Keto-Friendly Spicy Fish Fry Recipe

I am not gonna lie, I don’t make this fish fry for the Keto effect, I just simply make it for the taste. This spicy fish fry recipe is one of those WINTER-musts and weekend cooks kind of a dish in a Pakistani or Indian household. We don’t let winters slide by without fried fish or halwa, amirite? 

Coated and marinated in some basic south Asian spices, this recipe is just a warm hug from within. You ask any Pakistani what they pair fried fish with, and most of them are going to tell you Daal Chawal (lentils and rice).  Besides being the perfect protein addition to your meals, this is a Keto-friendly thing to eat, so double thumbs up to that!

Let’s get right into it then!

FISH CAN BE HARD TO CLEAN

If you are new to cooking or just new to fish, please know that I totally understand if you are intimidated by it. I usually get the fish person to cut my fish for me but it still needs cleaning once you bring it home. If you’ve never cleaned or cooked with fish before, heres a quick tutorial that you can follow to learn how to do that. Or you know….go with frozen fish if you are still not comfy with handling fresh fish yet.

CHOOSING THE FISH!

These sub-continental spices work best with Kingfish or Mackerel which are commonly found in Pakistan or India. Here in the Middle East, I have found 2 new favourites that work just as well, Hamour and Sherry.

Reasons I like Sherry/Hamour

• Minimum fish bones or Kaante as we like to call it 
• Tastes quite similar to the Kingfish or Mackerel we get in Pakistan/India.

BASIC SPICES FOR THE FISH

Here is a picture of my ingredients. This fish recipe uses very basic Indian/Pakistani spices that we put in almost everything we make. And you can also see my fish cut up and squeaky clean.

PRO-TIP: The fish is bound to have a smell of its own. Always treat your fish with lemon juice before the spices to get rid of the smell. Add the lemon juice in your fish and let it sit for a few minutes and then add the other ingredient. 

Marinate the fish well with all the spices. You know, give it a little rub rub action! Once done, you just cover the fish up and let it sit in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours or until you need it. Also, always take the fish out from the fridge 20 minutes before frying, as room temperature fish fries much better.

PRO-TIP: Save the skins of the lemons after you’ve squeezed the juice out of them. Once your done with the fish, rub the lemon skins all over the front and back of your hands. You are going to be stink free and lemony fresh!

Tada! Fry the fish in whichever oil you prefer and Serve it up to the family nice, warm and slightly crispy!

PAKISTANI/INDIAN SPICY FISH FRY RECIPE

Crispy Spicy Fish Fry

Yield: 12 to 15 pieces

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Spice level: Medium to High | A sub-continental spice marinated fish recipe which is fried and eaten with rice, commonly eaten in India/Pakistan/Bangladesh.

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Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 kg Fish pieces (Kingfish/Sherry/Hamour are our favourites for this recipe)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seed powder (zeera powder)
• 2 tsp red chili powder (lal mirch)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder (Haldi)
• 1 tsp All spice powder (pisa wa garam masala)
• 2 tsp garlic ginger paste
• 7 to 8 tbsp Lemon Juice (or juice of 4 to 5 lemons)'
• Oil for frying

Instructions

1. Wash the fish thoroughly and make sure there are no scale left on the the skin of the fish.
2. Add lemon juice to your fish and let it sit for 5 mins.
3. Add all the remaining spices along with 1 tbsp of oil and coat all the fish pieces well.
4. Cover the marinated fish and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours or until needed.
5. Shallow fry the fish at medium flame until they turn golden brown.
6. Serve hot with rice or as it is.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 269 Total Fat: 14.2g Saturated Fat: 3.3g Cholesterol: 39mg Sodium: 500mg Carbohydrates: 20g Fiber: 0.8g Sugar: 0.3g Protein: 16.9g

If you like fried food, click here to go through more fried food recipes. 

If you were here for the Indian/Pakistani cuisines, click here to browse more of South Asian recipes.