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! With a big bowl of kachumber salad on the side, you have yourself a nutritious meal.
PAKISTANI/INDIAN SPICY FISH FRY RECIPE
Crispy Spicy Fish Fry
Ingredients
- 1 ½ kg Fish pieces Kingfish/Sherry/Hamour are our favourites for this recipe
- 2 tsp salt or to taste
- 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
- Wash the fish thoroughly and make sure there are no scale left on the the skin of the fish.
- Add lemon juice to your fish and let it sit for 5 mins.
- Add all the remaining spices along with 1 tbsp of oil and coat all the fish pieces well.
- Cover the marinated fish and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours or until needed.
- Shallow fry the fish at medium flame until they turn golden brown.
- Serve hot with rice or as it is.
Nutrition
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 for Pakistani Indian recipes to browse more of South Asian recipes.
Amna Arshad says
Wow this looks tasty and healthy!
surely gonna try this at home…
Wajiha says
thankyou Chachi!
Robina says
Looks delicious. Pray that I don’t mess it up!
Wajiha says
you will nottt!!!! best of luck!
chiranjib Pradhan says
very very well recipe
Wajiha says
Thankyou!
Anonymous says
Blair villanueva says
I am not new with fish and our parents taught us how to clean it for cooking during grade school. Your recipe is definitely i would enjoy.
Wajiha says
that is so cool. I only just recently learned how to clean fish honestly! 🙂 and I still find it somewhat daunting to be honest! lol.
misszestymagazine says
Perfect to try on a chilly winter day… Loved it!
Wajiha says
i agree! it just feels so warm and nice honestly!
misszestymagazine says
The fish looks delicious. I am on a diet and I think this is a good recipe to try
Wajiha says
thankyou so much! let me know how this turns out for you!
Kelly Loftus says
I started the Keto diet over the summer and I have had great success. I am always looking for new recipes so I will definitely try this one.
Emilio Marcos Sierra says
Your post has made me so hungry! Ahhh they look amazing!!
Ishani Nath says
I am sure it will taste delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Will try making it very soon.
Matija Antonić says
Really nice looking recipe, I love me some spicy food, and it’s so easy to follow, I will try it out for sure, thank you for sharing.
samchy25 says
Fish is always favourite. I was looking for something like this. thanks for sharing.
Anmita Bristi says
Wow it looks yummy. i must try this at home as I love fishes and your recipe is awesome.