Fish Pakora is a popular Pakistani and Indian street food. It’s a crunchy, deep-fried snack made with batter-coated fish that you will simply not be able to get enough of!
In Pakistan and India, pakoras are the favourite rainy-day snack! When presented with a side of tamarind chutney and an extra sprinkling of chaat masala, it’s hard not to devour these delicious gems.
Coated in a flavourful batter, these fish fritters offer a perfect balance of crispiness and tenderness that's simply irresistible.
If you haven't indulged in the world of pakoras, you're missing out! Pakistani fritters, including vegetable pakora, chicken pakora, bread pakora, paneer pakora and all other varieties are undeniably addictive.
For more mouth-watering seafood appetizers, be sure to check out my Fish Nuggets and Dynamite Shrimp recipes!
These crispy fish bites are not only super appetizing but also satisfyingly filling. And this quick and easy fish pakora recipe ensures you get it perfect every time, even if you are a beginner.
Table of Content
What Is Fish Pakora
Pakora (also written Pakoda) is a Pakistani/Indian fritter made by deep-frying vegetables or meat coated in a seasoned chickpea flour batter.
Fish Pakora (or Fish Pakoda) specifically is an appetizer featuring small pieces of marinated fish drenched in a lightly spiced batter made with chickpea aka gram flour and South Asian seasonings. These chunks of fish are then deep-fried to crispy, golden perfection!
Fish Pakora is quite similar to the Lahori Fried Fish. The former being slightly more fuss-free.
These crispy pakoras pair so well with my Sweet Tamarind Chutney. But you can also enjoy this delightful snack with Cilantro Mint Chutney or your choice of dipping sauce.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here's what you'll need:
- Fish - You can use any boneless white fish. Some great options are cod, haddock and pollock.
- Ginger & Garlic - Use freshly crushed ginger and garlic paste. Don't use the jarred kind, it has no flavour or benefit.
- Lemon - helps in enhancing the flavour and removing any fishiness.
- Gram Flour - Also called chickpea flour is the base of the pakora batter.
- Rice Flour - helps in making these fritters crunchy. You can replace it with cornflour (cornstarch).
- Seasonings - a variety of Pakistani/Indian spices are used in this recipe, the common one being; red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin seeds, crushed red chilies and coriander seeds. Carom seeds (ajwain) bring out the distinctive flavour of the fish and I highly recommend adding it.
- Green Chili - can omit if you don't like the heat.
- Coriander - Coriander leaves add freshness.
- Oil - Use any neutral cooking oil like rapeseed, vegetable, canola, grapeseed and sunflower oil.
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Fish Pakora
Let's make crispy fish fritters:
- Marinate the fish - Mix the boneless fillets with mince ginger, minced garlic, lemon and salt. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Prep the batter - Prepare the pakora mixture with gram flour, all the seasonings, green chili and fresh coriander. It will be a thick batter, almost like a paste.
- Combine the two - Coat the fish with this mixture. Add water if required.
- Deep fry - Fry the fish pieces on medium-high heat until cooked through. Then increase the heat in the last minute to make it crispy. Remove when golden brown.
- Serve - Sprinkle chaat masala, add lemon wedges and serve the crispy fish pakora alongside your choice of chutney.
Expert Tips
- Don’t let the fish sit too long with the marinade. It will start breaking apart. Just 10-15 minutes are fine.
- Make sure the oil is hot enough before you add your fish pakoras, at around 175-180 °C (350-360 °F). Otherwise the batter will separate from the fish
- Fry on medium heat ensuring fish cooks from inside. And for the last few minutes increase the heat to crisp everything up.
- Remove on a metal rack instead of a paper towel to keep the fish pakora crispy. Otherwise they will get soggy in their own moisture.
Variations
As already mentioned, pakora batter is very customizable. You can dip almost anything in it and deep-fry. Some of my favourite combinations are:
- Vegetable Pakoras: Potato and Onion pakoras are top-notch! But apart from that, cauliflower, spinach and eggplant are quite popular choices too.
