Malabar Spicy Fish Fry

             

                For sea food lovers there is nothing more appealing than a perfectly fried fish. Being a sea food lover myself, my occasional mood swings or sometimes the untamable tempers could just be cured by a delicious fish fry. Guess what! Mr.KB has made it a habit to stuff the freezer with all kinds of fresh fishes he can get hold of... poor guy ;)

               Fish can be fried in many ways. From the easiest of ingredients to the most intriguing techniques they taste different, deliciously so. Most of the time, the fishes fried in my kitchen are the easiest versions with minimum ingredients and using up minimum time for marinade. But during weekends and while having guests, I take care to pamper the fishes with special marinades and giving ample time to coat the fish. The difference is outstanding.. Let’s say, like a candy and an ice cream.. Both are delicious on their own ways. But the latter does have a bit more to indulge in. And it wouldn’t hurt to keep the fish coated in the marinade for a couple of hours (if you have enough time). It gives a juicy soft texture to the flesh imbibing the entire flavor, yet the exterior remains crispy and yum.

 

           As for ‘Malabar fish fry’, when ever there is a prefix ‘malabar’ added to any of the dishes, people have begun to read it as ‘intriguing.., sophisticated..  etc. But no! I assure you this Malabar version of fried fish is not that complicated. All you have to do is use the freshest ingredients and push back those readymade fish masalas and spices to where it came from. You wouldn’t be disappointed by the outcome..

 

Coming to the recipe…

½ kg fresh fleshy fish like pomphret, king fish  etc

1 inch piece of ginger, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 green chilli, halved

1 tsp fennel seeds

¼ tsp turmeric  powder

¼ tsp red chilli pdr

½ tsp kashmiri chilli pdr

¼ tsp black pepper powder

2 tsp lemon juice

A sprig of curry leaves

Coconut oil for frying

Method:

   Clean the fish, wash properly and drain. Slash the fleshy parts with a sharp knife. Grind all the other ingredients in a grinder to a fine paste. Marinate the fish with this paste and keep for 1 to 2 hours. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the fishes, on both sides in medium heat until reddish brown and crispy. Drain on a kitchen tissue to absorb excess oil.Serve hot with steamed rice or roti.