FISH FRY

Fish fry with onion-tomato salad was our favorite when we were kids. My mom would make onion-tomato salad whenever there was fish fry.

There is a special joy to cooking fish on the bones. The flavor is intensified with the bones conducting the heat through the fish, keeping it juicy and moist. This technique is common in Indian cookery but less so in the US, where fillets are often preferred.

Ingredients

1. 500 gms of fish
2. 1 Tbsp. Ordinary chili powder or 2 Tbsp. Kashmiri chili powder
3. 1/4  tsp  turmeric powder
4. 3 Tbsp. lemon juice or tamarind pulp
5. 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste( I have used frozen cubes of ginger garlic paste)
6. 2 Tbsp. rice powder or all-purpose flour or kadalamaav or cornflour(optional; see NOTES)
7. salt to taste(2 tsp) 

Method

• Wash and clean the fish. Add all the ingredients, except chickpea flour, into the fish. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• The consistency of the marinade should be wet, not drippy wet, but sufficiently wet. If required, to get the wet consistency, add water.
• Mix in the marinade well into the fish. Taste and see. You should taste the salt first. If that's not the case, add more salt.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Just before frying, add your choice of flour. The flour binds the masala together.
• I have used a cheena chatti here. This is my favorite one, which I use mainly for frying.
  

• Heat a Kadai or a shallow fry pan. Pour oil. When hot, add the fish pieces. Don't overcrowd the pan. You want the fish to fry, not steam. Control the pan's heat so the oil doesn't get too hot. I first put it on high, then turned it to medium, and again to high. So keep an eye on the temperature.
  
  
  
  
  

• Fry one side for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn the fish over. 
  
  
  
   
• Fry for another 2 minutes. Take out the pieces with a slotted spoon. Put it on a plate lined with paper towel. Add chopped onions and curry leaves to the hot fried fresh. Enjoy!!!!
  

NOTES

• I first put all the spice powders into the fish, then pour the lemon juice, just enough to form a wet marinade.
• A shallow fry pan also works well for frying the fish.
  
  
  
  

Fish dusted in rice flour.

• Before frying, the marinated fish can be dusted with rice powder so the marinade remains intact.
• Before frying, dust the fish on all sides with rice flour and fry.
  

  

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

  

• This makes the fish slightly crispy and also keeps the marinade intact.

FISH AMRITSARI

• I had this long back in a dhaba and have been searching for a recipe.
• To the basic recipe, add 1/2 tsp ajwain (Aimodakam) seeds, 1/2 tsp fennel seed powder, and 2 Tbsp chickpea flour(kadala mail, besan). Chickpea flour is a must for this.
• Chickpea flour can be stirred in just before frying. Marinate and keep as usual, and fry.
• The pieces are very crispy and have a distinct flavor.

NOTES

• Why the kadalamaav, besan, or rice powder? It helps keep the fish masala intact and not seep into the oil. The flour helps to bind the masala to the fish pieces.