Fish Fry With Green Masala & Black Pepper

On a rare occasion, husband requested me to make Fish Fry. This time around, I wanted to try something different so I experimented Fish Fry with Green Masala and Black Pepper. I also used lime juice to tenderise the meat. The resultant, Fish Fry was well received and appreciated. One can opt for - Fish Naked Fry which is fish smeared with the masala directly going on the pan for shallow fry or Fish Rawa Fry which is fish smeared with masala and rolled in seasoned Rawa, and then shallow fried. Adding freshly crushed whole black Pepper added a different depth to the fish. If one has Hirwa Thecha made before hand, that paste can also be used thereby saving some time. Adding lime juice, made the fish fillet juicy and tender. We both liked this variety of Fish Fry and plan to make more often!

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Marinade for: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Fish fillet (skinless and boneless) - 8-12 pieces

Whole Black Pepper corns - 8-10

Lime juice - 1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon

Sooji or Rawa - 1-1/2 cup

Red Chilli powder - 1/3 teaspoon

Salt

Oil

Green Masala -

Ginger - 1" piece

Garlic - 4 pods

Coriander leaves - 5-8 strands

Mint leaves - a fistful of tender leaves

Green Chillies - 2

Method:

Thaw the fish if using frozen ones at room temperature. For a quick thaw - immerse in warm water and bring to room temperature. Wash in multiple change of water till clear. Pat dry all the pieces with kitchen paper towel. Transfer to a clean mixing dish. Season with salt and freshly crushed whole black pepper corns. I use my regular pestle and mortar to crush the seeds. Mix and leave aside. Grind all the ingredients of Green Masala to a wet paste with less or no water. Smear this paste liberally on the fish on either sides. Add 1 tablespoon lime juice. Mix gently and leave to steep for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes has elapsed, roll the fish pieces in Rawa (seasoned with a hint of red chilli powder and salt) and shallow fry on both the sides for around 5-8 minutes each. Once the crust is golden, turn off the flame. Drizzle some lime juice and serve hot with white Rice and Daal.