SEER FISH TAWA FRY

 SEER FISH TAWA FRY

India is a vast and diverse country so our people are used to eating so many different types of fish- be they saltwater fish or freshwater fish! In the coastal belt of Karnataka, a very popular fish- despite it being more expensive than most others- is the Seer Fish.  Also called King Fish, it is known as Surmai in Hindi and Marathi, Anjal in Kannada, Vanjaram in Tamil and Visonu, in my mother tongue, Konkani. 

Seer Fish are strong in Omega 3 fatty acids and are considered very good for overall health. This article in InvestoHealth speaks of the 10 Astonishing Benefits Of Consuming Seer Fish. 

We like seer fish because it is fleshy and flavourful . Besides, it is easy to handle as it has one single central bone.  

Being fond of seafood, from time to time I use fish to make some yummy dishes. Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for dishes such as:-

• Mangalorean Fish Curry 
• Goan Fish Curry 
• Maanji Pulimunchi

Today's recipe is for an easy to make yet delicious shallow fried fish. I prefer to shallow fry rather than deep fry. The Byadgi Red Chillies which are soaked and ground add to the colour and visual appeal. I have adapted this recipe from the YouTube video for Surmai Fish Fry by Spice Dhamal.

We tried this out for lunch yesterday. It tasted so yummy with fried rice.

Ingredients:-

• Seer Fish Fillets, 250 gms
• Garlic Cloves, 8
• Ginger, 1/2 " piece
• Curry Leaves, 8
• Turmeric  Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 8
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tbsp
• Coriander Seeds, 2 tbsp
• Black Peppercorn, 8 
• Cloves, 4
• Cinnamon, small stick
• Lemon Juice, 2 tbsp 
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, as required for shallow frying 

Method:-

Wash the Seer Fish fillets and pat them dry

Soak the Byadgi Red Chillies in hot water for about 25 minutes. Discard the water and keep the soaked chillies aside.

In a mixer jar, grind together the soaked Byadgi Red Chillies, chopped ginger, garlic cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, lemon juice, and salt to taste 

Grind this to form a thick smooth paste, without adding any water

Remove the ground paste from mixer to a bowl. This forms the marinade for the seer fish. 

Apply the marinade generously and evenly on both sides of the fish fillets

Marinate for about 20 minutes

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan. Allow it to become very hot, then reduce the heat and pan fry the marinated fish fillets for about 3 minutes on medium heat

Once one side is done, carefully flip the fillet ( so that it does not break) and fry the other side

Transfer the seer fish tawa fry to a serving plate

Serve with lemon wedges and onion rings