Salmon Fish Fry
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Masala Fish Fry

A delicious fish fry recipe with sambar powder, onion and crushed garlic masala!

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Fish, Fish Fry, Salmon
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Marination 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Senthil Sadasivam

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Salmon fillets wild caught
  • 1 Onion chopped
  • 10 cloves Garlic crushed/ chopped
  • 2 tbsp Sambar powder
  • 1 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Fennel powder
  • 1 tbsp Lime juice or tamarind juice
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp Oil

Sambar powder substitute

  • 1/2 tbsp Chili powder
  • 1/2 tbsp Coriander powder
  • 1 tsp Black pepper powder
  • 1 tsp Jeera powder

Instructions

  1. Marinate the fish fillets with chopped onion, crushed garlic, masala powders, lime or tamarind juice and salt and let it sit for 15 to 30 mins.

  2. Take a wide pan and heat oil.  When it is hot, spread out the fish fillets (skin side down) and place the masala onion/ garlic in the gaps and close the lid and cook in medium heat for about 3 mins.

  3. Open the lid, flip the fish pieces and remove the fish skin with spatula, it will come off easily (please do not remove the fish skin, continue roasting it with the masala and the roasted fish skin tastes so yummy too!).  Mix the masala gently.  Cover and cook for about 2 mins.

  4. Now continue cooking for another 5 - 10 minutes without lid.  Flip the fish pieces and mix the masala gently every now and then until they are fried well.

  5. Drizzle some lime juice (if needed) and serve with fish curry, sambar or rasam.

Recipe Notes

  1. The secret tip to keep this fish fry juicy and flavorful is by cooking the fish fry with lid covered in the first 5 mins!
  2. You can break the fish pieces a bit if prefer so (sometimes I make it purposefully, sometimes it happens by itself) but it still tastes good (even tastes better) as the masala coat well with the fish pieces.
  3. Generous quantities of sambar powder and onion/ garlic gives a special twist to this fish fry version.  My son likes the masala in the fish fry so much and always says "Daddy, can you please put more masala next time?". I like the masala too, but my wife only takes a little bit of this masala.  Taste preferences differ!
  4. Veggie twist:  you can use this recipe to make quick and easy fried potato, cauliflower, eggplant, mushroom, chana, etc