Spicy Fried Fish Cubes are a straightforward way to get bold flavour from a small number of everyday ingredients. The marinade is made by blending onion, fresh tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic, crushed dried red chillies, garam masala and fresh coriander into a rough paste. The fish cubes are coated in this mixture, dusted with cornflour, and fried in batches in a kadai until golden.
Cod works well here because it holds its shape during frying, though any firm white fish will do the same job. The whole process from prep to plate takes well under 30 minutes, making this a practical choice for a midweek meal or a quick starter.
About the Recipe
The marinade does two things at once. Blending the onion, tomato, lemon juice and spices together creates a paste that coats the fish evenly rather than leaving chunks that fall away in the oil.
The cornflour added after the blended mixture helps the coating grip the fish and gives the outside a light crispness once fried. Chilling the fish before marinating is a small step worth following as it helps the fish hold together when it goes into the hot oil.
Frying in small batches keeps the oil temperature steady and prevents the pieces from steaming instead of browning.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
The most practical thing about this recipe is that the marinade is also the coating. There is no separate batter to prepare.
The blended tomato and onion mixture, combined with cornflour, sticks to the fish and forms a thin, flavoured crust as it fries. You get the heat from the crushed red chillies and the warmth of garam masala in every bite without any one spice taking over.
Marinating first and then frying gives noticeably more flavour than a plain flour coating, so the fish is well seasoned all the way through.
Cooking Tips
The most common mistake is overcrowding the kadai. Adding too many fish cubes at once drops the oil temperature and the pieces end up soft rather than browned. Fry in small batches and give each piece enough room.
Fish cubes break easily, so turn them gently with a slotted spoon and only once or twice. If the coating is sliding off before frying, add a little more cornflour and mix again. Make sure the oil is properly hot before the first batch goes in.
Top Tips
- Chill the fish cubes in the refrigerator before adding the marinade. Cold fish is firmer and less likely to fall apart during frying.
- Process the blended marinade for only about 30 seconds. A rough paste coats the fish better than a completely smooth one.
- Add the cornflour last and mix until every piece is visibly coated before frying.
- Fry on medium heat rather than high. High heat browns the outside too fast and leaves the inside undercooked.
- Drain fried pieces on kitchen paper immediately and keep them in a warm oven while you fry the remaining batches so nothing goes cold.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
Serve the fish cubes hot straight from the pan with a green chutney or a squeeze of lemon juice on the side. They work well as a starter on their own or alongside a simple dal and rice for a fuller meal.
Fried fish is best eaten immediately as the coating softens on standing. If you have leftovers, store them in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a day and reheat in a dry pan or an oven rather than a microwave to bring back some crispness.
Similar Recipes
- Fish in Spicy Sauce
- Vanjaram Meen Varuval (Seer Fish Fry)
- Masala Fish Fingers
- Saloni Fish Tikka
- Bengali Fish Fingers
Nutrient Benefits
Cod and other firm white fish are a good source of protein and relatively low in fat. Fresh tomatoes and coriander both contribute small amounts of vitamin C, and lemon juice adds a little more. Garlic and onion provide useful minerals. Corn oil contains unsaturated fats. Given the thin cornflour coating and the modest amount of oil used, this is a reasonably light fried dish.
Spicy Fried Fish Cubes
Ingredients
- 675 gms Cod Fillet or any other Firm White Fish
- 1 , medium size Onion
- 1 tblsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp, grated Garlic
- 1 tsp, crushed Dried Red Chillies
- 1 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
- 2 tblsp, chopped Fresh Coriander
- 2 medium Tomatoes
- 2 tblsp Cornflour
- 2/3 cup Corn Oil
Instructions
- Skin the fish and remove any remaining bones. Cut it into small cubes. Place in a bowl, cover and put in the refrigerator to chill.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the onion into thin slices. Put in a bowl and add the lemon juice and salt.
- Add the garlic, crushed dried red chillies, garam masala and fresh coriander. Mix well.
- Peel the tomatoes by dropping them into boiling water for a few seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and gently peel off the skins. Chop the tomatoes roughly and add to the onion mixture in the bowl.
- Tip the contents of the bowl into a blender and process for about 30 seconds. Remove the fish from the refrigerator. Pour the contents of the blender over the fish and mix well.
- Add the cornflour and mix again until the fish pieces are well coated with the onion mixture.
- Heat the oil in a kadai. Lower the heat slightly and add the fish pieces, a few at a time. Turn them gently with a slotted spoon as they are liable to break easily.
- Cook for about 5 minutes until the fish is lightly browned.
- Remove the fish pieces from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm and continue frying the remaining fish.
- Serve hot with chutney.
Sign up for our newsletter
Add Awesome Cuisine as a Preferred Source
Frequently Asked Questions
Which fish works best for this spicy fried fish cubes recipe?
Cod is specified in the recipe because it is firm enough to hold its cube shape during frying and does not break apart easily when turned. Other firm white fish such as basa, tilapia, haddock or kingfish work equally well. Avoid soft or flaky fish like sole or pomfret as they tend to break apart in the pan before they are fully cooked.
Can I use a food processor instead of a blender for the marinade?
Yes, a food processor will work. Process for a similar amount of time, around 30 seconds, so that the mixture stays a rough paste rather than becoming completely liquid. The paste needs enough texture to cling to the fish cubes. If it becomes too watery, the cornflour coating will not hold as well.
Why does the coating fall off the fish during frying?
This usually happens for one of two reasons. Either the fish was not thoroughly coated with cornflour before going into the oil, or the oil was not hot enough when the fish went in. Make sure every piece is visibly coated with the cornflour and marinade mixture before frying. Test the oil by dropping in a tiny bit of the coating mixture. If it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready. Avoid moving the pieces around too much in the first minute of frying.
Can I reduce the heat level without changing the recipe too much?
Yes. The heat in this recipe comes mainly from the crushed dried red chillies. You can reduce them from one teaspoon to half a teaspoon or less. The garam masala adds warmth and aroma rather than sharp heat, so reducing it slightly will not affect the overall balance as much. The other ingredients and the method remain the same.
Is it possible to make the fish cubes ahead of time and reheat them?
Fried fish is always best eaten immediately after cooking. If you need to get ahead, you can marinate the fish and coat it with cornflour up to an hour in advance, keeping it covered in the refrigerator, then fry just before serving. If you have already fried the fish and need to reheat it, use a dry frying pan or an oven at moderate heat rather than a microwave, which makes the coating soft and the fish rubbery.
