Ingredients

1. Carp (Cutla) – 4 medium size pieces
2. Onion (optional) – 2 tbsp
3. Ginger and garlic paste – 1 tsp
4. Chilli powder – 2 tsp
5. Cumin powder – 1 tsp
6. Coriander powder – 1 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
9. Lemon juice - 1 1/2 tbsp
10. Wheat flour – 1 tbsp

Garnishing

11. Oil – 1 tbsp
12. Onion – 1 small
13. Green chillies (sliced) - 2
14. Curry leaves – 15 or few
15. Lemon juice (optional) – 1 tsp

Method

1. Grind all the above ingredients (except garnishing) to a paste, no need to add water. Transfer the paste from the mixer to a bowl, keep it aside.
2. The marinate should be thick paste not very thick and dry.
3. Take a plate or wider bowl, place the fish pieces, rub the marinate on each piece of fish evenly. The marinate should coat the fish well.
4. Keep it in the fridge for more than 2hrs or overnight ,covered with a lid or cling film.
5. While frying take it 1/2 hr in advance and then fry it.

Frying the fish

6. Preheat the pan or kadai or tava with sufficient oil for shallow frying, when hot add marinated fish pieces one by one, fry it in batches.
7. Do not turn the fish immediately; otherwise the coating will come out.
8. After few minutes turn the fish pieces, give 3 to 4min time gap.
9. Cook the fish till it is cooked well, the coating becomes a dark reddish colour and crispy also.
10. In between turn the fish and fry it. Fry the fish evenly. Do not turn the fish many times also. The fish gets cooked fast.
11. When the fish is cooked it becomes firm.
12. Fry all fish pieces in batches and when finished put it in a bowl or plate.
13. In the end while frying the fish, for the last batch, I just added few curry leaves in the same oil, just for garnishing. The crispy and crunchy taste of curry leaf tastes delicious.
14. It will take 10 to 12min to fry according to its size and cook it on medium heat.

For garnishing

15. Heat small kadai or pan add oil, when hot add onion, green chillies and curry leaves , fry until onions are soft and transparent and green chillies are cooked.
16. Just garnish on the fish pieces, with few drops of lemon juice on it. It tastes more delicious.
17. Serve it with rice and fish curry or simple rasam or dal.

Notes

1. Try to use tong for turning the fish.
2. When the fish is cooked on one side, and then only turn the fish.
3. When the oil is hot then only put the fish on tava, other wise if it is cold, the masala will get stick to the pan and come out.
4. Cook it on medium heat not very high, once the oil is hot.