Indian Fish Fry | Fried Pomfret Recipe

Indian Fish Fry | Fried Pomfret Recipe

recipe for fried pomfret fish - easy pomfret fry recipe with step by step instructions and photos.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 108kcal

Author Shantala Shenoy Nayak

Ingredients

3 mid size pomfret / pompano fish (total weight 3.6 pounds or 1.6 kg) cut into slices of ¾ - 1 inch thickness

First Marinade (15-20 minutes)

4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon haldi / turmeric powder
½ teaspoon hing / asafoetida powder

Second Marinade (30 minutes)

4 teaspoon chilli powder
4 teaspoon garam masala powder
4 teaspoon coriander powder
2 teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon dried coriander flakes optional

Outer Crust Coating

¼ cup sada rava / semolina
¼ cup rice flour
⅛ teaspoon salt optional, but I always add it

Instructions

Clean the fish, and pat dry all the excess moisture. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the salt, haldi powder, and hing powder. The first marinade / rub is ready.
Apply this rub to the pieces of fish, ensuring you apply it evenly all over. Set aside for 15-20 minutes.
In another small bowl, mix together - chilli powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garlic powder, and dried coriander flakes (optional).
Apply this second spice rub to the pieces of fish, ensuring you apply it evenly all over. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Once you have let the fish marinate in the spices well, it’s time to apply the outer crust coating. This is also a good time to start heating up the pan you will be frying the fish in.
For the crust coating - in a flat wide paraat dish or even a plate will do - mix together the rava, rice flour, and salt (optional). Place the pieces of fish in this crust coating, and coat the pieces well with it on all sides.
Finally, it’s time to pan fry the fish, for which add a few tablespoons of oil in the heated pan, and place the fish pieces on the pan, a few pieces at a time.
I recommend frying the fish in small batches (and not overcrowding the pan) on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side. So in total it should take 6-8 minutes for both sides. Then I personally like to fry the 2 sides with the skin for a minute each. So it takes me 10 minutes per batch.
Once the fish changes color and develops a slight crispy char on the surface, it’s done, and ready to serve.

Notes

If you live in a place where you do not get pomfret fish easily, especially in the US, you can make this with pompano fish too, which is more easily available in US. Same awesome taste!
I marinate fish in two steps, applying the salt & turmeric rub first, and then the other flavoring spices. Because I personally feel the fish absorbs the salt much better when applied first and then turmeric has antibacterial properties, which work better when applied directly to the fish. But in a rush, you can mix together all the spices & apply at one go.
The fish is spiced to suit our taste buds, which means it’s spicier than average. Always adjust the spices to suit your palate. Or just add a splash of lemon to the marinade to cut the spice level.
Always adjust the spices / masalas based on weight and not the quantity of slices, because the sizes of the fish filets or fish steaks can vary considerably.
Like I mentioned above, dried coriander flakes are completely optional. I skip using them several times, and have also often replaced them with parsley flakes, or any dried green herb I’ve had on hand.

Please note: The nutrition values are best estimates provided as a courtesy. The exact values can vary depending on the exact ingredients or brands used. If you rely on them for your specific diet and/or health issues, please consult a registered dietician or nutritionist.

Nutrition