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    Home

    Fish Fry Recipe

    Last Updated On: Apr 8, 2025 by Aarthi

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    Spicy Fish Fry, a popular family favorite recipe that will turn into a treat for your tastebuds. The fish marination is made with spices, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, lemon. Marinated fish is fried in coconut oil and gets a smoky charred flavour from the frying. Serve it as an appetizer with lemon wedges and lacha onion rings or serve it for lunch with steamed kerala matta rice, tomato rasam or Fish curry.

    spicy tawa fish fry plated with onion rings

    Fish Fry

    Coming from Kanyakumari, a coastal town in the state of Tamil Nadu on India's southern tip. We have plenty of fresh catch fish available throughout the day. Fish is one of the staple dish which we cook almost daily. The common dish which we make is meen kuzhambu, fried fish and rasam.

    I prefer fried fish more than fish curry. But due to health reason, I stick to curry. Still we make fried fish twice a week because kids love it.

    Table of Contents

    • About Fish Fry
    • Watch Fish Fry Video
    • Fish Fry Ingredients
    • Expert Tips
    • How to Make Fish Fry Recipe (Stepwise Pictures)
    • 📖 Recipe Card
    • Fish Fry Recipe | Spicy Tawa Fish Fry Recipe

    About Fish Fry

    A fish fry recipe is also known as fried fish that is marinated, battered or breaded and deep fried or shallow fried in a pan. It is one of the most loved dish in the whole world. Every country in the world has their own version of fried fish.

    In Britain fish and chips is one of the most popular dish. Fried fish and chips is usually served with French fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce, hot sauce, malt vinegar. Some Native American recipes call for coating the fish with semolina and egg yolk.

    There is a popular fried fish known as boquerones fritos in spain which is usually served as tapas. It is tiny anchovies fish coated in plain flour and fried till crispy.

    Watch Fish Fry Video

    YouTube video
    three pieces of fish fried till crispy and served with onion rings and lemon

    My Recipe for Fish Fry

    In India, specially South India we marinate fish in variety of spices, fresh ginger and garlic, curry leaves and lemon juice. Marinated fish is fried in oil along with some curry leaves for flavour.

    Usually fish fry made in South Indian and Kerala is either pan fried or tawa fried. In many Indian kitchens, a tava or tawa is a common frying pan. Tawa Fish Fry is a delicious, flavoured shallow fried seafood meal made with a few basic spices and herbs.

    Even though fried fish is a simple dish, there is few tips and techniques involved. I have shared all my tips and tricks for the perfect fish fry.

    More Fish Recipes

    Anchovies Fry
    Keralan Meen Fry
    Meen Pollichathu
    Meen Masala Fry
    Sardine Fry

    Fish Fry Ingredients

    ingredients for fish fry

    Fish - For frying you can use any firm white fleshed fish. We love to use seer fish or paarai meen. Make sure you make deep slashes on the fish if you are frying it whole.

    Spices - the basic combination of spice powders are chilli , coriander, turmeric, black pepper and garam masala.

    Ginger & Garlic - freshly ground ginger and garlic is mainly for flavor and it helps to removes the fishy smell.

    Lemon - the most essential ingredient is lemon juice or vinegar.

    Curry Leaves - curry leaves is finely chopped and added in marination.

    Coconut Oil - frying fish in coconut oil adds flavor and taste . If you haven't tried it so far, I strongly recommend you to give it a go.

    Marinating Fish

    fish marinated with spices

    Spicy Masala Marination - We prefer a spiced up marination for fish. We don't add rice flour, gram flour or sooji in the marination. Fish is marinated with spices and pan fried in coconut oil. When you pan fry fish on high heat, it creates a caramelisation on the outside of the fish which taste amazing.

