Method 1 – simple fish fry

  1. Add some salt to fish and wash it. Drain water completely. I have used a single fillet weighing 250 grams. You can increase the quantity of ingredients proportionately if you are using more fish. Do not use too much masala powder, red chili powder and ginger garlic paste for marination. It will taste bitter. For added spice, sprinkle more spice powders at step 5.
  2. Make a paste of salt, red chili powder, garam masala, turmeric and lemon juice. Marinate with this. Set aside for just 10 minutes. 3. Heat a heavy bottom pan with 1 tbsp. oil or ghee. If deep frying use oil. If pan frying, to get an Andhra taste, use ghee. To get a kerala taste use coconut oil. But any oil will do as well.
  3. You can shallow fry, deep fry or pan fry, use oil accordingly. I suggest using a small pan, so less oil can be used to fry.
  4. When the oil becomes just hot enough, place the fish in the oil and fry on a medium flame. After 3 to 4 minutes flip it and then repeat frying. When it is almost done, add some curry leaves and fry. It adds flavour to the fish. If you are pan frying and want to make a spicy fish fry, sprinkle more of red chili powder, pepper powder or garam masala now (not for deep fry or shallow fry).
  5. Drain it on an absorbent paper. Switch off the stove. fish fry is ready. Garnish with onion wedges and serve.

Method 2 – Andhra fish fry

There are several versions of the Andhra fish fry recipe, but this is how it is done in my family for several decades. This recipe beats all the other recipes that I have tried and tasted, in terms of taste and effort. The fish is curried first and is refrigerated to soak or marinate in the gravy for almost 8 hours or till the next day and then it is ghee roasted. It can even be prepared with left overs. We make the fish pulusu in large quantities and refrigerate. The next 48 hours, we use up the pieces to make the ghee roast and finish the pulusu too. Before I move on to the recipe, let me tell, why this tastes great. Since the pieces are soaked in the curry for several hours, it absorbs all the flavors and taste of the tamarind, red chili powder and garam masala. Apart from this, the pieces are roasted in ghee, large quantity of curry leaves and freshly ground pepper which enhances the flavors and taste. It is a must try in the winters. *I have never tried this with salmon and may not be suitable for this recipe. Adding garam masala, red chili powder and ginger garlic paste is optional. You want to spice it up more, you can use them. Ingredients 2 Fish pieces soaked in curry or pulusu for at least 8 hours 2 sprigs of curry leaves ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper (coarse is preferred) Salt very little (it is already salted in the curry) ⅛ tsp. Ginger garlic paste 1 to 2 tbsp. Ghee Red chili powder as needed (optional)Garam masala as needed (optional) InstructionsRemove the pieces from the gravy and set aside. If you wish you can add some coriander leaves from the pulusu.Heat a heavy bottom nonstick pan with ghee.Add curry leaves and fry till they turn crisp.Add ginger garlic paste and sauté. Increase the flame to highest. Add fish and sprinkle little salt and pepper. Fry for around 2 mins.Reduce the flame to medium. Fry for around 4 to 6 mins.Add garam masala, chili powder if desired. Mix well and off the heat.Serve with curry and rice. Find more fish fry recipes on the blogCrispy fish fry (restaurant sytle)Amritsari tawa fish fry (pan fried)Apollo fish fryLemon pepper fish

For more Fish recipes, checkFish curry