Bee Gill Fish in a spiced gram flour batter
Crunchy Fish Pakoras go down a treat in my household. They are so easy to pull together and they have a fabulous flavour – the fish coated with the spice mixture is beautiful, firm yet flaky and the coating is crunchy. It’s a really great combination of ingredients.
My daughter in law actually makes these for my grandson – with less spices of course. He’s 4 and he loves them – a great way for him to get his protein fix.
Sometimes I drizzle them with a little Balsamic Glaze before serving – the bitter sweetness of the glaze works so well with the fish and spices.
Don’t confuse these for Amritsari Fish Pakora – that’s a completely different kettle of fish (no pun intended). Also, feel free to use any other white fish of your choice if you prefer.
Ingredients
Preparation 10 minutes – cooking time 10 minutes
Oil for shallow frying
Half cup cold water
Thick chunky cod fillets cut into cubes
1½ cups gram flour (besan)
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon chaat masala – keep a little aside for garnish
1 teaspoon salt
6 garlic cloves – finely minced
2 inch piece of ginger – finely minced
Juice of a lemon
Method
- Mix all the ingredients bar the fish into a non metallic bowl making sure there are no lumps until you have created a nice thick but runny batter
- Fold in the fish pieces, ensuring they are all coated thoroughly with the batter
- In a shallow pan heat the oil. You can check if it is ready for your fish by dropping in a little bit of the batter – if it rises to the top – it’s ready
- Fry the fish on a medium to low heat turning occasionally until the fish is cooked – there should be no moisture when you break a piece in half – the coating should be crunchy
- DO NOT drain on kitchen paper – this makes the pakora soggy – drain straight onto a baking tray or plate
- Sprinkle with chaat masala and serve hot with a chutney or alternatively drizzle with a little Balsamic Glaze
