This recipe for Kerala fried fish utilises pepper, the original spice of Kerala. In addition to pepper, red chillies and ginger are also used to make it a hot dish.
Put all the ingredients (except the fish) into the blender, add a little water and grind into a smooth paste. Coat the fish with this paste and marinate the coated fish for an hour or more.
Heat some cooking oil (coconut oil is used in Kerala) in a wok over a high flame. The quantity of oil should be enough to accommodate two or three fish at a time. When the oil begins to smoke a little, lower the flame and add two or three fish.
Turn the fish over when one side is done. Take out and drain the oil from the fish when both sides are done. Repeat the process until all the fish have been fried.
Your fish would now be ready. Serve it with sliced tomato and onion pieces, along with a piece of lime for squeezing over the fish.
This is a fairly hot dish (by Indian standards). If you prefer to make it milder, reduce the quantities of pepper and red chillies used.
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