Fish Pakoras

Ingredients

• 500 g boneless white fish fillets (rohu, basa or sole), cut into 3 cm cubes
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1½ tsp salt, divided
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
• 1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
• 100 g besan (gram flour), sifted
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp roasted cumin, ground
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 120 ml cold water, plus more if needed
• 750 ml cooking oil, for deep frying
• 1 tsp chaat masala, for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Pat the fish cubes very dry with kitchen paper and place them in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp salt, chilli powder, turmeric and crushed coriander seeds. Toss gently so the pieces do not break.
2. Cover and refrigerate the fish for 20 minutes while you make the batter.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the besan, rice flour, baking powder, remaining salt, ajwain (rub it between your palms first), roasted cumin, green chillies and fresh coriander.
4. Add the cold water a little at a time, whisking until you have a thick, smooth batter that coats the back of a spoon in a thick layer. Add a splash more water only if it is too stiff to drop from the spoon.
5. Heat the oil in a karahi over medium heat to about 170°C. To test without a thermometer, drop in a little batter; it should rise to the top within a few seconds and sizzle steadily.
6. Fold the marinated fish into the batter so each piece is fully coated. Lift out 6–8 pieces one at a time and lower them gently into the oil, without crowding the pan.
7. Fry for 4–5 minutes, turning once or twice, until the coating is deep golden and crisp and the fish inside is opaque and flakes easily.
8. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Let the oil come back to temperature, then fry the second batch the same way.
9. Fry the remaining pieces in a final batch. Sprinkle all the pakoras with chaat masala while they are still hot and serve straight away.

Tips

• Dry fish gives a crisper coating; pat the cubes well after marinating and remove any pin bones you find.
• Keep the oil at a steady medium heat. Too hot and the batter browns before the fish cooks; too cool and the pakoras soak up oil.
• Use cold water for the batter and do not let it rest long, as baking powder works best when fried soon after mixing.
• Choose firm fish like rohu or basa; delicate fish can fall apart in the batter.