This Spicy Fish Fry is flaky and great with paruppu/daal and rice. This effortless South Indian style Fish Fry has few ingredients, marinated and pan fried. Perfect as an appetizer too.
Amma(my paternal grandmother) had the midas touch when it came to seafood: spicy fish fry, fish kozhumbu, shrimp and meat dishes.
It’s mid morning, the chaos of our home has settled down leaving my amma and me taking in the sun rays coming through the balcony. His screams reach us from a kilometer, the fish monger pushing his wooden cart with a huge cane basket filled with ice, to keep the fish fresh comes our way. His visit was a little later than normal. I see the eager look in Amma’s face. He waves at us, shouting in tamil that he has Amma’s favorite fish, Vanjaram(king mackerel). Holding her pallu (corner of her saree/dress), I tag along with her. And her bargaining starts, in the end, both coming halfway and happy. She gets her Vanjaram for fish fry and another for curry.
The process of buying is the easiest. I watch as she takes the fish to the back balcony to clean, placing her one foot wooden stool which had a sharp knife attached to the front of it, and starts working on the fish. Scraping away the scales, washing it with salt and turmeric, slicing it into uniform pieces, is just the beginning. My stomach churns, and I leave her to do her thing and hop away.
A few hours later….. the ritual remains the same. She hands me a slice on a steel plate: red, crispy, juicy, flavorful, hot, crunchy straight off the iron tawa.. the fish is the best I’ve ever had. Simply the best bite and probably something that’s embedded in my brain till date.
This is one variation of how my grandmom makes fish fry, and one I love. The perfect Spicy Fish Fry is quite simple, but don’t be fooled by it’s simplicity. The fish is not overpowered by spices and it’s flaky perfection. Using a good quality fish yields the best South Indian Fish Fry.
Tips for the Crispiest Flavorful Spicy Fish Fry
Try these tested tips to get your South Indian fish fry crispy every time:
- Always pat dry your fish fillets using paper towels to ensure the coating sticks well and there are no soggy parts.
- Once the fish is in the pan, never cover it, as you’ll end up steaming it and the coating might fall off, leaving behind a greasy fish fillet.
- Keep the oil temperature steady. Do not use too much oil.
- Don’t move the fish in the pan, but allow it to fry and release from the pan naturally.
- Take it out on a cooling rack instead of a plate so it does not get soggy.
- 1 pound or 2 large fish fillets (such as king mackerel, haddock, tilapia, or cod) - I used tilapia, love king mackerel
- 1 tbsp smooth ginger garlic paste
- ⅓ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp spicy chili powder
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp heaped chickpea flour
- 1 tsp fine rice flour
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
- In a shallow bowl or deep plate combine the ginger garlic paste,, turmeric powder, chili powder, lemon juice, chickpea flour, rice flour, oil and salt. Mix well.
- Add the fish fillets and coat it really nicely. Let it marinate for about 2 hours.
- In a large flat bottomed pan, add a teaspoon of oil. Working in batches, fry the fish in a tsp of oil for about 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through. Remove and set on a cooling rack to let drain. Avoid putting it on a paper towel to drain, that soaks up the juices and spices.
- Serve hot with some rice or roti with lemon wedges and thinly sliced onions.
If you make this South Indian Fish Fry, make sure to tag me on instagram, using the #foodfashionparty and rate the recipe.
For more fish inspiration:
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