Fatima's Fabulous Kitchen

I don't eat to live. I live to eat.

Cashew-Crusted Deep Fried Fish

by

 

 

 

 

 

My absolute favorite way of eating fish is deep-frying it. I mean how can you not enjoy a golden brown exterior with a crispy skin and a lovely crunch?

This fish is the stuff of summertime dreams – the stuff you want to make when you dream of going on vacation to the Bahamas but are stuck at your 9-5 job in Midwestern suburban America as you scroll through your Instagram feed and feel your spirit slowly dying away along with your follower count.

For this recipe, I used perch. Why? No particular reason, really. It was on sale at my local supermarket and it came in the perfect size – small enough to fit in my frying pan and big enough portion to feel satisfied.

You can of course use fillets but there’s something rustic and less wasteful of using bones and all.

 

 

Most fish fries use either just flour or cornstarch – but I wanted to add in a little extra something to make the fish really stand out.

So I thought why not nuts?

I’ve got a big jar of cashews sitting in my pantry just waiting to be crushed.

 

 

They’ve got such a depth of flavor not to mention extra crunchiness that you just can’t get with a plain old flour coating.

You can add whatever spices you want to the mix – I opted for traditional Indian spices – chili powder, turmeric, dried kasuri methi, curry leaves, and a curry powder blend. You can also add or swap in dried coconut and lime zest.

I paired my fried perch with some Caribbean inspired fried rice and beans along with a lovely sweet and spicy pineapple cilantro habanero sauce. It’s so incredibly simple to make – all you got to do is whip out your blender and whiz up some  pineapple, cilantro, a habanero, chili, lime juice, salt, sand a splash of vinegar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Print

Cashew Crusted Deep Fried Fish

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 lb whole fish (perch, red snapper, catfish, tilapia, trout) may also use fillets
  • 1/4 tsp salt for fish
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 2/3 cup cashews
  • 2 tbsp rice flour or cornstarch
  • 3/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  • 1 tsp curry powder (Jamaican or Indian blend)
  • 1 tbsp dried shredded coconut optional
  • 1/2 tsp salt for cashew coating mixture
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cup oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Have your fish-monger, remove the scales, wash and gut the fish. You may keep or remove the head. You may also use fillets if you wish. Pat dry and set aside.

  2. Rub your turmeric and 1/4 tsp of salt all across and inside your fish. Pat dry and set aside.

  3. In your food processor, grind the cashews until they are a fine texture like sand. 

  4. To your cashews, add in your cornstarch/ or rice flour as well as your spices and seasonings - chili powder, curry powder, onion powder, methi leaves (crushed), curry leaves (finely chopped). Mix well and set aside in a shallow bowl.

  5. In another shallow bowl, whisk an egg with a pinch of salt. Set aside.

  6. Take your fish and coat it in the egg mixture, then coat it in the cashew  seasoning mix. Make sure the cashew coating is dry or else it will have trouble sticking to the fish. (Tip - if you find the nuts are clumping together and not sticking to the fish, stick the bowl with the cashew coating into the microwave for a minute or so. This will remove any moisture and will thus allow the coating to stick to the fish.)

  7. In a wok or heavy-bottom pan or skillet, add your oil and allow it to come to a temperature of about 350 F. Add in our fish. Fry each side for a few minutes, or until dark brown. 

  8. Once fried, remove and let the fish sit on a plate lined with paper-towel. Serve hot.