Bengali Fish Fry
Crispy pan-fried fish coated in a fragrant Bengali spice crust, ready in under 20 minutes. A weeknight dinner that tastes like restaurant food.
- Total time
- 18 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 286
- Protein
- 32g
Ingredients
- ¾ lb fish fillets (such as catfish, tilapia, or rohu), skin removed
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1
Pat the fish fillets completely dry with paper towels, pressing gently on both sides — this ensures they crisp instead of steam when fried.
- 2
Rub each fillet on both sides with the turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin seeds, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
- 3
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and a drop of water sizzles on contact, about 2 minutes.
- 4
Slide the fish fillets into the hot oil, skin-side up, and cook without moving them for 4 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and crispy.
- 5
Flip each fillet carefully with a thin spatula and cook the skin side for 2–3 minutes until the skin is deep golden and the flesh is opaque throughout.
- 6
Transfer the fish to a serving plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch skillet
- paper towels
- small bowl (for mixing spices)
- thin metal spatula
- serving plate
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
