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    Home » Seafood

    Published: Nov 29, 2018 · Modified: Nov 14, 2022 by Wajiha · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Keto-Friendly Spicy Fish Fry Recipe

    Jump to Recipe Print 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!

    Crispy Spicy Fish fry recipe

      

    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

    ingredients for the spicy fish fry recipe

    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. 

    Marinated indian spicy fish fry recipe

    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!

    Indian spicy fish fry recipe

    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 recipe

    Crispy Spicy Fish Fry

    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.
    4.72 from 14 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course
    Cuisine: South Asian
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 14 pieces
    Calories: 90kcal
    Author: Wajiha

    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

    Serving: 1pieceCalories: 90kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 16gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 357mgPotassium: 444mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 128IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.4mg
    Can’t wait to see your remakes! Tag meon IG with your pictures @butteroverbae

    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.

    « Easy Sweet and Sour Vegetable Skewers
    Traditional Gajar ka Halwa recipe »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amna Arshad says

      November 15, 2022 at 11:57 pm

      Wow this looks tasty and healthy!
      surely gonna try this at home…

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        November 16, 2022 at 5:10 pm

        thankyou Chachi!

        Reply
    2. Robina says

      May 28, 2021 at 10:15 pm

      Looks delicious. Pray that I don’t mess it up!

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        June 02, 2021 at 10:53 am

        you will nottt!!!! best of luck!

        Reply
    3. chiranjib Pradhan says

      February 16, 2020 at 5:13 am

      very very well recipe

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        February 16, 2020 at 6:37 am

        Thankyou!

        Reply
    4. Anonymous says

      December 02, 2019 at 7:06 pm

      Reply
    5. Blair villanueva says

      December 15, 2018 at 12:40 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        December 25, 2018 at 10:24 pm

        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.

        Reply
    6. misszestymagazine says

      December 15, 2018 at 8:25 am

      Perfect to try on a chilly winter day… Loved it!

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        December 25, 2018 at 10:27 pm

        i agree! it just feels so warm and nice honestly!

        Reply
    7. misszestymagazine says

      December 15, 2018 at 8:23 am

      The fish looks delicious. I am on a diet and I think this is a good recipe to try

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        December 25, 2018 at 10:27 pm

        thankyou so much! let me know how this turns out for you!

        Reply
    8. Kelly Loftus says

      December 14, 2018 at 7:35 pm

      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.

      Reply
    9. Emilio Marcos Sierra says

      December 14, 2018 at 3:12 pm

      Your post has made me so hungry! Ahhh they look amazing!!

      Reply
    10. Ishani Nath says

      December 14, 2018 at 1:52 pm

      I am sure it will taste delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Will try making it very soon.

      Reply
    11. Matija Antonić says

      December 13, 2018 at 10:42 am

      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.

      Reply
    12. samchy25 says

      December 12, 2018 at 7:51 pm

      Fish is always favourite. I was looking for something like this. thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    13. Anmita Bristi says

      December 12, 2018 at 7:28 pm

      Wow it looks yummy. i must try this at home as I love fishes and your recipe is awesome.

      Reply
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