UNAKKA MANTHAL VARUTHATHU - DRIED SOLE FISH FRY

    If there is one dish which has loads of memories, then Unakka Manthal Varuthathu travels along with me until today with its ever loving and ever lasting memory, taste and my love for it.  Every trip to Palaghat is incomplete without a pack of Unakka Nangu or Unakka Manthal.  I can relate so many trips, and it has become quite synonymous in accordance with my memories to our trip to my parents' hometown.

    Well, my liking for this Dry fish started even before I could remember.   When I really started eating it, I am not sure, but it has always been one of my favourites. A holiday at my Mother's place and I remember my grandfather going to Kongad Chandha or the Shandy Market which is open only on Mondays.  He would carry a big Vatti (a big basket) to the Chanda and would bring back loads of groceries and vegetables for a week or so for family needs.  And there would be two default items, a pack of dried fish packed in a newspaper, securely tied with a jute rope, and a few Ari Murukku tied like a garland in Jute rope. The moment he comes back he treats us with Murukkus and there my grandmother would get ready to fry some Unakka Nangu.

    A piece of fried Unakka Manthal and there I can eat loads of Rice.  I love the combination of Curd Rice and Unakka Nangu Porichathu.  My eating habits are so inclined to zipping my addictions that happen to be my favourites, and I only indulge in a very few of my favourites without guilt?  Not really, I eat and then, I confine myself to some limitation for a week or so, to compensate for the indulgence.  Well, the above combination very well fall into the category.

    Dried or Salted Fish, and we call it Unakka Meen in Malayalam and Karuvadu in Tamil.  I am the only person who eat Dried Fish at home, and it is always like "Kazhuthaikku Theriyuma Karuvattu Vasanai"??? And my all bliss feeling of What a Karuvad!!! As there exists a crowd who loves fish, there is indeed a crowd which falls for dry fish too.  Though ironically categorised, the popularity of the same is widely known. 

UNAKKA MANTHAL VARUTHATHU - DRIED SOLE FISH FRY

    From the large repertoire of salted and dried fish recipes across the world, my pick is limited to my know-hows inclined to my family and a few from Tamil & Malaysian Cuisine. This Unakka Nangu Fry is a simple recipe prepared in a typical Kerala style marinated with a simple masala mix of Red Chilli Powder and Turmeric and undoubtedly fried in Coconut Oil gives an authentic touch to this Unakka Manthal Fry. And that is how my mother makes it.

    Every family has their own way of making Unakka Meen and my MIL makes it in a different way and that recipe is for another time here.  My MIL serves this with a combination of a spicy condiment, a simple Ulli Chathachathu made with Shallots, Green Chillies and Tamarind. 

HOW TO COOK UNAKKA MANTHAL/NANGU  VARUTHATHU - DRIED SOLE FISH FRY

UNAKKA MANTHAL VARUTHATHU - DRIED SOLE FISH FRY

INGREDIENTS:

• Thoroughly wash the Salted Fish & then soak it in ample of water for about 20–30 minutes.
• Once soaked, clean the Unakka Manthal, gently snap off the head and peel off the skin from the fish from both the sides.
• Then wash it again thoroughly. Can cut the fish into 2 or 3 pieces, depending on the length.  The fish I bought was too small, so I used it as such.
  
• Sprinkle Turmeric Powder & Red Chilli Powder and mix well.
• Marinate the Unakka Manthal with this paste and keep it aside for 15 - 20 minutes.
• Heat the Coconut Oil in a Pan and shallow fry the fish on a low flame, until it turns crisp and into golden brown. 
• Serve Unakka Manthal Fry hot as a starter/appetizer.  Goes well with your favourite hooch.
• Unakka Manthal is one best side dish for Kanji or Pazhankanji(Pazhaya Sadham).
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• Can use any other vegetable oil for this fish fry.
• Adjust the amount of spices to your preference.
• Add salt only, if necessary.  Dried fish has lots of Salt in it, so adjust accordingly.
• Soaking the Dried Fish also helps in removing some amount of excess salt from the Salted Fish.
• At home, we remove the skin from Unakka Manthal by just simply peeling it off. Sole Fish or Mantha, fresh or dried, the skin peels off easily.
  
• Can use the same recipe to cook any other type of Dried Fish/Unakka Meen/Karuvadu.