Kerala recipe · Serves 4 · About 40 minutes, plus 30 minutes to marinate

Kerala fish fry masala (മീൻ വറുത്തത് മസാല)

No packet masala needed. Three spices, ginger, garlic and lemon make the red, crisp-edged fish fry of Kerala homes.

Spices used: Kashmiri chilli powder · Turmeric powder · Whole black pepper

Ingredients

500 g fish (seer, pomfret, sardine or mackerel), cut into slices or whole and scored
2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp black pepper, freshly crushed
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp rice flour (for a crisper coat; optional)
Salt to taste
A little water to make a thick paste
Coconut oil for shallow frying
1 sprig curry leaves

Mix the Kashmiri chilli, turmeric, crushed pepper, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, rice flour and salt with just enough water to make a thick paste.
Rub the paste all over the fish and into the cuts. Rest for at least 30 minutes; a few hours in the fridge is better.
Heat coconut oil in a flat pan on medium heat and add the curry leaves.
Lay the fish in the pan and fry for 3 to 4 minutes a side, depending on thickness, until the masala is dark red and crisp at the edges.
Serve hot with rice and fish curry, or with a squeeze of lemon and sliced onions.