    Crispy Marination - If you want to get a crispy coating on your fried fish. Just add some rice flour to the marination. You can even coat the fish in sooji before frying. But I prefer this way only when I make my fish 65.

    three pieces of fish fried till crispy and served with onion rings and lemon

    Expert Tips

    • Marinate fish for at least 30 minutes to overnight.
    • Always use flat base pan for frying. Cast iron tawa or frying pan is best for frying.
    • Make sure you use coconut oil for frying fish.
    • Heat oil on high heat when you place the fish in oil. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes on high heat then flip and cook on medium heat.

    How to Make Fish Fry Recipe (Stepwise Pictures)

    1)Take all your ingredients for marinating fish. You need chilli powder, turmeric, coriander, garam masala powder, black pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves, coriander leaves, lemon juice and salt.

    I like to use a mix of kashmiri chilli powder and regular chilli powder. kashmiri chilli powder adds colour.

    fish fry ingredients

    2)Mix all the ingredients given for marination together. I like to use a plate or a shallow bowl for mixing the marination.

    mix marination together in a plate

    3)Add in lemon juice. Sometimes I add vinegar to the marination. It adds a tangy taste to the marination which is essential for fried fish.

    add lemon juice

    4)Mix the marination together with your hands. Make sure the marination doesn't turn too runny. You want it to be thick.

    mix well

    5)Now you can see the marination looks dry. You may add a splash of water in this and mix. Since this doesn't have fish added yet, you can taste and check for seasoning.

    marination is dry

    6)Add some water or more lemon juice to your marination to adjust the consistency.

    add water and make thick masala

    7)Now the marination masala is ready. It has to be thick like paste.

    marination for fish is ready

    8)Take your fish pieces. Since this is a whole fish, make deep slashes on the fish. The marination will penetrate through these gashes. You can use any fish like king fish steaks, seer fish or even anchovies.

    take cleaned fish which has slashes on top

    9)Apply the marination all over the fish. Apply evenly into the slashes.

    apply marination

    10)Let the fish marinate for minimum 30 minutes to 1 hour.

    masala applied over fish

    11)Make sure you apply the marination inside the fish as well.

    apply marination all over the fish

    12) Once you apply the marination all over it. You can allow it to marinate for minimum 15 minutes to 1 hour.

    allow fish to marinate for few hours

    13)I prefer to fry the fish in coconut oil. Take a shallow frying pan, like cast iron or nonstick. Place fish in hot coconut oil and fry on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes.

    fry fish in coconut oil

    14)Now flip the fish carefully, reduce the flame and cook on other side for 3 to 4minutes.

    flip over and cook

    15)Remove the fish carefully to serving plate. Garnish with coriander leaves, lemon wedges and onion rings.

    fried fish served with onion and lemon

    More Fish Recipes to Try

    • Crab Curry Recipe
    • Nethili Meen Thokku Recipe
    • Village Syle Fish Curry Recipe
    • Fish Biryani Recipe
    • Meen Kuzhambu Recipe
    • Nethili Fry Recipe

    📖 Recipe Card

    Fish Fry Recipe | Spicy Tawa Fish Fry Recipe

    Spicy Fish Fry, a popular family favorite recipe that will turn into a treat for your tastebuds. The fish marination is made with spices, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, lemon. Marinated fish is fried in coconut oil and gets a smoky charred flavour from the frying. Serve it as an appetizer with lemon wedges and lacha onion rings or serve it for lunch with steamed kerala matta rice, tomato rasam or Fish curry.
    4.60 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 330kcal

    Equipment

    • Frying Pan

    Ingredients

    • 500 grams Fish I used paarai fish
    • 6 tbsp Coconut Oil

    For Marination

    • 1 tbsp Chilli Powder
    • 2 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
    • 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
    • 1 tbsp Coriander Powder
    • 2 tsp Black Pepper Powder
    • 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
    • 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
    • 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves finely chopped
    • 2 tbsp Curry leaves finely chopped
    • 1 whole Lemon
    • Water as needed
    • Salt to taste

    Instructions

    • Clean fish pieces, make deep slashes in it.
    • Mix all the ingredients for marination and add very little water and make it into a thick paste.
    • Apply masala all over the fish, deep into the slits and slashes. Leave this to marinate for 30 mins.
    • Heat coconut oil in a pan, place fish over it. Cover it and cook on a high heat for 5 to 6 mins. Now flip over and cook on medium heat for 5 more mins. Now the fish is done.
    • Serve with lemon wedges and onion rings.

