Jump to RecipeVellyache hooman is a Goan style anchovy curry with coconut. This velli fish is also known as veloori. This mildly spiced Goan fish curry tastes delicious when served with hot steamed rice. Same recipe can be made with white sardine. Get the video recipe too.
In Goa, we prepare different types of fish curries. One such fish curry recipe is the Goan anchovy curry fish curry or vellyache hooman. The curry is made in a coconut base with spices. It is tempered with slightly burnt or brownish onion.
Anchovies are known as Velli in Konkani. This fish is silver and whitish in colour and has a silver strap running on its back. Though tiny, the fish tastes delicious. Also, anchovy is one of the cleanest fish. Velli are also known as “veloori” in Malayam.
What is hooman?
In the Indian state – Goa, fish curry made with coconut milk and spices is called as hooman or nustyachi kodi. Language Konkani is the mother tongue of Goans. In Konkani, nuste means fish and kodi means curry.
If you like white sardines, you would like to try velli sukhe and velli rava fry.
In Goa, anchovy curry is normally cooked with a mild flavour. Normally pregnant and nursing mothers eat this curry as anchovy fish hardly has any mercury and is easy to digest. Kids also love to eat this fish curry with white sardines or veloori fish curry.
Ingredients to make Goan anchovy curry with coconut:
- Fish: Use fresh anchovies to make this velli fish curry.
- Coconut: Freshly grated coconut is used in cooking this delicious fish curry with anchovies.
- Spices: We need spices like a small ball of tamarind, turmeric powder, dry red chillies, coriander seeds and black peppercorns. All these ingredients are easily available in any Indian store. If you don’t get tamarind, you can use ready made tamarind paste which can be added to curry after grinding it.
- Onion: We must add little bit of chopped red onion to the curry. Onion is slightly burnt and added at the end of cooking the curry. In Konkani language, this is known as “fonn marap”.
- For marinating fish: Spice powders like red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt is applied to the fish for marinating it.
Steps to make Goan style vellyache hooman:
- First step is very basic. We need to clean the fish and marinate it.
- You may marinate the anchovies and keep in freezer for up to 2 or 3 days. Before cooking just thaw and use
- After marinating, next step is to make the gravy.
- For this we grind the dry ingredients – grated coconut, turmeric powder, tamarind, peppercorns, coriander seeds and red chillies and make a smooth curry. Curry should not be very thick nor too thin.
- After this, add ground gravy and cook for 5 minutes. Add fish and cook for 10 minutes.
- The last step is to add a tadka of slightly burnt onions and adjust salt to taste.
Serving vellyache hooman or velli curry:
Serve this authentic Goan fish curry with hot steamed rice, fried prawns, mackerel kismoor, prawns balchao, cabbage subzi and futi kadi. Enjoy the rich and authentic Goan taste.
You might also be interested in other Goan fish curries like mackerel curry, sardine curry, ladyfish curry and pearl spot curry.
Tips to keep in mind while cooking velli curry:
- The gravy should neither be too thick nor too thin.
- You may marinate the anchovies and keep in freezer for up to 2 or 3 days. Before cooking just thaw and use.
- Do not overcook the anchovies. Velli or anchovies get cooked very fast.
- The white sardines and anchovies are delicate and if over cooked, the fish meat might melt into the curry.
Goan Vellyache Hooman | Goan Anchovy Curry
Ingredients
- 15-20 Anchovy / Velli fish or white sardines
For Gravy:
- 1/2 cup coconut freshly grated
- 1 marble sized ball of tamarind
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2-3 dry red chillies / byadgi chillies / shepda in Konkani
- 5 peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon oil
For marinating the fish:
- 1/2 tablespoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 tablespoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For marination:
- Clean the fish and cut the heads off. You can easily cut them with a pair of scissors. Remove the scales of the fish and wash the fish.
- Apply the turmeric powder, chili powder and salt. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
- If you want to marinate for longer time, then keep the marinated fish in refrigerator.
For the gravy:
- Grind the dry ingredients - grated coconut, turmeric powder, tamarind, peppercorns, coriander seeds and red chillies.
- After this, add ground gravy and cook for 5 minutes. Add fish and cook for 10 minutes.
- If needed add 1/2 cup water.
- Let it get cooked for 10 minutes.
- Switch of the gas/heat.
- In a tadka pan or small pan, add oil preferably coconut oil. After the oil gets heated add chopped onion and fry till it gets slightly burnt. After onion turns brownish, give a tadka of burnt onion to the gravy and close the lid.
- Add salt to taste. Remember that the fish was marinated with salt. So, add only 1/2 teaspoon salt first. Taste and add more if needed.
Video
Notes
- The gravy should neither be too thick nor too thin.
- You may marinate the anchovies and keep in freezer for up to 2 or 3 days. Before cooking just thaw and use.
- Do not overcook the anchovies. They are delicate and if over cooked, the fish meat might melt into the curry.
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Note: The recipe was published on 20th Jan 2014 and is republished with new images.
Rich and yummy gravy
Bhookaglya
similar we do it in kerala too..i knw it is really delicious…
Happy to follow you!!
YUMMY… my hubby liked it very much
Yummy…. my hubby liked it very much
YUMMY… my hubby liked it very much
No garlic is used for this type of curry???
No. We don’t add garlic to this curry.