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Crisp masala fish pakoras draining on a wire rack with flaky white fish visible
Golden fish pakoras piled on a wire rack, one broken open to show flaky white fish, mint yoghurt and lemon for dipping.

Masala Fish Pakoras

A crisp gram flour crust straight off the carts by the river in Lahore. Drain them on a rack, not paper, or you lose the crunch.

Prep
15 mins
Cook
15 mins
Total
30 mins
Serves
4
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Kitchen roadmap

Before you cook

The details that make or break this dish, mapped to the exact step where they matter.

  1. Make sureFish must be completely dry
  2. Watch forMake a thick batter
  3. Avoid thisSmall batches protect the crust
  4. Make sureUse a wire rack

Ingredients

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Method

9 steps

  1. Pat the fish completely dry.

  2. Mix the gram flour, cornflour and AL Mix.

  3. Add the lemon juice, ginger and garlic paste, coriander and enough water to make a thick batter.

    A spoon lifting thick gram flour pakora batter that holds ridges in a mixing bowl in a home kitchen

  4. Fold the fish through the batter until evenly coated.

  5. Heat the oil to approximately 175°C.

  6. Fry in small batches for 4–5 minutes until crisp and golden.

    The fish should reach 63°C internally and flake easily.

  7. Drain on a wire rack rather than directly on kitchen paper to preserve the crust.

    Irregular masala fish pakoras with flaky white fish visible draining on a wire rack

  8. Finish with a very light dusting of AL Mix while hot.

  9. Serve with mint yoghurt, lemon and pickled onions.

If it does not come out right

The faults this dish actually has. Open one for the fix.

Why is my curry gritty or grainy?

Curry is gritty because the ground spices were never hydrated or cooked in fat, so the particles stay suspended rather than dissolving – spices ground too coarsely, or a masala tipped into an already-boiling sauce, both leave the same sandy texture.

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How much spice blend per person?

Allow 4 g of an all-purpose South Asian spice blend per person for a curry – about one level teaspoon – which is 16 g for a family of four, or roughly 2 g for every 100 g of raw meat or vegetables.

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Authentic Lahori All Purpose Mix pouch

Make it with the Authentic Lahori mix

One blend for karahi, curries, marinades, chips and everyday cooking.

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