Amritsari Fish Recipe (Tawa Fish Fry)

Amritsari Fish is a popular Indian street food and restaurant style fish appetizer. It is a simple dish yet tastes amazing with bursting flavors that comes from the unique combo of spices and herbs used. As the name says this appetizer is popular in the streets of Amritsar.

To make the dish, fresh water fish is marinated with the basic aromatic spices and gram flour. Then the fish pieces are deep fried until golden and crisp.

In this post I have shared 2 ways to make this dish. The first one is the deep fried method and the second one is pan fried/ tawa fish fry.

However if you want the authentic Amritsari fish then deep fry these.

Since fresh water fish is not available to me, I have used salmon. You can use any variety of your choice. My personal choice is to go with the kind that has lesser bones.

If you make a tawa fry you can make this ahead and refrigerate it to absorb all the flavors. Salmon tastes very bland even after marinating for very long hours and doesn’t absorb the flavors well like other fishes.

Marinate the fish for at least 10 mins, fry and serve right away hot.

Tips to make Amritsari fish

• Spices: The street style version of this dish is loaded with chilli powder or red color. For a brighter color, use more kashmiri red chilli powder as needed to suit your taste.
• Flour: Gram flour is the key ingredient that imparts a nutty aroma to the Amritsari fish. There is no substitute to this. However you can add a small amount of rice flour to make it crispy.
• Curd (yogurt): Usually curd, Indian yogurt is used as a binding ingredient. It helps to bind all of the marination ingredients with the fish. However my personal choice is to use water instead of curd as I feel it makes the fish slightly softer.

More Fish Recipes
Tandoori Salmon
Lemon Pepper Fish
Apollo fish fry
Fish tikka
Andhra chepa fry
Baked fish Indian style

Photo Guide

Method 1 – Deep fried Amritsari Fish Fry

1. Rinse the fish and pat dry completely. To a mixing bowl, add ginger garlic paste, salt, turmeric, kasuri methi, ajwain, red chilli powder, lemon juice, garam masala, besan and amchur powder. Mix all the ingredients along with 2 tablespoons curd or water. Marinate the fish for 10 minutes.

2. On a medium flame, heat oil in a pan. When the oil turns hot, test by dropping a small portion of the masala to the hot oil. It has to rise without browning. This is the right temperature. Gently slide the fish pieces and fry flipping as needed. When they become golden & crisp. Remove to a plate.

Method 2 – Tawa fish fry

1. For this method we have to roast the besan first else it will leave a raw smell to the finished dish. On a medium heat, roast besan in a small pan till it begins to smell good & aromatic. Do not over fry or brown it. Set this aside.

2. Marinate fish with ginger garlic paste, salt, garam masala powder, amchur, lemon juice, chilli powder, kasuri methi, & turmeric.

3. Heat a wide pan, add 2 tablespoons oil to it. When the oil turns hot, add ajwain. When they sizzle, gently place the fish pieces and fry it for about five minutes on each side.

4. When the fish is almost cooked, sprinkle besan evenly on only one side and fry without burning. I add my flour to a sieve and shake off as it prevents lumps.

5. Flip the pieces and continue to fry till cooked & aromatic. Taste test and sprinkle more salt. Serve amritsari tawa fish fry as a side.

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