Name: Fish Pakora
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 400 gm fish (Katla, cut into 10 to 12 small pieces); 1/2 tbsp lemon (juice); ½ tsp salt; 2 tbsp refined wheat flour (maida); 3 tbsp corn flour; Salt (To taste); 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder; 1 piece egg; 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste; ¼ tsp turmeric powder; ½ tsp cumin powder; ¼ tsp dry red chili powder; Salt (To taste); 1 tsp coriander leaves (finely chopped); 2 pieces green chilies (cut into small pieces); Water (1 bowl); Mustard oil (as required); 4 pieces Fresh green chilies (whole, with their stalk)

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Fish pakora is made by mixing fish pieces with ginger garlic paste, coriander leaves and other spices. The pieces are then coated with a spicy batter and fried to perfection in mustard oil. Go through my recipe to learn the process of making fish pakoras at home and surprise your guest.

Table of Contents

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Fish pakora is a delicious snack item and can be made easily at home.

Serve fish pakoras with a cool mint yogurt dip, sweet and tangy tamarind chutney, spicy tomato sauce, lemon wedges, pickled onions, coriander chutney, or simply with chaat masala sprinkled on them.
Fish pakora offers a juicy and spicy taste with a hint of savory undertone.
Fish fry and shrimp pakoras render a similar taste as fish pakoras.

The Ingredients:

To marinate the fish pieces:

400 gm fish (Katla, cut into 10 to 12 small pieces)

1/2 tbsp lemon (juice)
½ tsp salt

To make the powder mixture:

2 tbsp refined wheat flour (maida)
3 tbsp corn flour
Salt – To taste

2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder

To prepare the fish batter:

1 piece egg

1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp cumin powder

¼ tsp dry red chili powder
Salt – To taste
1 tsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)

2 pieces green chilies (cut into small pieces)

To coat the fish pieces:

Water – 1 bowl

To fry the fish pakoras:

Mustard oil – as required

To garnish the fish pakoras (optional):

4 pieces green chilies (whole, with their stalk)

I chanced upon this unique recipe at a festival stall in Kolkata. The taste haunted me afterward, so I set out my mind to recreate it one day at home all by myself. The ingredients weren’t complicated or hard to find in any Indian kitchen, but it is the technique and preparation that mattered most.

Initially, I failed twice, but by the third time, I was very close to tasting success. As time passed, I perfected it and made my own. Now, it’s my once-a-year tradition to remember that night and all the noise and colors that came with it.

How to Make Fish Pakora? (Step by Step Guide with Images)

Step 1: To marinate the fish pieces, take 400 gm of fresh Katla fish (cut into 10 to 12 small pieces) in a bowl and add about ½ tsp of salt and lemon juice of half a lemon. Mix them nicely with all the pieces of fish and keep the bowl aside for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 2: Now, to make the powder mixture, take a separate bowl and put 2 tbsp of refined wheat flour (maida), 3 tbsp of corn flour, 2 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, salt to taste, and mix everything nicely. Do not add any water to it. Keep it aside.

(Pro tip: The amount of corn flour must always be more than the amount of refined wheat flour in the mixture).

Step 3: Now, to prepare the marinated fish, put 1 egg, 1 tsp of ginger and garlic paste, ¼ tsp of turmeric powder, ½ tsp of cumin powder, ¼ tsp of dry red chili powder, 1 tsp of fresh coriander leaves (finely chopped), 2 pieces of fresh green chilies (cut into small pieces), and salt to taste into the bowl containing the marinated fish pieces. Mix them all nicely.

(Pro tip: There may be juice in the fish bowl secreted due to the salt and lemon juice added to the fish pieces. Make sure that you discard it).

Step 4: Now, put about 1 tbsp of the powdered mixture into it and mix it nicely. This will help the spices and ingredients to stick to the fish pieces nicely.

Step 5: Now, take a bowl of water alongside the bowl of the refined wheat flour and corn flour mixture and the bowl of fish pieces in the batter.

Step 6: Put each of the fish pieces into the bowl containing the powdered mixture, and coat it nicely with it. Dip the piece in the bowl of water and take it out quickly. Coat it again with the spices in the batter and then in the powdered mixture. Keep it aside on a separate plate. Repeat this process for every piece of fish you have taken.

(Pro tip: If you do not want to dip the pieces in water, you can skip it and coat the fish pieces with the batter and powder twice. However, dipping it in cold water will make the pieces crispier).

Step 7: Now, take a wok, put adequate amount of mustard oil in it and heat it on a high flame for 5 minutes. When the oil heats up, turn the flame to low and put the pieces of fish carefully in it. Add 2 to 3 pieces in every batch. Do not overcrowd as that will let each piece cook nicely. Turn them and fry them nicely on both sides until they turn golden in color. Remove them to a plate when done.

(Pro tip: The oil quantity depends on the number of pieces. For healthier cooking, use less oil for shallow frying, as excessive oil in deep frying is not advisable. Place a tissue paper on the plate to absorb any excess oil if you’re health-conscious).

Step 8: Your tasty and spicy homemade fish pakoras are now ready to be served. Put them on a plate and serve them hot with or without a chutney. However, as I have done, you may put 3 to 4 pieces of fresh whole green chilies with their stalk in the oil, fry them for about a couple of seconds, take them out quickly, and garnish the pakoras with them.