Mangalorean Fish Fry

My Coast to Coast series would be incomplete without this Mangalorean Fish Fry featuring on it. Being married to a Mangalorean, I know all too well that this fish fry is a love language of its own!

Imagine your favourite fleshy fish coated in a tangy chilli, salt and vinegar marinade and then shallow-fried until crispy. Pair it with neer dosa or appam and go to bed extra happy that night 🙈

Meet Misrang

We use a Mangalorean speciality marinade for this fish fry recipe called meet mirsang that is responsible for all the flavors in this recipe. And you can easily make it fresh at home every time.

It’s traditionally made by soaking red chillies overnight and grinding them to a paste on a mortar and pestle along with spices and vinegar. But with my instant version that uses red chilli powder and is just as addictively zingy, you can make this fish fry any time the craving strikes!

Ingredients Overview

Fish: You can use any firm, white fish of your liking here such as Pomfret, Seer, King Fish, or Mackerel.

Meet misrang: For the Mangalore fish fry masala paste we need red chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, salt, a little bit of water and some white vinegar or tamarind juice for that tang. We also add some rice flour (optional, but highly recommended) to gives us that perfectly crispy and airy exterior!

Shallow frying: I use coconut oil to shallow fry the fish and also toss in some curry leaves when frying. Serve the fish with onions and lemon wedges on the side for a meal that’s a total flavor and textural delight!

Frequently Asked Questions

Richa’s Top Tips

• Make this dish vegetarian by using paneer, cauliflower or brinjal as the base for the fry.
• Sub the coconut oil with a neutral-flavored oil, but that will change the flavor of the dish slightly.
• Make a large batch of the meet misrang masala and store it in the refrigerator for up to a month.

This Mangalorean Fish Fry tastes exactly like the ones you get at Mangalore’s famous Hotel Narayana. I love bringing the flavours of Mangalore into our home kitchen and this recipe is one of the easiest ways that YOU can do the same! Serve this will dal, rice, or scoop it up with neer dosa or appams. I can promise you it’ll be incredible either ways.

If you want another way to serve these zingy flavors, check out my Mangalore-Style Rava Pomfret Fish Fry. And stay tuned for more recipes in my Coast to Coast series like this Mangalore Crab Curry!

If you give this a go, make sure to send me pics over on my IG @my_foodstory 🫶

This article was researched and written by Navya Khetarpal.

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