Smelt Fry

I remember my mother making a delicious spicy curry with smelt when we were growing up. Saw these at a local Chinese market and could not resist buying them. I did not know how to recreate the curry but I knew I wanted to make something with them…so searched the net and found this very simple recipe. You will find the original recipe here.
Cleaned Smelt: 1 pack ( About 20-30 fish)
Marinade
Turmeric powder: 1 1/2 teaspoon
Chilli Powder: 3 teaspoons ( Depending on your spice levels)
Pepper: 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves: One sprig
Vinegar/Lemon juice: 2 teaspoons
Salt to taste
Oil to fry
Make a paste of turmeric, chilli powder, pepper powder, salt juice and lemon juice (that is what I used). Add torn up curry leaves to the paste. Marinate cleaned smelt in the paste for at least an hour. Add a thin layer of oil to a pan and get it nice and hot. Fry the smelt until golden brown, making sure they are in one single layer. Do not crowd. Serve hot!