Fish Pakora
Updated: May 29, 2024, By Swasthi
Fish Pakora are Indian style crispy fish fritters that are a staple in the restaurants and eateries. Boneless fish pieces are marinated with spices, coated with a gram flour batter and fried to crispy perfection. Pakora are an all-time favorite snack from the Indian sub-continent and this variation with fish is for the sea-food lovers. Serve these with any dip of your choice or with Mint chutney or Cilantro/coriander chutney.
About Fish Pakora
These perfectly spiced and flavored Fish Pakora are made with pantry staples and are ready under 25 mins. They are gluten-free and super easy to make. Fish being a delicate meat, does not require long marination. So we toss the pieces with little salt, lemon juice, turmeric, green chili, ginger, garlic and let rest just for about 5 mins.
This removes the raw fishy smell and flavors the fish. Lastly we coat them with gram flour (besan), rice flour or corn starch and a splash of water. While gram flour imparts a delicious nutty aroma, rice flour makes these crisp. Traditionally carom seeds are always used in pakoras as they aid digestion and impart a beautiful unique flavor.
For the fresh herbs, you may use fine chopped mint, coriander or curry leaves to your preference. I also use little garam masala and red chili powder for extra flavor. If you are making a larger batch you may use egg white but I substituted it with little oil. This extra fat prevents the fish from drying out.
Like any other fried fish recipe, this one too requires firm white fish like cod, haddock, tilapia, basa or halibut. I buy packaged fresh precut fish with the pine bones removed. It is essential to use boneless fish fillets cut to bite sized pieces or strips.
Photo Guide
Step-by-step Photo Instructions
Preparation
1. This recipe serves 2 to 3. Here are the ingredients you need:
- 225 grams (ยฝ lb.) boneless skinless white firm fish fillet
- ยผ teaspoon ground black pepper or 1 green chili (chopped or crushed)
- ยฝ to ยพ teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced/pressed
- 1ยฝ teaspoon lemon juice
- ยผ teaspoon turmeric
- ยฝ to ยพ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (reduce for kids or use paprika)
- ยพ to 1 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
- ยฝ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain, crushed)
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves or coriander leaves or curry leaves fine chopped
- โ cup besan (gram flour)
- 2 ยฝ tablespoon rice flour or cornstarch
- 1ยฝ tablespoon oil (or ยฝ egg white)
2. Run your fingers across the fillet to make sure it does not have tiny bones, if found pull them out with a pin bone tweezer. Slice to 1 inch cubes or thin 2 inch long strips. Run your fingers again to make sure there are no bones left. Add them to a mixing bowl along with half of the salt, lemon juice, turmeric, green chili/ pepper, ginger & garlic.
3. Mix well. Cover and keep aside for no longer than 5 mins.
4. Crush the carom seeds with a rolling pin or in a mortar pestle, until they begin to smell aromatic. Add oil/egg, carom seeds, chili powder, garam masala, mint/curry leaves, gram flour and rice flour/cornstarch.
5. Add only a few tablespoons of water and mix to coat the fish well.
6. The batter must coat and stay on the fish. Don’t make a runny batter.
Frying
7. Meanwhile on a medium flame, heat oil in a heavy bottom deep pan. To test, drop a small portion of pakora batter to the hot oil, it should sizzle and rise up to the surface slowly without turning brown. (Your thermometer should read 350F/ 170 C).
8. Gently slide the fish pieces one after the other into the oil, making sure not to overcrowd. Avoid touching them for at least 2 mins.
9. Stir and fry them on a medium heat until golden and really crisp. The cook time depends on the thickness of the fish, mine took about 4 to 5 mins.
10. Remove to a cooling rack. To fry the next batch, make sure the oil is medium hot and not super hot. If you add them to very hot oil, they will brown without cooking the fish inside.
These Fish Pakora go well with a cup of Masala Chai on the side. Other options are to sprinkle little chaat masala and/or serve with Mint Chutney or Coriander Chutney or your favorite dip. Have some cut onions and lemon wedges on the side.
Expert Tips
- It is essential to crush the carom seeds else they turn crunchy and you may mistake them to be pin bones.
- Garam masala is used to cut down the fishy smell. You may omit if you don’t like or use another seasoning.
- Do not leave the marinated fish longer than 5 mins. Fish is a delicate meat and can turn mushy if left too long.
- It is essential to fry these on a medium heat. Frying on high heat will brown the pakoras on the outside without cooking the fish inside. Frying on a low flame can make them too greasy and the fish can dry out from inside.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Fish Pakora
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 225 grams (ยฝ lb) boneless skinless white fish fillet or slices (like cod or any other)
- ยผ teaspoon ground black pepper (or 1 green chili fine chopped or paste)
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced/pressed
- 1ยฝ teaspoon lemon juice
- ยฝ to ยพ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (or paprika, reduce for kids & low heat option)
- ยผ teaspoon turmeric
- ยฝ to ยพ teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
- ยพ to 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ยฝ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain, crushed)
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves or coriander leaves or curry leaves chopped
- โ cup besan (gram flour)
- 2ยฝ tablespoon rice flour or cornstarch
- 1ยฝ tablespoon oil (or ยฝ egg white)
- ยผ cup water (use only as needed)
- Oil to deep fry (high heat oil, about 1 cup)
- Chaat masala to serve
Instructions
- To make sure your fish fillet does not have tiny bones, run your fingers across the fillet, if found remove them. Slice to 1 inch cubes or thin 2 inch long strips. Run your fingers again to make sure there are no bones left.
- Add them to a mixing bowl, add half of the salt, lemon juice, turmeric, black pepper, ginger and garlic. Mix well. Cover and keep aside for no longer than 5 mins. Crush the carom seeds to a coarse powder, with a rolling pin or in a mortar pestle.
- Add oil/egg, carom seeds, chili powder, garam masala, mint/curry leaves, gram flour, rice flour/cornstarch and mix well. Add only a few tablespoons of water and mix to coat the fish well with batter.
- The batter must coat and stay on the fish. You donโt want to make a runny batter. (check pictures in the post)
- Meanwhile on a medium flame, heat oil in a heavy bottom deep pan.
- To test if the oil is hot, drop a little pakora batter to the hot oil. It should sizzle and rise up to the surface slowly without turning brown. (Your thermometer should read 350F/ 170 C)
- Gently slide the fish pieces into the oil, making sure not to overcrowd. Avoid disturbing them for at least 2 mins. Stir and fry them on a medium heat until golden and crisp. The cook time depends on the thickness of the fish, mine took about 4 to 5 mins.
- Transfer to a cooling rack. Fry the remaining pieces on a medium heat. Sprinkle little chaat masala, if you want. Serve fish pakora with mint or coriander chutney or your favorite dip. Have some cut onions and lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- I buy skinless and boneless fish slices. It is ideal to use firm fish fillet that does not have bones. Request your butcher to do it for you so it is easier to recheck at home.
- If serving these to seniors or kids, you may cut up each pakora before serving to make sure there are no bones inside.
- It is essential to crush the ajwain else they will turn crunchy and you may mistake them to be bones.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
ยฉ Swasthi’s Recipes
About Swasthi
Iโm 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 Swasthiโs Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
Follow Swasthi’s Recipes
Comments
Always good and delicious recipes
Excellent!
Very tasty pakora, I made this for a snack and it was very good. Will definitely make again,thanks
Happy to read that Mia. Thank you for sharing back
Nice fish pakora. I used cod and they turned out very good. Thank you
You are welcome Revathi. Thanks for trying