Quick Spicy Fish Fry - Pan Fried Spicy Fish - Mahi Mahi

Coming home at the end of a long day, cooking perhaps is the last thing anyone has on their mind but having something tasty to eat should not be hard. I am not sure if this is a good thing or not but I prefer the frozen Costco fish to fresh fish for these quick weeknight meals. Fresh fish is for the weekend methinks. Don't get me wrong, having this for a weekend brunch or lunch is perfectly fine. Paired with some wild rice, fruits or roasted vegetables it is a perfect meal.

I used mahi mahi - frozen for this recipe, any firm flaky fish will work. I used the same marinade as the pan fried tandoori paneer which was also a big hit. I have completely switched over to pan frying fish from baking them in the oven. Unless fish is baked in a bed of onions or tomatoes - something to keep it moist the fish gets dry. Pan frying on the other hand keeps it from over cooking and drying out.

It is best to apply the marinade and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or as many hours ahead as you want.

Pan Fried Quick Fish Fry
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1-2 tbsp of sunflower oil (or any other high smoking point oil not olive oil)

For the Marinade(for about 6 pieces of 4 inch steaks)

1. 3 tsp of chili powder (more or less depending on the heat level required)
2. 1 tsp of turmeric powder
3. 1 1/2 tsp of ginger powder
4. 1 tsp of mustard powder
5. 2 tsp of garlic powder
6. 1/4 tsp of garam masala powder or 1 tsp of chicken masala powder (optional)
7. salt to taste
8. 1 tbsp of oil (I used olive oil)

Method

1. Apply the marinade about 1/2 - 2 hours ahead of time.
2. Mix all the ingredients for the Marinade into a smooth paste.
3. Wash and pat dry the fish.
4. With the tips of your finger (or a brush) apply the paste evenly on the fish pieces. Lay them on a plate without touching each other, put a cling wrap on top and refrigerate till ready to cook.
5. Use a heavy bottomed pan or a cast iron pan, grease with oil generously on the bottom of the pan, there should not be excess floating oil.
6. Place the fish slices without touching each other. Cook for about 3-4 minutes - the fish should be easy to flip when it is cooked. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes more till the fish is golden brown.

Served with some mixed wild, brown and red rice and some cut fruits (mangoes, persimmon or any fruit of choice).

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