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Apollo fish
Chilli batter fried fish
అపోలో ఫిష్: Hyderabad's boneless fish fried in a chilli batter, tossed with yogurt, garlic and curry leaves
Apollo fish is a Hyderabad restaurant starter from the bar-and-biryani houses of Abids and Secunderabad, and nobody agrees on why it is named after the hospital across town. Boneless white fish is marinated, fried crisp in a red chilli batter and then tossed in a hot pan with garlic, green chilli, curry leaves and a little yogurt, so each piece is spicy, tangy and clings with sauce. It is eaten hot as a starter, often before biryani. The usual mistake is adding the yogurt to a very hot pan, where it splits into grainy flecks; take the pan off the heat for a moment first. Chef's tip: use a firm fish such as basa, murrel, seer or tilapia and cut it into even 3 cm pieces so they fry in the same time.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 ⅛ lb boneless white fish filletscut into 3 cm pieces
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 eggbeaten
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp plain flour
For the tossing
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 6 garlic clovesfinely chopped
- 4 green chilliesslit
- 20 curry leaves
- 4 tbsp thick plain yogurtwhisked
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
For frying
- 2 ½ cups sunflower oilfor deep-frying
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Toss 1 ⅛ lb boneless white fish fillets with 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp salt and leave for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Add 1 egg, 3 tbsp cornflour and 2 tbsp plain flour and mix until every piece is thinly coated in a sticky batter.
2 minStep 3: Fill a heavy pan no more than a third full with 2 ½ cups sunflower oil and heat to 350°F, or until a bread cube browns in about 40 seconds. Stay with the pan the whole time.
6 minStep 4: Fry the fish in two batches for 3–4 minutes until the coating is deep red-gold and crisp and the sizzling becomes quieter. Drain on kitchen paper.
8 minStep 5: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a wok over high heat and fry 6 garlic cloves for 30 seconds until pale gold, then add 4 green chillies and 20 curry leaves; they will crackle hard.
1 minStep 6: Take the wok off the heat for 20 seconds, stir in 4 tbsp thick plain yogurt, 1 tsp soy sauce and ½ tsp ground black pepper, then return it to medium heat and cook for 1 minute until the sauce thickens and coats the spoon.
2 minStep 7: Add the fried fish and toss for 1 minute until every piece is glazed. Scatter with 2 tbsp fresh coriander and serve hot.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does apollo fish take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of kashmiri chilli powder?
- Sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne (gives the same colour, less heat).
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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