Kerala fish fry
Spice-crusted fish shallow-fried on the tawa in a spoon of coconut oil, 32 g protein.
- Time
- 22 min (10 prep + 12 cook)
- Makes
- 2 servings
- Level
- Easy
- Gear
- Tawa
Per serving
2 pieces (150 g)
- Calories
- 250kcal
- Protein
- 32g
- Carbs
- 4g
- Fibre
- 1g
- Fat
- 12g
- Sugar
- 1g
Meen varuthathu, the fried fish on every Kerala meals plate, made on a tawa with a tablespoon of coconut oil instead of deep frying. A paste of Kashmiri chilli, pepper, turmeric, ginger, garlic and lemon clings to the fish and turns crisp at the edges. Eat it with matta rice, thoran and a curry.
- High protein
- Low carb
- No added sugar
- Lunch
- Dinner
Contains fish.
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Ingredients
Method
- 1
Make 2 shallow cuts on each side of the fish. Mix chilli powder, pepper, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, salt and 1 tsp water into a thick paste.
- 2
Rub the paste over the fish and into the cuts. Leave 15 minutes, or up to an hour in the fridge.
- 3
Heat the tawa on medium and spread the coconut oil. Lay the fish down with the curry leaves around it.
- 4
Cook 5 to 6 minutes without moving it, until the underside is crisp and dark red. Turn once and cook another 4 to 5 minutes until the fish flakes at the thickest part.
Tips
- Pat the fish dry before the paste goes on, or it steams instead of crisping.
- Fry the curry leaves alongside: they go crisp and are good to eat.
Swaps
- Use paneer slabs or firm tofu with the same paste for a vegetarian version, 3 minutes a side.
Storage
Best hot. Keeps 1 day in the fridge; reheat on a dry tawa.
Nutrition is estimated per serving from IFCT 2017 and USDA FoodData Central and rounded. Your ingredients and portions will differ a little.
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- 35 min
- Calories
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- Protein
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