Squid Masala Fry ~ Mangalorean Style

A few months ago I started to experiment with frying fish, the ‘masala fry’ way. Masala fry is a way of frying fish down South, where the fish is marinated with a lot of the marinade and some of it is also fried before adding the marinated fish. The end result is absolutely succulent, trust me! For those of you who love eating spicy seafood this dish is a must try. The other way of frying fish is to marinate it with just enough marinade (just a thin smear will suffice). It is then shallow fried in minimum oil. This is referred to as the ‘naked fry’ or ‘tawa fry’ in most restaurants. At home, we simply call it fried fish.

Since the time I started making our regular fish fries with some extra marinade the husband has been going ga-ga over it, so much so that he attempted to make squid using his own recipe for the marinade which he ground to paste instead of using the ready spice blend which I usually resort to.

Late last year I asked my readers if they would like see some special recipes on the blog and I received some emails with those requests. I have added all your requests to my worksheet and will be trying out new recipes soon. So far the husband and I have managed to try out some recipes, this being one of them. The recipe for squid masala fry was requested by my friend Sonya. I hope you like it!

Having a to-do list is really helpful as it helps me plan my cooking and blog posts accordingly. So if you have a recipe request please mail me at ruchikrandhap@gmail.com with ‘Recipe Request’ in the subject line.

Till then, enjoy the squid. If you are in Dubai, it’s the perfect time to enjoy some piping hot squid with some rice and dal. The weather outside is blissful!

Squid Masala Fry
Prep time: 30-40 mins (includes time taken to make the marinade from scratch) | Frying time: 5 mins | Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

400-500 grams (4 medium sized) squid, cleaned and cut into rings
a sprig of curry leaves (8-12 leaves)

For the marinade:

30 red chillies, deseeded, soaked in warm water for 30 mins
10 fat cloves of garlic
1 inch ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 lime sized ball of tamarind
1-1/2 – 2 teaspoons rock salt
1-2 teaspoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
6-7 curry leaves (optional)

Method:
1. Drain (and discard) the water in which the chillies were soaked and grind the chilli skins along with the rest of the ingredients mentioned under ‘For the marinade‘ to a fine paste. You will actually have more masala than you require for this recipe so use some to marinate the squid, reserve some to be added to the frying pan and store the excess in an airtight container and refrigerate and use it to fry prawns (masala fry) or to make the same dish again.
2. Marinate the squid rings with the required amount of ground masala and keep aside for 30 mins.
3. When you are ready to fry the squid, heat oil in a large frying pan and add the curry leaves and a little of the masala and fry until the raw smell of the masala vanishes
4. Add the marinated squid and mix it along with the fried masala and stir fry for a minute or two. Then spread them out in a single layer and let them fry for a further minute or two till just done. (overcooking them will make them rubbery so keep an eye out)
5. Remove onto a serving plate and garnish with chopped coriander if desired and serve hot with rice and curry or as an appetizer!

Comments

Rafeeda AR says
January 4, 2016 at 4:43 am

That marinade is lipsmacking, but the chillies scare me! Hehe… especially with squid being cheap now, the best time to enjoy this delicious fish… 🙂

Vanita Amin says
January 4, 2016 at 6:50 am

Hi Shireen. Happy & Prosperous New Year to you & your family. Yes Masala Fry is very popular in Mangalore. Thks for the Spicy recipe of Squid Masala Fry. Waiting for More recipes from you. Take care. 🙂

Shireen Sequeira says
January 4, 2016 at 8:08 am

@ Rafeeda: Thanks so much! If you use Kashmiri chillies the marinade won't be that spicy!

Shireen Sequeira says
January 4, 2016 at 8:09 am

@ Vanita Amin: Thanks so much and wish you the same! Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Bilna Sandeep - Monsoon Breeze says
January 4, 2016 at 9:31 am

Happy New Year to you Shireen 🙂 Came across your blog through UAE Food Bloggers FB Group! Love the way you have presented your recipes! I too used to make Squid Masala in a little bit different way though!!

Rosesq says
January 6, 2016 at 5:04 am

Hi Shireen. Thank you for this recipe. I made this recipe for our family reunion dinner last night and it was a hit. The marinade is not spicy at all and has a lovely sweet and spicy taste because of the tamarind. I didn't think you could teach a Kulshekar Sequeira new tricks in the kitchen department:) Keep them coming.

Shireen says
January 23, 2016 at 9:09 am

@ Bilna Sandeep: Thanks so much for your lovely compliments! Glad to know that you liked my blog 🙂 I will soon visit yours! Happy New Year to you too!

Shireen says
January 23, 2016 at 9:20 am

@ Rosesq: I am so thrilled to know that you enjoyed this dish 🙂 well, its a Kulshekar Sequeira (my hubby) who created this recipe afterall 🙂 Thanks so much for your feedback!

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