Rava Fish Fry (Mangalorean Style)

This rava fish fry is a crispy pan-fried fish, made with a spicy marinade, and a light rava (semolina) coating. It's a quick 30-minute recipe made with simple ingredients, and tastes amazing as a starter or side dish with rice and curry.

Rava fish fry is a staple in Goan and Mangalorean cuisine. I love making this rava fry at home. It is so easy that I end up cooking it almost every week. If you enjoy fish fry recipes, you will also like our Goan kingfish fry, mackerel fry, or fish masala fry.

The aroma of fish frying in the pan is so good that it makes you hungry instantly. We usually enjoy it with steamed rice and dal for lunch. You can also serve it as a starter with green chutney, onion rings, and lemon wedges.

This rava fried fish is great for meal prep. You can marinate the fish in masala and store it in the freezer. Whenever needed, just thaw it and fry, within 10 minutes, a delicious side dish is ready.

Ingredients Notes

• Fish fillet: I have used Kingfish (Iswan) to make this rava fish fry recipe. You can use any other fish like Bangda (Mackerel), Pomfret, etc.
• Ginger-garlic paste: You can get readymade paste easily from stores. Or you can make it at home. Blend 10-12 garlic cloves & 1-inch ginger (roughly chopped) to a fine paste.
• Red chili powder: I have used a combination of Kashmiri red chili powder & spicy red chili powder. Kashmiri red chili powder gives a bright red color to the fish marinade and is mild.
• Tamarind paste: For authentic Mangalorean style fish rava fry, soak a small lemon-sized tamarind ball in ½ cup hot water for 10 minutes and squeeze out the pulp. You can also substitute with equal lemon juice or 1 teaspoon vinegar
• Rava: I have used fine rava (semolina). Coating the fish in rava helps the fish to fry crisp. Substitute it with rice flour.
• Oil: Traditionally, in Karnataka, we use coconut oil for fish fry. You can shallow fry it with any cooking oil with a neutral flavor and high smoke point.

Substitutes and Variations

• Other fish options: The same masala works well with Bangda (Mackerel), Pomfret, or any firm fish.
• Vegetable fry: Slice vegetables like potato or brinjal into rounds, coat with the masala and rava, and shallow fry until crisp. Perfect for veg days or Shravan month.

How to make Rava Fish Fry

Step 1: In a small bowl, mix ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, salt, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and tamarind paste. Your fish masala or fish marinade is ready, Set it aside.

Step 2: Take the fish fillet and spread a thin layer of fish masala over it, making sure to cover the sides as well. If the paste it too thick, add 1 teaspoon of water, mix and spread it over the fish.

Step 3: Take a plate and spread rava evenly on it. Place the marinated fish on the plate and gently press so it sticks well. Flip the fish and coat the other side too.

Step 4: Set these rava coated fish aside on a plate.

Step 5: Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. Place the coated fish in the pan and shallow fry.

Step 6: Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side until crisp, then flip and fry for 3-4 minutes on the other side. Remove, serve hot, and enjoy.

Recipe Tips

• Make-ahead fish masala: You can prepare the fish masala in advance and store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 15 days.
• Tamarind substitute: Use an equal amount of lemon juice or 1 teaspoon of vinegar instead of tamarind.
• Marination time: For best flavor, marinate the fish in the masala for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator. After marinating, coat the fish with rava and shallow fry.
• Storing marinated fish: After applying the masala, you can freeze the fish in an airtight container for up to a week. Defrost on the kitchen counter before coating with rava and frying.
• Fish frying tips: Make sure the oil is hot but not smoking. If the oil is too hot, the fish will burn on the outside and stay uncooked inside.
• Cooking method: I usually shallow fry the fish at home, but you can deep fry it if you prefer.

Recipe FAQs

If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other amazing Mangalorean recipes:

• Prawn Ghee Roast
• Chicken Ghee Roast

Recipe Card

Mangalorean Style Rava Fish Fry

Mangalorean Style Rava Fish Fry is a crispy fried fish recipe. Fish fillets marinated in spicy homemade masala, coated with rava (semolina) and pan-fried until crisp. A quick & easy side dish that can be made in less than 30-minutes.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, mangalorean

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 fish-fillet

Calories: 193kcal

Author: Preeti Nayak

Equipment

• ▢
  Frying pan

Ingredients

To make fish masala

• ▢ 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder + 1 teaspoon spicy red chili powder
• ▢ salt to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coriander Powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tamarind paste or use 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Other ingredients:

• ▢ 5 fish fillet
• ▢ ¾ cup fine rava (semolina)
• ▢ 6-7 tablespoon oil (divided)

Instructions

Preparations:

• Soak a small lemon size tamarind ball in ½ cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Gently squeeze out the pulp. Set this aside. Tamarind pulp is ready.

Making Fish Fry Masala

• In a small mixing bowl, combine ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, salt, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and tamarind paste. Fish masala is ready. Set it aside.
• Now take the fish fillet and apply thin layer of fish masala over it. Make sure to apply the masala on the sides.
• Take a plate & spread rava over it. Place the marinated fish on this plate. Gently press the fish on it so that it gets coated well with rava. Flip the fish & coat it on the other side too. Set it aside.
• Repeat the step 2 & 3 with the rest of the fish fillet. Keep them ready.

Frying the fish

• Heat 3 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat. ‘
• Place the fish on the pan & shallow fry it.
• Let the fish fry on one side for 3-4 minutes until it is crisp.
• Flip it & fry for 3-4 minute on the other side too.
• Remove, serve hot & enjoy.

Video

Notes

• You can make the fish masala in advance. Transfer it to an airtight container. Store it in the freezer for longer shelf life. Use it within 15 days.
• Do not add all the tamarind paste you prepared. Add the tamarind paste 1 teaspoon at a time & mix. Make sure you make a thick masala. If the masala is too thin then the fish will not get coated well with the masala.
• Substitute the tamarind with either lemon juice or vinegar. Add the same quantity of lemon juice or use 1 teaspoon of vinegar.
• For best flavors let the fish marinate in the fish masala for a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour. Store it in the refrigerator. After 30 minutes, coat it with rava & crisp fry it.
• After applying the masala to the fish fillet, you can store it in an airtight container in the freezer. It stays good for a week. However, the flavor decreases with time. Whenever needed, take it out & place it on the kitchen counter to defrost. Then coat it with rava & shallow fry it.
• If you find it difficult to apply the masala with your hands then use a spoon to coat the fish with the masala.
• Add the red chili powder as per taste.
• Using Kashmiri red chili powder is optional. It gives a deep red color to the fish masala. It is not spicy, so I added spicy red chili powder.

Nutrition

Calories: 193kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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