Karuvadu practical guide
How to Clean Karuvadu Before Cooking
A practical step-by-step method for rinsing, trimming, soaking, and preparing Karuvadu for cooking.
Step 1: Inspect and trim
Remove unwanted heads, fins, scales, large bones, or damaged pieces according to the variety. Some cleaned small-fish packs need very little trimming.
Step 2: Rinse away surface salt
Rinse under clean water and rub gently to remove loose salt and particles. Drain well before the fish goes into hot oil or gravy.
Step 3: Soak only when needed
Thicker or tougher pieces may benefit from a short soak, while small fish often need only a thorough rinse. Long soaking can wash out more flavour than you want.
Common mistakes
Do not add salt before tasting, do not leave washed fish sitting in water, and do not assume every variety needs the same soaking time.