Fish Masala Fry

Fish masala fry is a tasty side dish and an easy to make recipe with simple ingredients, Fish is marinated with spices, then shallow fried, then cooked with aromatic masala which makes a tasty side dish to enjoy with sambar rice or rotis. A typical coastal Karnataka recipe, which goes great for any type/variety of fishes like mackerel, Pomfret, Koddai, ladyfish, kingfish.
Ingredients:
For marination –
Fish – 500 gms
Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice – 1/2 tsp
Salt
To grind –
Dry chilies – 12 no’s
Peppercorns – 1/2 tsp
Cumin – 1/2 tsp
Coriander – 2 tsp
Garlic – 3 to 4 pods
Ginger – 1/4 inch
Tamarind – a small piece
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Other ingredients –
Mustard – 1/4 Tsp
Garlic – 4 pods peeled and chopped
Onion – 1 or 2 medium chopped
Curry leaves – 2 springs
Dry chilies – 2 or 3 no’s
Tomato – 1 small chopped
Coriander for garnishing
Oil to fry (preferably coconut oil)

Method:
Clean the fish, rinse, drain the water, add chili powder, turmeric, lemon juice and salt in a bowl, toss it/ apply it on each cleaned fish and set aside for at least 3omins.
Add all the ingredients to grind to a mixer jar and blend it to a fine paste, rub/apply the required amount of prepared paste to the fish (about 1/2 quantity of blended paste) and keep aside for 15 mins.
Heat a shallow pan, add oil to shallow fry the fish, when it is hot, arrange the marinated fish and shallow fry for both sides until golden brown.
shallow fry in one or two batches put it on a kitchen tissue spreaded on a plate to absorb excess oil in it.
Then heat little oil in a pan, add mustard allow it to splutter, add chopped garlic, stir until the raw smell goes, then add onion, curry leaves and whole dry chilies, fry until onion turns to light brown. Once onion gets done, add the remaining paste, saute for a min
Add tomato stir for few secs, add 1/4 cup of water, bring it to boil until thick, add the mixture to the shallow fried fish/add shallow fried fish to the prepared mixture, cook for few secs, switch off the flame.
Garnish with fresh coriander.
Serve and enjoy Fish Masala Fry as a side dish for Neer Dosa, Sambar rice/Dal rice with onion, cucumber and lemon wedges.