From the classic fish & chips to a spicy Rava fry, fish fries are the ultimate comfort food. It’s even better when you enjoy it fresh off the pan, crispy, juicy and all-round delicious! However, if making fried fish at home is intimidating to you, worry not! We’ve got some tips for you that will have you making tender yet crispy fish fries, in no time!
Get the right fish and the right cut!
Fillets and steaks are most often used and make the best fried fish as they cook through quickly and evenly. We have got a wide variety of fish in these cuts, from Tilapia fillets to Seer steaks. If you enjoy frying whole fish, we have a lot of options for you to pick from, too!
Keep it simple
Frying your fish can be as easy as coating your fish in a simple marinade & pan-frying it – like this Karimeen Fish Fry recipe. This recipe uses simple ingredients such as lemon juice, garlic paste and chilli powder to name a few. Feel free to add in your own choice of spices and cater it to your taste.

Prep Time | 1 hour |
Cook Time | 30 minutes |
Servings |
people
|
- 2 Whole large Karimeen Pearl Spot
- 1 tbsp Garlic paste
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1½ tbsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp Black pepper powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Coconut Oil as required
- salt to taste
Ingredients
|
![]() ![]() ![]() |
- Unpack your Licious Karimeen. Make 3/4 slits in the skin at equal distance.
- Take a small bowl and add red chilli powder, black pepper powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice and salt. Add a tablespoon of water and mix the ingredients to make a thick paste.
- Apply the marination paste over the fish. Make sure to apply the paste in the slits. Refrigerate the fish for an hour.
- Heat some coconut oil in a pan. Once it is hot enough, place the fish and fry for about 6-12 minutes on low flame. When both the sides turn golden, remove from the pan. Serve hot with steamed rice.
We know this Karimeen Fish Fry will transport you to Kerala. Picture yourself on a houseboat, sanguinely floating along. As the sun sets, you're served a freshly deep-fried fish with lemon wedges on the side and some steaming rice, perfection! Don’t wait, order your Pearl Spot now and give this recipe a whirl. You’ll love it!
Recipe Tip
Make sure you coat the masala paste in the stomach cavity of the fish. If the paste is runny, you can add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour to it. This helps the paste to set nicely on the fish.
Share your version of this recipe
How do you make Karimeen Fish Fry at home? What ingredients do you use? Share your version with us!
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I add in place of lemon juice?
If lemon juice is not available, then you can add vinegar or soaked tamarind water to the marination paste.
Can I deep-fry this fish?
Yes. You can deep-fry the fish. However, make sure to add cornflour to the marination paste.
Using a whole fish? Slit it
Cut along the surface of the fish before marinating it. This allows the marinade to be absorbed well, and for the fish to be cooked through evenly. This Mackerel Fish Fry is a great example of this and will make for the perfect appetiser.



Prep Time | 10 minutes |
Cook Time | 10 minutes |
Servings |
people
|
- 500 grams Mackerel
- 1 ½ tsp thick ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp red chilli flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 sprigs Curry leaves finely chopped
- ½ tsp plain vinegar
- 3 tbsp Coconut Oil or peanut oil
- ¼ cup Coconut Oil or peanut oil
- Few sprigs curry leaves
- Few strips ginger
Ingredients
For Marination
For Fish Fry
|
![]() ![]() ![]() |
- Make small slits on the fish with a sharp knife. Take a small bowl and add all the marinade ingredients to it. Mix the masalas and apply the marinade on the fish. Make sure the marinade is coated properly onto the fish. Fill the masala in the slits as much as possible. Let the fish refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Take a pan and heat the coconut oil in it. Once it is hot, gently place the fish in the pan. Then add a few sprigs of curry leaves and ginger julienne. Cook the fish for 2-3 minutes on each side on medium-low flame until it is crunchy and brown. Serve hot with steamed rice.
Recipe Tip Make sure to not disturb the fish for a few minutes once it hits the pan. This will ensure the masala remains stuck to the fish while frying. Share your version of this recipe How do you make Mackerel Fish Fry at home? What ingredients do you use to marinate the fish? Share your version with us. Frequently Asked Questions Can I make a water-based marinade? Yes. You can add the masalas and mix them. Then you can add water and 1 tablespoon of rice flour, cornflour and all-purpose flour. Make sure the marinade paste is not too runny. When should I place the fish in the oil for frying? Make sure the oil is smoky hot. Then lower the flame and place the fish in the oil for frying.
Crumbing made easy
People widely enjoy crumb-coated fish fries, but find them hard to do. Nobody likes a crumbly crumb. To avoid this, double coating your fish is the best option. Try out this quick, double dip method that we’ve used in our Bhetki Fry recipe!



Prep Time | 1.5 hours |
Cook Time | 30 minutes |
Servings |
people
|
- 500 grams Fish Fillets
- Lemon juice of 1 lemon
- Salt
- 150 grams Coriander leaves
- 4-5 Green Chillies
- 10-12 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp Green Chilli sauce
Ingredients
For Marination
|
![]() ![]() ![]() |
- Take the fish fillets, marinate them in the salt and lime juice mix for 20 minutes. Then make the second marinade. Take a blender and add coriander leaves, chilli sauce, green chillies, and garlic cloves. Blend them into a fine paste. Then add this paste to the bowl and coat the fish fillets. Marinate the fish for another hour.
- Take a deep frying pan and heat some oil in it. Add the coated fish fillets and fry them over medium flame. The fish fillets should turn brown from all sides. Serve hot.
Recipe Tip While you coat the fish with breadcrumbs make sure to give the fish a nice shape using your fingers.
Share your version of this recipe How do you make Bhetki fish fry at home? Share your version with us!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add chopped onions to the marinade paste? Yes. You can add chopped onions to the marinade ingredients and blend them into a paste.
Can I season the breadcrumbs? Yes. You can season the breadcrumbs with salt and pepper powder.
Deep-fry with ease
For the smoothest batter-fry, keep this in mind: don’t overcrowd your pan & fry for 2-3 mins in total, especially when you’re using smaller fish like in this Topse Fry. Overcrowding your pan lowers the temperature of the oil and will make your fish soggy, which is a major no-no!



Prep Time | 1hour 45 minutes |
Cook Time | 45 minutes |
Servings |
people
|
- 8-10 pieces Topse Fish or Mango Fish
- 1 cup Gram Flour
- Half tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp Red Chili Powder
- 1 tbsp Garlic paste
- 1 tbsp Ginger Paste
- One Pinch Baking Soda
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp onion paste
- 1 tbsp Onion Seeds
- Oil for deep frying
- water
Ingredients
|
![]() ![]() ![]() |
- 1. Marinate the fishes with lemon juice, salt and turmeric. Keep it aside for 60 minutes.
- Take a bowl and mix gram-flour, garlic paste, ginger paste, onion paste baking soda, red chili powder, turmeric, onion seeds and salt. Add water to form a smooth batter.
- Heat oil in a deep-frying pan.
- Coat the marinated fishes with the batter and deep-fry in the pan.
- Flip the sides of the fish, and fry until it turns golden-brown in color on both sides.
- Take it out and serve it hot with your favorite sauce or dip.
- Try this recipe at home and share the picture on our Licious Facebook page.
Craving fish fry ASAP?
We’ll deliver our ready-to-cook Amritsari Fish to you freshly batter-coated, and it will cooks in under 10 mins! We marinate basa fillets in a mix of chilli, vinegar and a few other great spices to give you a flavourful fish that’s all ready to be fried. Sprinkle some chaat masala and serve.