Lahori Fish Fry

In keeping with the fish theme here, this Lahori Fish Fry is a perfect snack food that can be made into a meal with some standard accompaniments.

Over summer our fresh-caught Alaskan Halibut was frozen for later use so as to savor the flavor and make the catch last longer.

Halibut and Salmon seem to be the only two fish that kids and the other adult seem to relish the most, cooked up in any which way that suits my mood.

Typically, Lahori fried fish is not served with any sauce, it is enjoyed as a fried snack food along with chutney. The seasoning and batter mix makes all the difference, bringing this dish alive, requiring no further enhancements.

However, I decided to make a simple sauce and serve with rice for dinner one evening.

Rather than make a batter, I decided to keep the seasoning and flour mixture dry and coat the fish with it and fry the pieces in batches, much like Indian pakoras.

Ingredients:
2 cups cubed halibut pieces
vegetable oil for frying

Lahori Fish Seasoning Mix:
1 cup chickepea flour
¼ cup rice flour
½ tsp crushed carom seeds (ajwain)
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
1 tsp crushed caraway seeds
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp powdered clove
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

For the sauce:
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp chaat masala
4 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
2 Tbsp sambal oelek
2 Tbsp Bragg liquid aminos
1 cup water
cornstarch as needed to thicken

Preparation

1. Make the chaat masala and keep it handy; can prepare ahead and store it in an airtight container
2. Combine the Lahori fish fry seasoning ingredients to form a smooth dry mixture
3. Coat the halibut pieces with some cooking spray and add the Lahori fish fry mix a little at a time, stirring well, until all the fish pieces are coated well
4. Fry in batches and drain in a paper towel
5. Make the sauce and toss in some of the fried fish in the sauce, serve with rice; reserve the rest of the fried fish minus the sauce to enjoy as-is