Description

Made with regular ingredients this is one of the best, delicious and easiest  crispy fish fry you will have tasted.  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

If you are a fish and chips and Indian food lover, you are in for a treat with this delicious easy crispy fried fish recipe.

Pan fried and juicy fish with a crispy golden breaded coating this dish is guaranteed to appeal to all ages.

This is a Bengal (Eastern Indian) style crispy fish fry which is shallow fried so can be considered healthier than deep fried fish.

You can eat it as an appetizer or a main with vegetables or potatoes.

Ingredients for Indian Crispy Fish Fry

You do not need any special ingredients for making this Indian fish fry.

It is aromatic and so tasty.

The ingredients you need to make this dish are:

Fresh & Pantry items 

⇒ 400 gms white fish fillet such as tilapia or Pangasius

⇒ 1 onion, grated

⇒ 1 1/2 inch ginger, grated or paste

⇒ 8 garlic pods, grated or paste

⇒Juice of 1/2 lemon

⇒ 2 green chillies, crushed

⇒ 1 egg

⇒ 1 cup breadcrumbs

⇒ 1 cup oil for shallow frying

⇒Salt to taste

Spices Needed 

⇒2 tsp crushed black pepper

Substitute Ingredients 

⇒ You can substitute egg with cornflour slurry ( read recipes notes below)

⇒ You can substitute breadcrumbs with panko ( read recipes notes below)

How To Make Indian Fried Fish ( Method with Images)

Although an easy recipe,  you will need to follow few stages to make this Indian fish fry.

STAGE 1 – Make the marinade 

STEP 1 

Add ginger, garlic and onion in a blender and make a coarse paste .

STAGE 2 – Marinade fish with first and second marinade 

STEP 1

Pat dry the fish fillet to remove excess moisture. Generously squeeze lemon juice, salt and pepper and crushed green chillies and marinate the fish for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, lightly pat the fish fillets and add the second marinade of onion,ginger and garlic paste. Set aside for few hours.

STAGE 3 – Set up the coating line up 

STEP 1

Now set up the breading and coating assembly line.

Beat the eggs lightly. in a bowl.  Put the breadcrumbs on a plate.

STEP 2

Start first with dipping the marinated fish in egg, next coat it will with breadcrumbs.

STEP 3

Repeat it for each fillet and set aside. Refrigerate the breaded fish fillet for an hour or so.

STAGE 4 – Shallow fry the fish 

STEP 1 

Heat oil in a shallow pan and add 1/2 cup oil. Bring the oil to heat and let is simmer on low heat when the oil becomes hot.

Add the breaded fish fillet to the warm oil and fry on low heat until it becomes light brown on one side.

Gently turn in over on the other side and cook until golden brown.

Keep topping up the oil in between frying each fillet if you think the oil quantity in the pan is reducing.

Remove from heat and put the fried fish fillet on an absorbent kitchen tissue.

Repeat the process for every fillet. The fish will be golden with crispy breaded coating on the top and soft, succulent and juicy inside.

Recipe Notes and FAQ’s

Below are few question that may come to your mind while making this recipe.

If you have any other query leave a comment or drop a message and I will get back to you ASAP.

What fish is best to make crispy fish fry with?

In my opinion firm white fish is the best type of fish to make crispy fried fish. 

Few of my favourite fish to make this recipe is to use Tilapia, Pangasius, Cod and Haddock . 

The dish tastes best if the the type of fish you use is not too strong and has a mild taste. 

Can you make the fish coating with panko?

Yes, absolutely. In fact the fish comes out crispier with panko coating.

The reason we use breadcrumbs is because panko is not easily available in India.

Just remember to put the fish in the fridge after breading for the coating to set properly before you fry. 

What is the best breading for making Crispy Fried Fish?

This is a simple Indian style fish fry what does not require any fancy breading. Just normal dry breadcrumbs or panko does the trick.

If you wish you can add  a little rice powder to the breadcrumbs to make the coating stick a bit better to the fish although it is not required. 

You can also make homemade breadcrumbs with stale dry bread. 

I am allergic to egg, can I use something else other than egg for coating ?

You can substitute egg with cornflour slurry for making the binding.

Just take 3 tablespoon of cornflour, and dissolve it in 1/4 cup water to make a slurry. 

Dip the fish fillet in the slurry instead of egg and then in the breadcrumbs.  

How long to fry fish fillets to make it crispy?

I suggest frying each fillet in warm oil until it become golden brown on one side. Depending on the type of fish and the thickness this can take anything from 5 minutes for one side and another 3 minutes for the other side after you turn it over. 

How do I prevent the fish fillet from sticking to the pan while shallow frying?

Few tips to ensure that the fish does not stick to the pan are:

1. Add enough oil that easily covers the entire bottom of the pan and not just few spoons. 
2. Ensure that the oil is warm. Add the fish only once the oil is warm. Putting the fish too early in cold oil will make the fish stick to the pan. 
3. It is also important to check that the breaded coating is not too wet or sticky. It is a good idea to fry the fish when it is out of the fridge and not at room temperature. 
4. Try not to lift or move the fish until you see the bottom of the fish turn slightly brown. Handling the fish too early will break the coating.  

Can I bake crispy fish in the oven instead of frying?

Frankly, the taste of the fish does alter if you bake it in the oven instead of frying. 

Th oil lends it a great taste. 

But if you wish to make a healthier version of fried fish then I would recommend adding 2 -3 tablespoon of oil to the breadcrumbs while breading to prevent the fish from drying out while baking. 

What can I serve Indian style fried fish with?

Although this crispy fried fish is served as a starter or appetizer , you can easily make it into a main meal by serving it with salad, potato wedges or boiled vegetables and rice.  

Other Indian Fish Recipes  to Try

If you are looking for a traditional Indian fish dishes then try these :

Easy Indian Salmon Curry 

Fish Korma  

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