How to Cook Indian-Style Fried Fish with Carrot-Coconut Chutney

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients needed to make Indian-Style Fried Fish with Carrot-Coconut Chutney:

For the fish:

• 2 medium white fish fillers, skin and bones removed
• 3 ½ oz gram flour, plus more for dusting
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp black poppy seeds
•  Vegetables oil, for deep-frying
• 5 fl oz chilled sparkling water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Lemon wedges, for serving
• Finely chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

For the chutney:

• 7 oz fresh coconut, grated
• 7 oz carrots, grated
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 2 green chilies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Cooking instructions for Indian-Style Fried Fish with Carrot-Coconut Chutney:

• Place the gram flour in a large bowl and stir in the poppy seeds, ground spices, a pinch of salt and fair amount of black pepper until well combined.
• Pour in the sparkling water in a steady stream while beating it into the mixture until they blend together to form a uniform, smooth batter.
• Pour vegetables oil in a heavy-bottomed, deep skillet to fill half of the latter and heat for half a minute so that it sizzles when a breadcrumb in dropped into it.
• Dust the gram flour on either side of each fish to dredge well and dip them into the batter to coat properly.
• Allow the excess to drip off and lower them carefully into hot oil.
• Deep fry them for a couple of minutes, flipping them a couple of times, until the outside coating turns crispy golden brown.
• Drain them out using slotted spoon into a baking pan, lined with paper towels and keep warm in an oven, preheated to lowest temperature.
• To make the chutney, place all its ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle a dash of seasonings over them.
• Stir them all together until well combined and spoon them onto serving plates.
• Place a fried fish on each plate, beside the chutney and sprinkle the chopped cilantro on top.
• Serve warm alongside lemon wedges.

 Image credit: Wikimedia Commons