This pan fried Mackerel recipe gives you a perfectly crispy and flavorful fish fry. It is made with Mackerel fish with a golden, spiced crust, all in under 30 minutes. Serve it as an appetizer with your favorite dip or side dish with rice and curry. Let’s see how to make this crispy mackerel fish fry recipe easily at home.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time25 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4
Author: Preeti
Equipment
1 Heavy bottom pan or Tawa (iron skillet)
Ingredients
To marinate the fish
4Mackerel fish (also known as Bangda, Anjal or Ayla), Cleaned and gutted. It weights 500 grams after cleaned and gutted.
½teaspoonturmeric powder
salt to taste
1teaspoonlemon juice
For the spice blend
2teaspoonginger garlic paste
½teaspoonturmeric powder
2teaspoonKashmiri red chili powder
½teaspoonspicy red chili powder
1teaspooncoriander powder
1teaspoongaram masala powderoptional
salt to tasteWe have already added salt to marinate the fish so add salt only to flavor the masala
Clean and prepare the mackerel - Rinse them under cold water and pat them dry with paper towels. With a sharp knife make small slits on both sides. It will help the fish to absorb the marinade flavors better. Apply ½ teaspoon turmeric, salt, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice all over and inside the slits. It will remove the fishy smell from mackerels.
Make the marinade - In a bowl, combine Kashmiri red chili powder, spicy red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, and salt. Add water a little at a time and mix until you get a thick spreadable paste.
Marinate the mackerel - Apply the prepared marinade all over the mackerel one by one. Make sure to apply the marinade gently inside the slits. Let them sit for at least 15 minutes, or up to 30 minutes for deeper flavor.
Prepare the coating - This will create an extra crispy layer while frying the mackerel. To make this - on a medium-sized plate, combine semolina (rava or sooji), rice flour, turmeric, red chili powder, and salt. Place the marinated fish one by one onto the prepared mixture. Gently press the fish to make sure the coating sticks to it. Flip the fish and coat the other side as well. Set it aside on a plate. You can watch the video on the recipe card for more details.
Fry the mackerel - Heat 2-3 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, carefully place the mackerel in the pan. You will hear sizzling sound. Do not move the fish for 2 minutes. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve immediately with your favorite sides, such as rice, curry, salad, and lemon wedges.
Video
Notes
Avoid overcrowding the pan when frying Mackerel. This will lower the oil temperature and make the fish soggy.
Cooking mackerel fillets in a pan - Fry the fish on medium-high heat. If the pan is not hot enough the coating of the fish comes out in the oil.
Once you place the fish to fry in the pan, let it cook for 2 minutes undisturbed. Then flip it and cook on the other side. This will ensure that the masala doesn’t come off from the fish while you fry it.
To check if mackerel is cooked properly, check the slits in the thickest part of the fish – the flesh should be moist and firm but slightly opaque.
You can use the spice blend to marinate and fry any fish.