Mildly-spiced, lightly battered, utterly light and crispy, this Amritsari Macchi Fried Fish ticks all the boxes of deliciousness. A firm but flaky white flesh fish that’s skinless and boneless works best here making this a dish that comes together ridiculously quickly.
As the name suggests, this dish originated in the town of Amritsar, Punjab in the north of India. The city is the meeting point of three prolific rivers and hence a lot of fresh water fish is abundant. So I find it best to use a mild-flavoured, white flakey fish that is local to where you are. Living here in Australia, I’ve made it with Snapper, Barramundi, Orange Roughy and even Flathead in a pinch.
Tips & Tricks
The secret lies in a handful of spices really shining through like carom seeds (ajwain). The asafoetida(heeng) and lemon juice help get rid of any unpleasant fishy smells. One of the important aspects of this dish is that ‘batter’ should be really light. The chickpea/gram flour (besan) gives it a distinctive flavour and cannot be replaced. The addition of coarse rice flour adds crunch. The mustard paste I use in not traditional but I find that it gives this really balanced punch to the final flavour and something I recommend.
When deep frying this Amritsari Macchi (fried fish) its important to get your oil hot (no less than 160°C and no more than 175°C), you want the oil to be hot enough that you don’t get a greasy mouthful yet not so hot that it cooks the fish too quickly but unevenly.
It is typically served with a coriander mint chutney, but I like it best straight out of the fryer with a sprinkle of chaat masala (a tangy spice mix easily available at Indian grocers) and a wedge of lemon!
Amritsari Macchi Fried Fish
Ingredients
- 500 gms Skinless/Boneless Firm White Fish (cut into 4cm pieces)
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1½ tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1 pinch Asafoetida (Heeng)
- ¾ tsp Carom Seeds (Ajwain – lightly crushed)
- 1 tsp Ginger Paste
- 1 tsp Garlic Paste
- ¼ tsp Mustard Paste (optional)
- 2 tbsp Besan/Chickpea/Gram Flour
- 1 tbsp Rice Flour (coarse)
- Salt (to taste)
- Oil (for frying)
- Lemon Wedges (to serve)
- 1 tsp Chaat Masala (sprinkle to serve)
Instructions
- Cut your skinless/boneless white fish into 4cm x 1cm pieces. Pat dry to remove any moisture.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice, ginger, garlic, mustard paste, turmeric, chilli, asafoetida, carom seeds and salt to taste. Taste the marinade and adjust salt as necessary.
- Add the fish to the marinade and coat evenly. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Heat oil to 160°C. Add the chickpea and rice flours to the marinated fish and let it form a thin coating around the fish
- Deep fry the fish in batches until golden brown (upto a minute on each side). Transfer on paper towel to get rid of excess oil.
- Sprinkle chaat masala and serve hot with lemon wedges.
For other delicious recipes from the blog, click here. If you make this recipe and love it, let me know in the comments below. When sharing on Instagram, tag me @rupalbhatikar.
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