Amritsari fish is a spicy and tangy deep-fried snack native to the Punjab region. Every culture in the world has their version of fried fish. There is something deeply satisfying about fried stuff, no doubt.
Amritsari fried fish is made by coating fish in a spicy and tangy chickpeas flour batter and then deep-frying in oil. Sometimes malt vinegar is used to marinate the fish. I simply used lemon juice. And instead of deep-frying the fish, I made a light batter and pan-fried the pieces. Salmon is what I used this time. I simply love its hearty flavor.
After frying all the fish, I had lots of marinade/batter leftover, which I used to fry up some thick potato wedges.
And this is how I made my version of Amritsari fish and chips. Spicy and tangy, the fish and potatoes were gone in no time at all. This fish can be served as an appetizer or snack or even as a main meal along with rice or rotis.
The fish is traditionally served with fresh onion slices, chat masala (a smoky, tangy Indian spice blend) and lime. It is finger-licking delicious, really easy to make and the recipe can easily be scaled up to feed a large party crowd.
- Fish fillets - 2 lb, cut into thick strips
- Lemon - 1
- Salt - to taste
- Chickpea flour (besan) - 3 tbsp
- Red chili powder - 2 tsp
- Cumin powder - 1 tsp
- Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
- Amchur powder - 2 tsp
- Cornstarch - 1 tbsp, heaped
- Yogurt - ¼ cup
- Oil - 3 tbsp
- Chat masala - to garnish
- Cilantro leaves - to garnish
- Onion slices - to garnish
- Clean and wash fish. Pat dry with paper towels. Marinate fish with the juice from a lemon and ½ tsp salt.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add chickpea flour, red chili powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder. Roast for a couple of minutes, stirring often till you get a nice aroma.
- Tip this into a large mixing bowl. Add amchur powder and cornstarch and whisk together. Add enough yogurt to make a thick paste/batter.
- Add the fish to this batter and combine well. Set aside for half an hour if possible.
- Heat oil in a large skillet. Place fish pieces in the hot oil, shaking off excess marinade and pan fry the fish till nicely browned on all sides. Do this in batches if you have to. Alternately, you can deep fry the fish till golden brown.
- Serve fish garnished with cilantro leaves, a generous sprinkling of chat masala and lots of raw onion slices.
2. I added a bit of cornstarch to get a crispy exterior. It is completely optional.
3. Feel free to use the leftover batter to fry up some vegetables like I did with potatoes.
Serve up this spicy fish fry for Super Bowl Sunday and wow your guests!
Do you like fried fish? Do try this Amritsari fish recipe the next time you want to try something different.
Go here to see more finger food or party appetizers.
If you like this post, please follow this blog via Email to get post updates and also my Social Media pages (find subscription box on the right side of this page, or scroll down in mobile version). Thank you!
I am sharing this over at Fiesta Friday, FoodieFriDIY and Saucy Saturdays.
the dish is so delicious,i made at my home, it came well.
Thank you for trying, Nancy 🙂
This looks Soo good! Would love to give this a try soon.
Please do, Rekha. It is quite different from a Kerala fish fry, but very yummy!!
Fish always makes me go weak in the knees. What better way to eat fish than this!!!
Please give this a try then!!
This again looks lovely! I’m getting hungry! What is amchur powder by the way? I hv not come across that ingredient before.. 🙂
Thank you, Ann. Amchur is dried mango powder, added to give a tangy flavor. You may substitute with fresh lime juice.
Ahhh! I wonder if I could get it here in Thailand. Fresh lime juice is an easier substitute. Thanks for the tips!
The Amritsari fish fry looks and sounds delicious, Anjana. Thanks for bringing to the fiesta! 🙂
Thank you, Ahila!!
Looks absolutely delicious. I love crispy fired fish, but I have never tried chickpea flour before, very interesting. Thanks for sharing and happy FF!
Thank you, Lily 🙂
This recipe would be a nice addition to my very few fish recipes. This looks really good! 😀
Thank you, Jhuls!