heenie's food blog

Isn’t it astonishing that fish is considered a ” Winter Food” in many parts of Pakistan? In central region of the country you will see fish being served in restaurants and dhabbas only in December and January with the caption, “Sardiyon ke khaas soghat” (special winter treat). I find it quite amusing actually mainly because I was raised in Karachi which is a coastal city and fish was (and is!) available whole year round and this idea of “Winter Fish” was a bit absurd to me. Later I understood that other parts of the country don’t get such abundant fresh sea fish supply as the coastal cities do and they mostly rely on fresh water fish farms. There is obviously a striking difference between sea water and fresh water fish in terms of available varieties and the smell and taste of fish plus the texture of fish is very different. Another difference that I see is the way fish is cooked. Most people prefer it fried!

This one is similar to Lahori Style Fried Fish that has already been shared on the blog in terms of dominant desi flavor. If you look at the list of ingredients they are absolute familiar to any desi household and there is not a single ingredient that is not already in the kitchen cabinet, apart from gluten free baking flour which is definitely not present in any kitchen where there is no gluten restriction. And if this is the case, check out the Notes at the end of the recipe details and you will find what you are looking for.

For Tawa Fried Fish, we need, of course, fish. I use frozen fish fillets because my kids simply won’t eat fish with bones. Both fresh or frozen and with or without bones fish will work for this recipe. You might need to adjust frying time according to the size of fish fillet or pieces. Keep them medium sized for ease in handling and no-fuss frying. For frozen fish, thaw according to the instructions on packaging and make sure that maximum water is drained before marination. Pat dry with a kitchen towel if necessary but do not leave it all soaked in water as it would make the batter runny which means coating will not stick well to the fish and it won’t look good at all.

First, marinate with basic salt, white vinegar and Ginger Paste and Garlic Paste. This helps to eliminate any unpleasant smell and will make the fish flesh more flavorful. Refrigerate for a couple of hours. Then mix other ingredients that include egg, basic seasoning and spices with more tangy kick from lemon and gluten free baking flour. I used Asmr’s gluten free baking flour which is a local supplier of gluten free flours. You can also try Homemade Gluten Free Baking Flour for this. Just like most of desi recipes, this one in flexible too in terms of spice adjustment. I prefer mild spice level but feel free to increase hotness if you are that adventurous. After this second marination, refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight and simply take out of the fridge for frying when required.

As the name suggests, it is fried on a tawa which is a round, thick metallic cooking utensil we use for making roti. If you don’t have a tawa, frying pan works just fine but make sure NOT TO DEEP FRY. This style requires shallow frying which means fish is partially submerged in hot oil rather than being completely dipped in it. Make sure not to add too many pieces at the same time for frying as it will cool the oil temperature quickly and fish will become soggy. Carefully place each piece in the hot oil to keep the fish covered well in batter. Let each side cook well before flipping to keep the batter coating uniform. Serve hot with lemon garnish with chutney. Green Mint and Coriander Chutney and Aalo Bukara Chutney ( Dry Plum Chutney ) will compliment this fish well.

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TAWA FRIED FISH

This batter coated coated fish has all the desi flavors and it is shallow fried on traditional tawa.

 Course Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

 Cuisine Pakistani

 Keyword fied fish, gluten free fried fish, tawa fried fish

 Prep Time 20 minutes

 Cook Time 30 minutes

 Author Heenie

INGREDIENTS

• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 kg fish, fillets or pieces see Notes
• 1 whole egg
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ⅓ tsp tumeric powder
• ¾-1 tsp red chilli flakes
• ½-¾ tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp white cumin seeds, slightly crushed
• ½ cup gluten free baking flour see Notes
• oil for frying
• lemon slices and onion rings for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a mixing bowl combine salt, ginger paste, garlic paste with white vinegar.
2. Whisk well to combine.
3. Put fish pieces in the bowl and mix well coat each piece.
4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
5. In another small mixing bowl whisk together egg, lemon juice, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, tumeric, red chilli flakes, garam masala powder and white cumin seeds.
6. Add in gluten free baking flour and mix well.
7. Take marinated fish out of the refrigerator and pour this mixture over fish.
8. Using spatula or fork, mix everything together so that each piece gets coated.
9. Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate again for at least an hour.
10. Heat cooking oil on a clean, dry tawa over medium flame. (Or use a frying pan)
11. Pick one coated piece at a time and carefully place in heated oil. Do not slide fish otherwise the batter will slip off.
12. Do not over crowd the tawa/frying pan. Place 3-4 pieces maximum at a time, depending on the size of tawa or frying pan.
13. There should be enough oil to cover fish pieces about three quarters from the sides.
14. Let fish fry thoroughly, about 4-5 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the fish pieces/fillets.
15. Flip carefully with a spatula or a flat frying spoon and let the other side get fried completely.
16. Repeat with all the remaining fish fillets/pieces.
17. Serve hot with lemon and onion garnish with chutney.¼

RECIPE NOTES

• Use fresh or frozen fish. Clean and wash thoroughly and make sure to drain all the water before marination otherwise fish would become too watery. 
• For a non gluten free version, use quarter cup of all purpose flour (maida) with quarter cup of corn flour.
• Feel free to adjust spice level according to preference.