Lahori Fried Fish

Ingredients

Fish

• 1 kgfirm river fish
• rohu or singhara if you can
• or any firm white fish
• cut into thick steaks or chunks
• juice of 2 lemons
• 2 teaspoonssalt

Marinade

• 2 tablespoonsginger and garlic paste
• 2 teaspoonsground red chilli
• 1 teaspoonground turmeric
• 1 teaspoonground coriander
• 1 teaspoongaram masala
• 1 teaspoonsalt

Batter

• 200 ggram flour
• besan
• 50 grice flour
• or cornflour
• 2 teaspoonsajwain
• carom seeds
• 1 teaspoonbaking powder
• 1egg, optional
• about 200 ml water

To fry and finish

• oil, for deep frying
• 2 teaspoonschaat masala
• lemon wedges
• raw onion rings
• green chutney

Directions

1. Crush the seeds lightly to release the oil. Dusting it on hot fish keeps them sharp. Rinse the fish thoroughly in cold water. Cut it into thick steaks or chunks. Thick pieces stay moist inside the crust. Rub the fish with lemon juice and salt. Let it sit for fifteen minutes. Rinse it thoroughly in cold water. Pat every piece completely dry. Mix all the marinade ingredients together.
2. Rub the paste over every piece of fish. Work it into any cuts or crevices. Cover it over and refrigerate it. Give it at least one full hour. Put the gram flour in a large bowl. Add the rice flour to it as well. Add the crushed ajwain seeds to it.
3. Add the baking powder and a little salt. Adding the water in takes care. Add the water gradually, whisking as you go. Add the egg as well if you are using it.
4. Whisk it until it is completely smooth. It should coat the back of a spoon thickly. Cover the bowl and let it stand. Give it about twenty minutes to rest. Whisk it again before using it. Heating the oil takes attention. Pour the oil into a deep heavy pot. Fill it no more than half full.
5. Heat it to about one hundred and eighty degrees. It should rise and sizzle at once. Keep a lid nearby to smother a flare-up. Never put water on an oil fire at all.
6. Keep children well away from the pot. Wet fish also spits violently in hot oil. Dip a piece of fish into the batter. Turn it to coat it all over evenly. Lift it out and let the excess drip off. Excess batter gives a thick heavy crust. Let it drip for a moment before frying. The coating should be even and thin. Turn them gently with a slotted spoon. Give them another three or four minutes.
7. Fry it once until pale and lift it out. Lift them out onto a wire rack. A rack keeps the crust crisp underneath. Let all the excess oil drip away. Dust chaat masala over the hot fish. Squeeze a little lemon over as well. Serving them is done immediately and hot. Pile them onto a serving plate. Serve raw onion rings alongside. Serve green chutney with them. They must be eaten hot from the pan.

Technique

• Gram flour has no gluten, which gives a short crisp coating and a distinctive nutty flavour where wheat flour would give a softer chewier crust; a quarter rice flour or cornflour alongside makes it crisper still, since gram flour alone can go slightly soft.
• Chaat masala is dusted on after frying rather than before, since its amchur and black salt lose their punch when heated; on hot fish it stays sharp and sticks to the surface.
• Marinate for an hour or two but never overnight: the lemon and salt begin to cure the fish, and long marinating turns the flesh mushy. Ajwain is powerful and easy to overdo, and too much makes the batter taste medicinal and bitter.

Substitutions

• Any firm white fish stands in for rohu or singhara.
• Rice flour or cornflour alongside the gram flour makes the crust crisper.

Variations

• Some shops fry it twice for a considerably crisper crust.
• An egg in the batter gives a slightly richer coating.
• It is served with raw onion, lemon and green chutney.

History

Winter speciality of Lahore’s Mohni Road fish shops, traditionally made with rohu and singhara from Punjab’s rivers.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lahori Fried Fish?

Lahori Fried Fish is a street food from Pakistan: batter of gram flour and ajwain around river fish, fried and dusted with chaat masala. Winter speciality of Lahore’s Mohni Road fish shops, traditionally made with rohu and singhara from Punjab’s rivers.

How long does Lahori Fried Fish take to make?

Lahori Fried Fish takes 30 minutes plus marinating of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Lahori Fried Fish?

Yes, within limits. Any firm white fish stands in for rohu or singhara. Rice flour or cornflour alongside the gram flour makes the crust crisper.

What is the most important thing to get right in Lahori Fried Fish?

Heat it to about one hundred and eighty degrees. It should rise and sizzle at once. Keep a lid nearby to smother a flare-up. Never put water on an oil fire at all.