- Chicken Pakora: All you have to do is replace the fish with boneless chunks of chicken and voila you have a scrumptious chicken pakora.
- Chili Pakora: Ah I definitely love some spice! Dip your favourite peppers in the pakora batter and fry. Make sure you use a bigger variety of chilies. Some people also like to stuff the chilies with mashed potato or different seasonings.
- Egg Pakora: Coat hard-boiled eggs with the same chickpea batter and fry till golden and crispy.
What To Serve With Fish Pakora
- Fish pakoras are a sought-after starter item in Indian restaurants. So if you are looking for a Pakistani/Indian menu, pair them with my Restaurant Style Chicken Handi, Roghni Naan, Bihari Kabab and Kofta Currry for a dawaat (a special feast).
- They are also quite a popular Iftar option in Ramadan and would go really well with Chana Chaat, Keema Samosas, Potato & Cheese Balls and Chicken Patties (Puffs).
Storage & Freezing
Fish pakoras tend to lose their crispness if they go in the fridge. They are best enjoyed fresh!
However, you can store them in an airtight container for 2 days in the fridge.
To restore some of its crunch, re-heat them in an oven at 220 °C for 6-8 (420 °F) minutes. Or use an air fryer at 200 °C (390 °F) for around 3-4 minutes.
FAQ
Chickpea/gram flour is the key ingredient, which is usually mixed with South Asian spices. You can customize the flavour. But my staple picks are red chili powder, cumin, dried coriander and of course salt. You can further experiment with turmeric, carom seeds, black pepper, chaat masala or garam masala. All this is then mixed with water to form a batter. Some people also add egg or yogurt.
These pakoras taste best with boneless white fish. I mostly use Basa or Pollock fish called Pangasius and Seelachs in Germany, respectively. You can also use Cod, Haddock, Sole, Tilapia, Halibut and Flounder, which are all great for deep frying.
First, make sure you don't let the fish fillets sit in the marinade for too long. The acid in the lemon can soften the fish extensively. Second, ensure the temperature of the oil is hot enough, around 175-180 °C (350-360 °F), so when you drop the fish pieces in for deep frying, the batter stays intact.
Video
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📖 Recipe
Crispy Fish Pakora (Fish Fritters)
Ingredients
- 500 g boneless white fish cut in bite-sized cubes
Marinade
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ginger minced
- ½ teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Batter
- ⅓ cup gram flour
- 2 tablespoon rice flour
- 2 green chilies sliced
- 3-4 tablespoon fresh coriander chopped
- water as required
Seasonings
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed chilies
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin seeds crushed
- 1 ½ teaspoon coriander seeds crushed
Garnish
- Chaat masala
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Mix the fish with salt, ginger, garlic and lemon juice. Keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Whisk together gram flour, rice flour, green chilies, fresh coriander and all the seasonings. Use a little water to make a thick paste. The fish will already have some moisture, so don’t thin out the batter too much.
- Add this batter to the fish and mix well. Adjust water at this point. The batter should have a medium consistency and not be runny.
- Heat a pot of oil to 175-180 °C (350-360 °F). On medium heat, fry the fish till cooked through. Fish takes only a couple of minutes so be mindful of that. Increase the heat and fry on high for a minute to crisp up.. When golden brown and crunchy, remove on a wire rack..
- Sprinkle chaat masala and serve with lemon wedges and tamarind chutney. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You can use any boneless white fish. Some great options are cod, haddock and pollock, tilapia and halibut.
- You can substitute cornflour (cornstarch) with rice flour.
- Don’t let the fish sit too long with the marinade. It will start breaking apart.
- Make sure the oil is hot enough before you add your fish pakoras, otherwise the batter will separate from the fish
- Remove on a metal rack instead of a paper towel to keep the fish pakora crispy. Otherwise they will get soggy in their own moisture.
Nutrition
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