Mangalorean Fish Fry
on Nov 23, 2024
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This Mangalorean Fish Fry is one of the most popular recipes on the blog and for good reason. You just can’t go wrong with crispy fish that’s coated in a homemade spicy and tangy masala! Serve this with neer dosa or appam to make it a meal ❤️
My Coast to Coast series would be incomplete without this Mangalorean Fish Fry featuring on it. Being married to a Mangalorean, I know all too well that this fish fry is a love language of its own!
Imagine your favourite fleshy fish coated in a tangy chilli, salt and vinegar marinade and then shallow-fried until crispy. Pair it with neer dosa or appam and go to bed extra happy that night 🙈
jump to section: Mangalorean Fish Fry
Meet Misrang
We use a Mangalorean speciality marinade for this fish fry recipe called meet mirsang that is responsible for all the flavors in this recipe. And you can easily make it fresh at home every time.
It’s traditionally made by soaking red chillies overnight and grinding them to a paste on a mortar and pestle along with spices and vinegar. But with my instant version that uses red chilli powder and is just as addictively zingy, you can make this fish fry any time the craving strikes!
Ingredients Overview
Fish: You can use any firm, white fish of your liking here such as Pomfret, Seer, King Fish, or Mackerel.
Meet misrang: For the Mangalore fish fry masala paste we need red chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, salt, a little bit of water and some white vinegar or tamarind juice for that tang. We also add some rice flour (optional, but highly recommended) to gives us that perfectly crispy and airy exterior!
Shallow frying: I use coconut oil to shallow fry the fish and also toss in some curry leaves when frying. Serve the fish with onions and lemon wedges on the side for a meal that’s a total flavor and textural delight!
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve made this Fish Fry using Pomfret and it turns out incredible every single time! But any firm, white fish of your liking here such as Pomfret, Seer, King Fish, or Mackerel will work best here.
It’s best to eat a Mangalorean Fish Tawa Fry fresh off the tawa. But you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Richa’s Top Tips
- Make this dish vegetarian by using paneer, cauliflower or brinjal as the base for the fry.
- Sub the coconut oil with a neutral-flavored oil, but that will change the flavor of the dish slightly.
- Make a large batch of the meet misrang masala and store it in the refrigerator for up to a month.
This Mangalorean Fish Fry tastes exactly like the ones you get at Mangalore’s famous Hotel Narayana. I love bringing the flavours of Mangalore into our home kitchen and this recipe is one of the easiest ways that YOU can do the same! Serve this will dal, rice, or scoop it up with neer dosa or appams. I can promise you it’ll be incredible either ways.
If you want another way to serve these zingy flavors, check out my Mangalore-Style Rava Pomfret Fish Fry. And stay tuned for more recipes in my Coast to Coast series like this Mangalore Crab Curry!
If you give this a go, make sure to send me pics over on my IG @my_foodstory 🫶
Watch How To Make Mangalorean Fish Fry
Mangalorean Fish Fry
Ingredients
- 2 medium white whole pomfrets, 400 gms
- 3-4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
Meet mirsang paste (chilli paste)
- ¼ cup red chilli powder
- ¼ cup kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons tamarind
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon jeera powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons rice powder
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
Instructions
Making tamarind juice
- Soak tamarind in ¼ cup water for 20 minutes.1 ½ tablespoons tamarind
- Squeeze the tamarind to take out the juice & remove fibres & shells, if any and set aside.
Making meet mirsang paste
- Add the rest of the ingredients to a bowl, add the tamarind juice, mix everything well to make a thick paste.¼ cup red chilli powder, ¼ cup kashmiri red chilli powder, ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon jeera powder, ¼ teaspoon pepper powder, 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste, 1 tablespoon salt, 2 tablespoons rice powder, 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- Store this in an airtight container which will stay good for a month when refrigerated.
Marinating fish
- Clean the pomfrets & make gashes on it.2 medium white whole pomfrets
- Rub 1 ½ tablespoon of meet mirsang paste onto each fish and make sure they are well coated with the masala paste.
- Keep it marinated for 30 minutes.
Frying fish
- Heat a non-stick or cast iron pan with coconut oil.3-4 tablespoons coconut oil
- Add curry leaves to the pan.2 sprigs curry leaves
- Place the marinated fish on the pan and shallow fry on low flame for 5-7 minutes on each side until it’s cooked well.
- Keep on high heat for another minute on each side for it to get well roasted.
Video
Notes
- This recipe can be used with any fish or fish steak of your choice.
- Coconut oil may be replaced with any cooking oil.
- Fish has to be cooked on low flame to make sure that its cooked well from the inside.
Nutrition
This article was researched and written by Navya Khetarpal.
More Fiery Mangalorean Recipes ❤️🔥
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Chicken Kori Rotti | Mangalorean Chicken Curry
Seafood Recipes
Mangalorean Crab Curry
Seafood Recipes
Prawn Rava Fry – Mangalorean Style
Appetizers
Goli Bajji | Goli Baje
Indian Recipes
Mangalorean Ripe Mango Curry
Seafood Recipes
What are the alternatives for Rice Flour?
Hey Hanis, you may replace with cornflour. but use only 2 teaspoons of cornflour for the recipe quantity. As too much corn flour tends to harden the masala while frying.
what’s the ratio of using tamarind vs vinegar tbsp in this recipe?
Hey Evangeline, you may replace with 2 teaspoons of vinegar.
Meet mirsang is a Konkani word, meet means salt and mirsang means whole chilly.. lovely way you have prepared it.
Hey Pavithra, so so glad you liked it. thank you for leaving a comment.
We have now tried it twice, once with a pampano and then with a black sea bass, and both of them turned out finger-lickingly delicious!!! The marinade is an absolute winner – much thanks Richa for putting it out there
Sounds fantastic! Thank you so much Ravi. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!