Fish is a part of the staple diet of Goans.
Their every meal essentially has some version – either a fish curry, fish fry, fish pickle or fish kismur. It could be either fresh fish or dried fish or many times both.
The flavour profile is usually a mix of tangy, spicy and lemony. The choice of chilli plays a major role. For instance, if you use bird’s eye chilli the dish automatically gets spicier, whereas the Kashmiri Chilli is known for imparting a bright red colour and is moderate on spice quotient.
The king fish fry is a big favourite in Goan homes and restaurants.
Here is an extremely simple recipe. Do try it out.
Goan Fish Fry
Ingredients :
- 4 slices seer fish / king fish / surmai
- 3 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 6 pods garlic peeled
- ½ inch ginger peeled
- ½ tsp toddy vinegar
- 4-5 tablespoon coconut oil for shallow frying (or any oil of choice)
- Salt to taste
Method :
- Clean and wash the fish slices. Marinate with salt and turmeric for 10 minutes.
- Make the ginger & garlic paste.
- In a bowl and add the ingredients for marination – red chili powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, toddy vinegar, and salt. Mix well to form a thick paste. Add a little water if needed.
- Apply this marinade generously to the fish slices on both sides. Leave it in the refrigerator for about 30 mins for the flavours to seep into the fish.
- Heat a tava/pan on medium flame and once hot add oil for shallow frying.
- Once oil is heated well, place the marinated fish slices and cook them for 5-8 minutes on low.
- Flip the fish to the other side and cook for another 5 minutes. This will brown and cook the fish slices well.
- Garnish with lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves.
