Fried fish is covered in an easy spice coating to give you a delicious taste and aroma.
This easy Indian fried fish recipe uses simple spices and ingredients in your kitchen to bring out the best flavours of the pan-fried fish.

Crispy on the outside and tender and zesty inside, these Indian fish fries are perfect for your main meals or special occasions.
The fried fish is easy to make and takes only a few steps to prepare. Here are a few menus you can try.

What to serve with fried fish steaks.

• Menu 1
  • Indian fried fish.
  • Jeera rice or ghee rice
  • Eggplant curry
  • Aloo kurma(potato korma)

• Menu 2
  • Fried fish
  • Coconut rice or yellow rice
  • creamy cashew(kaju) masala curry(vegetarian,vegan)
  • Sri Lankan prawn curry with coconut milk.

• Salads
  • Cucumber raita, onion raita, and coriander chutney are salads and chutneys you can serve with the fried fish.
  • Serve with thick potato wedges or coleslaw.

• There are so many ways to serve these fried fish steaks.

Tips and questions to make Indian fish fry.

• Tips.
  • Use firm and fresh fish steaks. Barramundi, seer fish, and trevally are some of the fish you can use.
  • Fresh fish is recommended if you are using frozen fish steaks; then let them defrost, pat them dry and coat them with an even flour-spice mixture.
  • Pat the fish dry so the spices stick to the fish firmly.
  • Make sure the marinade and coating of the fish are flavorful.
  • Slice the fish evenly so they fry uniformly as well.
  • Coat the fish with the spice and flour mixture evenly but thinly.
  • Let the oil heat without letting it smoke for the best results.
  • Fry the fish in small batches so the pan is not overcrowded.
  • Place the fried fish on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.
  • Serve within 30 to 1 hour of frying the fish steaks so they retain their crispiness.
• Questions.
  • Can I air fry the Indian fish fry steaks?
    • Brush oil lightly on both sides of the fish. Place in the air fryer basket, air fry at 180–200°C (350–400°F)for 10 to 12 minutes, flip at the 6-minute mark.

More fish recipes.

• SRI LANKAN CHILLI FISH CURRY(miris malu).
• DEVILED FISH(Sri Lankan Chilli fish stir-fry)
• SRI LANKAN FISH CURRY WITH COCONUT MILK(Thalapath Fish Curry).
• SRI LANKAN CANNED FISH CURRY(tin fish).

What you will need in the kitchen.

• medium or large frying pan or skillet to shallow fry the fish.
• Kitchen paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• 2 small bowls for the spice mix and flour mix.
• A spatula or a flat spoon removes the fish from the frying pan.
• A large plate to marinate fish slices
• A platter to serve the fried fish.

recipe difficulty- little care needed

Ingredients for pan-frying fish.

• Marinade for the fish.
  • Ginger and garlic paste– add a base pungent flavour, aroma. Substitute with ginger and garlic powder.
  • Turmeric powder– anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory properties, and a golden colour to the fish once it fries.
  • Garam masala gives the fish its Indian spice flavour and complements other spices of the marinade.
  • Coriander powder complements the garam masala, adding South Asian flavours to the fish slices.
  • Red chilli powder– adds spiciness to the fish steaks.
  • Lime juice– used as a tenderiser, cuts down any fish smell, helps other ingredients to absorb into the fish. adds a tangy flavour to the fish steaks.
• Coating the fish and frying.
  • Fish steaks– use firm Barramundi, trevally, sail fish or seer fish.
  • All-purpose flour and corn flour helps to add crispness and texture to the fried fish. allows the marinade to stick to the fish. Once fried, they help give the fish slices a golden colour.
  • Salt as needed- seasoning.
  • Red chilli powder– adds a slight spiciness to the coating.
  • Oil– use vegetable or coconut oil.

Step-by-step photo tutorial.

How to pan-fry the fish.

Marinating the fish.

Gently wash the fish steaks. Set aside in a colander for the water to strain.
Place the fish on a flat plate and wipe any extra moisture with kitchen paper towels.
To a small bowl, add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, lime or lemon juice, red chilli powder and ginger garlic paste. Combine well.
Rub the masala mix thoroughly on the fish steak, and wear a disposable glove to do the following.
Cover and let the fish steaks absorb the flavours for 10 to 15 minutes.
You can refrigerate the fish steaks as well.

Coating for the fish fry.

In a separate bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, corn flour, salt and red chilli powder.
Add a teaspoon of water to the flour mixture to make a paste.
Gently coat the flour paste onto the fish slices.
Once coated, place them apart from each other on the plate and set aside.

Frying the fish.

Over low-medium heat, pour in the oil and let the oil heat for a few seconds.
Once the oil is hot, gently place the coated fish slices in the pan, making sure not to crowd the pan with too many fish steaks.
Fry each side for 3 to 5 minutes until both sides are golden and crispy. Use a flat spoon or spatula to flip the fish slices.
Place the fish slice over paper kitchen towels to absorb extra oil, transfer onto a plate and serve immediately.

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