Pan Fried Indian Fish Fry Recipe

Fish fry recipe is a simple and heart healthy recipe made with marinated fish fillets fried on a non-stick pan over medium heat. In this fish fry recipe I have used the Tilapia fish. The fish that would taste the best in this recipe would be the Seer fish or Indo-Pacific king mackerel fish. You can use any other fish of your choice as well.

The Indo-Pacific king mackerel fish is known in India by various names, such as Surmai (सुरमई) in Marathi, Vanjaram in Telugu,Vanjaram (வஞ்சிரம்) or NeiMeen (நெய்மீன்) in Tamil, NeiMeen (നെയ്മീന്‍) or Aykkoora (അയക്കൂറ, ഐക്കൂറ) in Malayalam, Anjal in Tulu, Arkoli in Kannada, Iswaan in Konkani and Thora in Sinhala. [source: Wiki]

India has a very large coastal line that spans states like Kerala, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andra and Bengal to name a few. Fish is an integral part of the cuisine and also the staple food in most of the coastal regions. Even if you are not in the coastal regions and if you are following a healthy diet then fish has to be part of your regular diet simply because of its health benefits. Fish is full of omega-3 fatty acids, which lowers "bad" LDL Cholesterol levels, lowers levels of blood fat called triglycerides by 20-30% and decreases blood pressure.  The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of fish per week for a heart-healthy diet. Now lets get back to the recipe.

Fish Fry Recipe Ingredients

• Fish fillets - 1/2 KG or 1.1 lb
• Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tsp
• Chilly powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger Garlic paste - 1tsp
• Fresh Coriander or Cilantro - 1tbsp (chopped)
• Tamarind extract - 3 tbsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Marination time: 60 minutes or more
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Fried Fish Recipe Cooking Method

Making the fish marinade

• In a blender or mixer take cumin, chilly powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, coriander or cilantro, tamarind and salt. Grind all these ingredients into a fine paste. At this point you can taste the marinade and see if it is spicy enough or if it needs more salt, etc. Depending upon your taste needs you can add a little more of the ingredients.
• Now apply the marinade on each of the fish fillets on both sides and keep it aside for 60 minutes or more. This time will allow the marinade to penetrate and infuse the flavors into the fish.

Frying the fish

1. In a non-stick pan heat the oil on medium heat. This being a heart healthy recipe you can adjust the amount of oil that you want to use to fry the fish.
2. Once the oil is hot enough place the marinated fish fillet pieces on the pan and fry them.
3. After roasting for around 5 to 6 minutes and once the fish is golden brown on one side, flip them over gently to the other side.
4. Roast the fish for another 5 minutes till golden brown.
5. Once done take the fish off of the pan and serve hot with lemon wedges and onion.