One of my most prized possessions on my bookshelf is this lovely hard bound recipe book that belonged to my mother. It has a thousand recipes that are quick and easy with a significant amount of Keralan recipes typically Syrian Christian style. I have tried out just a few recipes although my mum had attempted a lot more. Sadly, I do not know the name of the author as the book was sent for stiff (hard) binding and returned with no cover page and most of the first & last few pages callously torn.
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Recently my son displayed his sudden liking for vegetables. Before I could rejoice and distribute sweets to the neighbours I realised that he was giving up something else in the bargain. Fish! A child who would only eat fish till the age of 3 (to the extent that we thought of changing our professions toconsider fishing instead) had suddenly stopped eating fish. So now my latest challenge is to feed him fish in whatever form possible. Since he doesn’t like fish in curries or in its fried form, I have started grilling it for him. 
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This particular recipe looked so simple that I was actually skeptical at first. Nevertheless off I went to the market and bought some fillets and it turned out to be a winner. I plan to try it again soon whenever we have a kiddie party as it serves well as a starter too.
PS: This tastes great with tomato sauce or along with potato wafers/chips as the typical ‘fish n chips’. They work well even as an accompaniment to rice & dal or fish curry.
Fish Crumb Fry
Recipe Source: ‘Recipes For All Occasions’ by BF Varghese
Preparation time: 5-10min | Marinating time: 1 hour | Cooking time: 5-8min | Serves 3-4
Preparation time: 5-10min | Marinating time: 1 hour | Cooking time: 5-8min | Serves 3-4
You Need
- 250gm fish fillets (boneless) * see notes
- 2-3 tsp maida (all purpose flour)
- 1/2 tsp (or to taste) pepper powder
- 2 tsp vinegar
- salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp)
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- oil to shallow fry
Method:
1. Wash and cut the fillet into finger sized pieces. Dry them on a piece of cloth to remove the excess moisture.
2. In a bowl, make a paste with vinegar, salt, pepper and maida. Marinate the fish pieces gently with this mixture. Keep aside for a minimum of 1 hour
3. Heat oil in a frying pan on a medium flame. Beat the egg lightly in a small bowl and dip the fish pieces in it and then coat them with bread crumbs. Smoothen all the sides with a knife or pat with your fingers
4. Fry on both sides till golden brown.
5. Serve hot with tomato sauce/ketchup
Notes:
You can use any fillets made out of any fish. Especially if you get ready made ones. If you need to get them made then large Pomfrets (white or black) work best because the meat is very flavourful. Buying large sized fish makes sure you get proper fillets and the wastage is minimised.
I love fish fingers and this is tempting me a lot.. Nice clicks.
Don't worry Shireen it's a passing phase that your son's aversion from fish has stunned you. Their food picks keep on changing. Most of the Dr. say to give them a gap of few months before reintroducing the same food.
Fish fingers are looking delicious…
nice pics….lovely fish fingers.
Drooll..tempting looks so perfect with the crumbs
The same happened to my son with some of the fruits :).It happens.Fantastic recipe there.I guess you can also bake it in the oven 🙂
What fish did you use here Shireen?
Thanks everyone for the lovely comments!!
@ Sumi: Yes, you can bake it in the oven too on a medium heat – haven't tried it though!
@ Preethi – I used a large black Pomfret..also known as Halwa in Hindi
ahh what a tempting fish fingers!!! Can i grab one pls 😉
Even though I am a vegetarian now, the fish fingers look yummy! Reminds me of the dish served with tartar sauce at the local club
These look yummy Shireen.. From the pictures, I thought they were deep fried..was surprised to see you mention they were shallow fried..I avoid deep frying unless its bajjis or pooris since deep fried fish/meat tend to absorb a lot of oil…. but I'm going to try these!! 🙂 and I'd certainly like to know the secret of getting a kid to eat vegetables.. my 3 yr old absolutely refuses to eat both fruits and veggies…
Thanks Teena Mary & Radha!! Thanks Anita..yes, these are shallow fried..even i was pleasantly surprised when I first saw the recipe..so they are a lot more healthy if you drain off the excess oil after frying! I will post many more recipes that are child friendly! Do keep watching this space! Thanks for your comment!
Super tempting fish fingers looks so yummy n mouthwatering presentation.
This looks fantastic! I would love to try it sometime, S! When my brother was little, he was so fascinated by the 'meenkaran' coming on his cycle honking the airhorn with his rustic metal scales that he told us he wanted to be a fisherman once he grew up 😀
ahh what a tempting fish varity.looks hot…….
Kids turn picky sometimes, it will be alrite soon.I shall send you some recipes too. Yummy fish fingers i would indulge in it at any time. Perfect starter dear.
Shir..mmm this is one of mine and kids favorites. This is the only way they have fish without fuss. They look so crisp. I use rava instead of breadcrumbs.
Hi Shireen, I have been following your blog for some time now. I have tried many of your recipes and they have come out really well. Thanks!
I had a quick question for you…do you know amy Mangalore stores in Matunga area of Bombay? Also any specific recommendations on what to buy? Thanks in advance
– Aditi
Hi Aditi, thanks a ton for your feedback! Feels great to know that you have tried & liked my recipes 🙂 Actually I've lived all of my 8yrs in Mumbai only in Andheri and havent ventured out towards Matunga. I did google search it for you and it says that there is a Mangalore Stores in Mahim. Here's the address: Shop No 8, Mohhamad EDU Manzil, Plot No 76 A, Opposite Paradise Cinema, Main Road, Mahim, Mumbai – 400016.
If you do visit Mangalore Stores you may want to pick up the Bedgi/Byadge chillies which are similar to Kashmiri chillies but longer and more crinkly. These chillies give that unique taste to Mangalorean dishes. You can also buy the Mangalorean red rice which can be used for your meals but takes longer to cook. Also if you wish to make idlis, sannas, dosas & appams you can ask for the white boiled rice or Ukda chawal. Mangalorean udad dal papads, spicy chilli papads, mithai laddoo, malpuri, mango pickles, salted jackfruit are other recommendations 🙂 Hope this helps!
Tried this Shireen and it tastes good. Simple and quick !