Kerala Masala Fish Fry South Indian Style

For every dinner, lunch, and sometimes breakfast, fish fry is served at my in-law’s house. Sometimes two kinds, along with a prawn curry and a chicken curry.Served with softly cooked rice, dal or sambhar, and pappadam- the Kerala papad. Suffice it to say I got quite a training in making and eating fish fry with every meal. Though I have been making this for over a decade, it has taken me this long to record and publish this dish because it’s taken so long to perfect it. I have been nagging all the moms, grannies, and uncles who make fish fry. I have had conversations with so many Malalyali chefs about this.Fish fry is also called meen varuthathu in kerala.

Ingredients for Kerala Fish Fry

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this delicious recipe See the recipe card for quantities.

How to masala fish fry

Step 1: Make the Marinade

Chop the curry leaves finely. Mix everything except the fish and oil together. Add one tablespoon of water to make it into a thick paste.

Step 2: Marinate the fish

Using gentle hands, coat the fish with masala paste. Let it marinate for 15 -20 minutes at least. The more time the fish marinates in the masala, the better it will taste. I recommend marinating the fish for 12 hours in the refrigerator for the best results. If I am meal prepping, I wrap each fish piece in plastic wrap and freeze it.I take out one at a time and fry with my dinners.

Step 3: Fry the fish

I only shallow fry the fish. You can use a nonstick or a well-seasoned cast iron pan to fry the fish. Heat the pan first. Add oil and let it heat through. This is important. Otherwise, the fish will stick to the bottom of the pan. If needed, slather the marinade on the fish again. Place the fish gently in the oil. Cook until the fish leaves the pan and turns brown. This takes a bit of practice, and I find that a thin spatula or a turner works to see the color of the fish. Repeat for the rest of the fish.

Variations

You could give this recipe so many different delicious twists-

Spicy Green fish fry- Instead of red chilly powder, grind one green chili with fresh coriander leaves. Proceed with the recipe as it is. Rawa fry-Skip the rice flour and marinate the fish with the rest of the ingredients. Before frying the fish, gently press semolina (rawa) into it. Fry as per the recipe instructions.

Storage

If you are not eating the fried fish in a couple of hours, leftover fish can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Freezer- Instead of storing cooked fish, I usually freeze individual pieces marinated fish. Just thaw and fry as per the instructions. Reheat- To reheat cold fish fry, you can either microwave it or heat it in a pan.

Serving Masala Fish fry

In India, Fish fry is served as a side dish or an appetizer.

Low Carb Meal - I usually serve this with my house vegetable soup and green coriander chutney as a healthy dinner. Everyday Indian Meal- Serve this with soft rice and dal.Maybe a stir-fried vegetable or potatoes. or serve with curd rice. South Indian feast- The way my mother-in-law serves it- Kerala style chicken curry, soft rice, potato fry, pappadam, stir-fried ladies finger. Sometimes a chicken 65 or a kerala style roast chicken is also added.