Fish Pakoda Recipe

Prepare fish

Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels. Cut into bite-sized pieces (about 2–3 cm/1 inch). Season lightly with 0.25 tsp salt and set aside for 5 minutes.

Wilt spinach

Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, add 1 tsp oil, then add chopped spinach and sauté just until wilted (1–2 minutes). Remove and let cool; squeeze out excess moisture and roughly chop finer if large.

Make batter

In a large bowl combine chickpea flour, rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder, turmeric, red chili powder, ground cumin, garam masala and 1 tsp salt. Stir in grated ginger, minced garlic, chopped green chili (if using), chopped cilantro and the cooled spinach. Add about 1/2 cup water and mix to make a thick, scoopable batter—like pancake batter that will coat fish pieces. Adjust with up to 2 tbs more water if too thick.

Coat fish

Fold the fish pieces gently into the batter until evenly coated. Rest the coated pieces for 5–10 minutes so the batter adheres.

Pour oil into a deep saucepan or skillet to a depth of about 2–3 inches (5–7 cm). Heat to 175°C (350°F) — oil should shimmer but not smoke. Test with a small bit of batter; it should sizzle and rise to the surface steadily.

Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully drop coated fish pieces into the hot oil. Fry 3–5 minutes per batch until golden brown and crisp, turning if necessary. Cooking time depends on piece size—ensure fish is cooked through and batter is crisp.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer fried fritters to a paper towel–lined tray to drain. Keep warm in a low oven (about 100°C / 210°F) if frying multiple batches.

In a small bowl whisk yogurt with 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp sugar (if using) until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a small bowl dissolve tamarind paste in 3 tbs warm water. Stir in jaggery (or brown sugar), chaat masala and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust sweet-tart balance—add more tamarind or sugar if needed. Set aside.

In a blender combine mint leaves, cilantro leaves, 1 green chili, 1 tbs lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt and 2 tbs water. Blend to a smooth, bright-green sauce, adding a little more water if necessary to reach a pourable consistency. Taste and adjust salt or lemon.

Arrange warm fish pakodas on a serving platter. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the yogurt over the fritters in a thin stream.

Drizzle tamarind chutney and mint chutney over the fritters in contrasting lines or dots. Garnish with cilantro leaves, sliced red onion and lemon wedges. Serve immediately while crisp.