Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

There really is nothing better than crispy fried fish, hot off the pan—especially fried fish marinated in sour tamarind and fragrant spices. Though I grew up eating this dish simply, with a side of ketchup or chili sauce, I highly recommend making the mango slaw. It provides a refreshing, sweet contrast to the salty, spiced fish. The firmer your fish, the easier it will be to fry. If possible, use a rice flour that has the texture of fine sand, as opposed to one that feels powdery.

Serves 4 as an appetizer

2 tablespoons store-bought tamarind paste extract or 1 (4- by 1-inch) block of tamarind pulp
1 tablespoon spiced ginger-garlic paste
sea salt
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or any mild chili powder)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 pound firm white fish, such as haddock or halibut; skin-on is fine, but can be removed if preferred, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 mango, finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon minced mint or cilantro leaves
juice from ½ lime, plus lime wedges to serve
1 cup rice flour
½ cup neutral oil

If making fresh tamarind paste extract, place tamarind block into a medium bowl with ½ cup water. Microwave tamarind for 1 minute, then cover bowl for 5 minutes. Remove cover and let cool until warm to the touch. Massage the block with your hands to help separate pulp from fibers. Strain the tamarind mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the smooth pulp. Discard any fibers or seeds.

In a medium bowl, mix spiced ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon salt, tamarind, chili powder and garam masala. Add fish and let marinate for 20 minutes up to 4 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare the slaw. Mix together mango, red onion, herbs and lime juice in a bowl. Season with salt and set aside.

Place rice flour on a plate; coat each piece of fish on all sides with rice flour, shaking off excess. Heat ½ cup oil in a large cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Carefully add 4–5 pieces of fish at a time; don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry until browned, about 1–2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain the oil.

Serve hot with mango slaw and more lime wedges on the side.

This recipe appeared in the Fall 2021 issue as part of a larger story on Coastal Indian Seafood.