apollo fish

Apollo Fish Recipe

By Swasthi on December 7, 2022, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Apollo Fish is a popular Restaurant appetizer made with boneless fish, spices and curry leaves. This spicy, hot and super flavorful fried fish is simply delicious and can also be served as a side in an Indian meal. Hyderabadi Apollo Fish also makes for an amazing party snack.

Apollo fish

About Apollo Fish

Apollo Fish originated in the city of Hyderabad, India & soon became a favorite among the South Indian seafood lovers. Today you will see this almost on every Andhra Restaurant Menu.

To make Apollo fish, boneless fish cubes are marinated and batter fried until crisp and golden. Then a tempering is made with onions, curry leaves, ginger garlic and green chili.
Sometimes a dash of soya sauce is also added for an umami flavor. Crisp fried fish is then tossed in this tempering.

The method to make this is similar to the way we make Chicken 65. The recipe is easy and quick to make. Though in the restaurants fish is deep fried, you can air fry or even bake it to make the dish healthier.

To make Apollo Fish, any boneless fillets can be used. In India, Murrel fish (korramenu) is commonly used for this, could be because they have less sharp bones.

I have always made this with salmon and prefer to air fry. This is a recipe which I shared a decade ago & is roughly adapted from the popular Telugu Chef Sanjay Thumma.

The original recipe uses yogurt/ Indian curd but I prefer to make it dairy-free. So I haven’t used it here.

In a lot of restaurants, red color is added to impart a deep color. If you fancy the color, you may add a little beetroot extract to the marinade like the way I have done.

More Fish Recipes
Tandoori Salmon
Salmon Curry
Fish Fry
Lemon Pepper Fish

How to Make Apollo Fish (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. Add 500 grams of boneless fish cubes to a bowl. Marinate with the following ingredients & rest aside for 30 mins. Do not leave them longer.

  • 1 to 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg white
marinate fish for apollo fish

2. When you are ready to fry, pour oil to a deep pan & heat it on a medium flame. Meanwhile sprinkle 2 tablespoons corn starch and 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour.

sprinkle flour

3. Mix together very well. If the coating isn’t thick enough & is runny, you may sprinkle another tablespoon of corn starch and 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour. This is optional and depends on the amount of your egg white.

marinate fish

4. Check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small portion of batter to the oil. It should sizzle and come up to the surface without turning brown. Gently drop the fish pieces and deep fry on a medium heat, until golden and crisp. Remove them to a cooling rack or steel colander.

fry fish in oil

Make Apollo Fish

5. To another pan, pour 1 tablespoon oil and heat it. (Alternately you may remove the oil from the pan and use the same pan and oil too.) Add 1 sprig curry leaves, 1½ tablespoon ginger, 1½ tablespoon garlic chopped & 1 to 2 slit green chilies. Fry for a minute until aromatic. Add the onions and fry them until golden and slightly soft. Taste test your fried fish and sprinkle some salt as needed.

fry onions

6. If you want pour 1 tablespoon soya sauce and then add the fried fish pieces. Turn the flame high and stir fry for a minute.

temper apollo fish with onions and spices

Serve Apollo fish as a starter or side.

apollo fish recipe

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

apollo fish recipe

Apollo Fish Recipe

Hyderabadi Apollo Fish is cubes of boneless fish fillets marinated and deep fried to perfection. Later tossed in a spicy tempering for a flavor burst! Serve it as a appetizer or a side in an Indian Meal.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings3
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 500 grams fish fillet boneless, (cut to small pieces or strips)
  • Oil for deep frying
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons corn flour (corn starch)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (plain flour)

Marination

  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt
  • tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 egg white

Seasoning

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • tablespoon ginger chopped
  • tablespoon garlic chopped
  • 2 green chilies slit, deseeded if preferred
  • 2 small onions chopped (½ cup)
  • 1 tablespoon soya sauce (optional)


Instructions

Preparation

  • Cut the fish to desired size pieces (about ¾ to 1 inch) or to strips and rinse and drain completely.
  • Pour the lemon juice and salt over the fish and set aside for 5 minutes.
  • Marinate with red chillii powder, turmeric, salt,, ginger garlic paste & egg white. Set aside for about 30 minutes.
  • Heat oil for deep frying on a medium heat.
  • Sprinkle corn flour and all-purpose flour. Mix well to coat them.
  • When the oil is hot enough, reduce the heat to medium, deep fry the pieces until crisp and golden. Remove to a cooling rack or a colander.

How to Make Apollo Fish

  • Heat 1 tbsp. oil in another pan. Fry curry leaves till crisp, add ginger garlic and green chilies and fry till you get an aroma.
  • Add chopped onions and fry till lightly brown. If you want you may add soya sauce and mix well. Add the fried fish and saute on high for 3 mins.
  • Apollo fish fry is ready.


Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Apollo Fish Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 286 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 83mg28%
Sodium 223mg10%
Potassium 660mg19%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 36g72%
Vitamin A 290IU6%
Vitamin C 23.6mg29%
Calcium 41mg4%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

apollo fish recipe
Apollo Fish Recipe

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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Comments

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5 stars
Wonderful recipe.

5 stars
Your recipes are authentic and easy to follow

Hi,
Can the oil in which fish is fried be reused just wondeting?

Thank you for the quick response, Swasthi!
Can I coat them with corn starch or maida? How much should I use in that case?
Regards!

5 stars
Hi Swasthi!
Your recipes really are fantastic! I keep coming back for more 🙂 just 2 quick questions:
1. I find salmon a little “fishy” smelling and generally use tilapia, which more tender. Can I use that for this and your other fish recipes?
2. Can I skip egg coating here? What do I substitute egg with? Please do respond soon, if possible:)
Best Regards, Shamni

Looks Yummy… Have a question for you….Can we bake or grill fish instead of deep frying?

If you want to replicate the restaurant style, then you have to deep fry.
but if you are health conscious like me, you can bake it. i have tried it
several times and has turned out good, but without adding egg.
check this recipe link on how i marinate and bake,
just substitute semolina with flour,

seems very appealing n attractive. will try it as early as convenient
the pic shows a very irresistible n mouth watering dish.<br />

Thanks for your comment. Do try it , you will love it

Thanks Divya! I will spam it any way.

Thanks for your comment Apoorva.

Absolutely love this dish,was planning to make this,your recipe sounds good,will try this one.

Very inviting clicks dear. Fingerlicking fish fry. Take your own time dear, not to worry. Take care of you and your little kids.

take your time swasthi 🙂 lovely fish fry.. like its color..

Like this attractive dish very much….TC….

wow looks delicious dear… i hope to see you back with a bang 🙂 take care

Looks so spicy and delicious..Take care and Thanks for the recipe..