Amritsari Fish Fry

Austin weather has been amazing and feels much like the monsoon season in north India. The non-stop rains and cooler temperatures bring out the inherent need for fried food and steaming Chai. Traditionally, pretty much every household and road side food stall would fry up some sizzling hot and spicy batter fried vegetable pakoras with a steaming cup of ginger laced tea while it was pouring outside. And feeling much the same way I have to whip up something batter fried, something sizzling, something spicy, something crunchy with my cup of tea ;)

Amritsar is the city that is home to The Golden Temple in the state of Punjab, India. This dish originated in Amritsar as the name suggests. Now you know what to order when you check off Golden Temple from your bucket list. I have been there a couple of times and its worth the trip and experience. The city has to offer the best North Indian food that you will ever taste.

NOTE: I prefer Catfish or Tilapia for frying but have used Cod for this recipe because it was fresh and wild and Costco was out of Tilapia . Wasn't too happy with Cod because it wasn't the best for frying so if you can use Tilapia that would be the best choice. Also, traditionally the Dish has an orange hue because of the food coloring added to it. I do not add it to mine. 

RECIPE: Amritsari Fish Fry

Ingredients

2 Lbs Fish Fillets, cut into pieces
1 Lemon
Salt to taste
2-3 TBSP Besan (chickpea flour)
1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
Red Chilli powder to taste
2 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Ajwain powder (Carom Seeds, powdered)
1 TBSP Dry Fenugreek leaves, crushed
1 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Amchoor Powder (dry raw mango, powdered, adds a sour tang)
1 TBSP Corn Starch
1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt
1 Egg
Vegetable oil for Frying

Garnish:
Chat Masala (optional, not everyone likes the pink salt taste)
Cilantro leaves
Onion Rings
lemon wedges

Method

1. Wash, clean, pat dry to prep the fish fillets and cut into pieces.
2. Marinate it in the lemon juice and 1 tsp salt.
3. Heat a small skillet and roast the chick peaflour, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala on medium to low heat. You just need to roast them a little but it can burn easily hence the lower heat. Roast for 3-4 minutes by stirring continuously until you get a nice aroma from the chickpea and spice mix. Let it cool for a few minutes.
4. In a mixing bowl mix together the yogurt, ginger and garlic paste, cornstarch, egg, ajwain (carom) powder, Amchoor (mango) powder, crushed dry fenugreek and the roast mix to make a thick batter. If needed add a little water but it should be fairly thick so it can coat the fish pieces.
5. Coat the fish pieces in the batter and let marinate for 30 minutes.

NOTE: Most common mistake people make is to let it sit too long thinking the more it marinates the better the flavor and that might be true for most meats but not Fish. The lemon, salt and spices will cook the fish if it is left sitting too long and it will fall apart during frying. So make sure you do not let it sit too long 15-30 minutes is the window to get it to the frying stage.

6. Heat the oil in your frying pan and fry the fish in batches till golden brown. Let it drain on some paper towels.
7. Serve the steaming hot Fish on a large platter garnished with onion rings, cilantro, lemon wedges sprinkled with chat masala.

Ajwain (Carom) Seeds

 

Serve it hot with some Dal, Salad and piping hot Naan or Tandoori Roti. Hope you enjoy making it.