded with masala. It is made with fresh anchovies, but this one is made with dried fish. You can use any dry fish of choice.

For this recipe, I cooked dry fish with onions, tomatoes, garlic and a few basic spices. You need to add tamarind which is cooked down into a thick masala that coats the fish really well.

I usually soak the dry fish in hot water and clean it well before cooking. You can also shallow fry the karuvadu first if you like. But for this quick version, I simply cook it directly with the onion tomato masala after soaking in hot water.

This dry fish thokku is such an easy side dish to make and tastes best with hot matta rice, rasam rice or porridge like ragi porridge, kambu koozhu.

Similar Recipes

Ingredients

Oil : I used gingelly oil to saute the ingredients and cook the dry fish.
Dry fish pieces : Use any cleaned dry fish pieces for this recipe. You can use any variety of dry fish you have at home.
Garlic : Garlic adds aroma and flavour to the thokku. It also helps balance the strong smell of the dry fish.
Onion : I used large onions, You can also substitute with shallots for extra flavour.
Green chillies : Green chillies is optional but you can adjust the quantity according to your taste.
Curry leaves : fresh curry leaves adds flavour to the dish.
Tomatoes : Tomatoes removes the fishy smell and makes this tasty.
Spices : I used Turmeric powder and chilli powder. You can adjust the chilli powder depending on how spicy you like it.
Salt : Salt is completely optional, as dry fish already contains salt. If needed, taste the thokku first and add if required.
Tamarind – I used tamarind paste which I mixed with water to cook the dry fish.

Step by Step Pictures

1)Wash and soak dry fish pieces in hot water for 30 mins. This step is to remove the excess salt content from the dry fish and also it softens the dish a little. Strain the water from the fish and set aside.

2)Heat oil in a pan, add in garlic, onion, green chillies and curry leaves.

3)Saute for 2 minutes untill fragrant.

4)Now add in tomatoes.

5)Cook till the tomatoes gets soft and mushy.

6)Now add in turmeric and chilli powder and saute it with the masala for 2 minutes.

7)You can add some black pepper powder as well.

8)Now add in the dry fish pieces.

9)Stir the fish pieces in the masala till it is coated well. Stir fry for 3 minutes in the oil.

10)Now add in tamarind pulp and water. Mix well till everything is combined well.

11)Now cook this for 8 to 10 minutes until the masala thicken and becomes thokku like.

12)It will get thick and oil separates from it. Take it off the heat and let it sit for 1 hour for the flavour to develop.

13)Now serve this with rice.

Expert Tips

Wash and clean the dry fish properly to remove excess salt and dirt.
Soak the dry fish in warm water to soften it before cooking.
Use gingelly oil as it gives the thokku a traditional taste and aroma.
Dry fish is naturally salty, so taste the masala before adding any extra salt.

Storage and Serving

It is best to consume the dry fish thokku on the same day. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container and keep them refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.

This dry fish thokku tastes best with hot steamed rice, rasam rice, ragi kanji or kambu koozh. You can also serve it with idli, dosa for a simple and comforting meal.

FAQ

Q. What variety of fish works for this recipe?

Well, you can use any dry fish variety like nethili, neimeen or any other dry fish you like. Just make sure to clean and rinse it well before cooking.

Q. Do I have to add salt?

Not necessarily. Dry fish is already salty, so taste the dish before adding salt.

Q. How can I reduce the strong smell of dry fish?

Rinse and soak the fish briefly in warm water before cooking. Use gingelly oil and cook it well with masala to balance the strong smell.

📖 Get Recipe