    Video

    YouTube video

    Notes

    • Marinate fish for at least 30 minutes to overnight.
    • Always use flat base pan for frying. Cast iron tawa or frying pan is best for frying.
    • Make sure you use coconut oil for frying fish.
    • Heat oil on high heat when you place the fish in oil. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes on high heat then flip and cook on medium heat.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servings | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 538mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 2357IU | Vitamin C: 296mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @yummytummyaarthi or tag #yummytummyaarthi!
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    Aarthi

    About Aarthi

    Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anonymous

      at

      Hiiiiiii,
      Could you please tell me the name of fish which u have used in the recipe... And can I get the same in Mumbai?

      Reply
      • Karthick

        at

        Use Pomfret Fish

        Reply
    2. Aarthi

      at

      @AnonymousIt is called as paarai

      Reply
      • Anonymous

        at

        Can we use King fish

        Reply
    3. manubhai jaiswal

      at

      Its pomfret, easily available in Mumbai

      Reply
    4. Anonymous

      at

      its not promfet

      Reply
    5. Anonymous

      at

      Hi, can v use oil instead of water as a binder for the masala. Thanks.

      Reply
    6. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymouswater is best

      Reply
    7. Anonymous

      at

      Can't we cook without covering it with lid? I love all ur recipes especially with pics. U r doing a great job. Plz keep it up to inspire us more. Thank you madam 😉

      Reply
    8. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymouscovering the lid will make the fish cook faster and keep it moist..

      Reply
    9. Ezhilvendhan Guruswamy

      at

      S it thenga paarai?? And can I use sunflower oil instead of coconut oil??

      Reply
    10. Aarthi

      at

      @Ezhilvendhan Guruswamyyes u can use

      Reply
    11. Anonymous

      at

      Can we make this with Vanjaram or Vavva fish too?

      Reply
    12. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousyes u can make

      Reply
    13. Anonymous

      at

      @manubhai jaiswal Its not pomfret, its Trevally. "Shitap" in Hindi

      Reply
    14. Anonymous

      at

      Looks yummy

      Reply
      • Sunil

        at

        Read the recipe & tried it right away... A little spicy though but was worth it... I would rate it as very nice...

        Reply
    15. Anonymous

      at

      Looks yummy thanks

      Reply
    16. Vineeth Pradhan

      at

      Thanks a lot for this recipe. Your explanation with the pictures was very helpful!

      Reply
    17. Fiona

      at

      Dear Aarthi , i am going to try this recipe today and will update you. My husband loves fish curry and fish fry and this is the very first fish item , i am going to prepare. Thanks a ton for the detailed recipe with pics. You are a life saver !!

      Reply
    18. Snehalatha Reddy

      at

      It's awesome..I will also try,nice explanation with pics

      Reply
    19. Nandhu

      at

      Hi..u r blog is really awesome..pls do suggest me some recipes without tomato and also it should be less spicy,coz i have gastric ulcer

      Reply
    20. Manasa

      at

      This s d best Kerala style fish fry recipe I tried till date....it comes Yummm

      Reply
    21. Supriya Kutty

      at

      Wow!! amazing and mouthwatering recipe...thank you

      Reply
    22. Shravan Singh

      at

      Any comment if I add rice and gram flour in the mixture.. Will this do better at binding ?

      Also comment on adding kasoori methi in the mixture.

      Reply
    23. Suvra Patnaik

      at

      Hi. I made this with Rohu. It was such a hit with all at home. Thanks for the lovely recipe.

      Reply
    24. nisha ninama

      at

      What is podi

      Reply
    25. Zakariya

      at

      So organised, very helpful blog, good work

      Reply
    4.60 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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