Tamil Nadu Style Spicy Fish Fry using Tilapia Fish / Neyyi Meen Varuval! Fish Fry Recipe Indian Style / How to make Spicy Fish Fry
Tamilnadu style Meen Varuval / Fish fry made with simple homemade instant fish masala. This is almost a staple at our house, typical sunday samayal must have for us, be it plain rice or biryani… meen varuval should show up on the table 🙂
My personal choice for a south Indian style fish fry would be vanjara meen varuval but unfortunately that’s not available all the time and not that fresh here in the USA, so most of the time to cut the craving I stick with my other favorite fish – Tilapia, known as Neyyi meen / Kari Meen / Jalebi meen / Jilebi meen in Tamil. Fish Fry in Tamil | மீன் வறுவல் | Varuval in Tamil | How to make Fish Fry | மசாலா உதிராமல் மொறு மொறு மீன் வறுவல் #fishfryrecipe #meenvaruval in tamil | Fish Fry Recipe in Tamil
Check our space to browse for other Fish names in Tamil
What is the best fish for shallow frying? out of the limited choice, Tilapia fish is an inexpensive fresh water fish, very popular seafood choice nowadays…. its very mild in taste, low in calories and high in protein with some decent nutrition content. They are available all year long and are easily seen in most supermarkets here in the USA as whole or fillets either fresh or frozen. They suit well for any Indian fish curry recipe… I use them for meen kuzhambu, varuval, fish bake, biryani, fish moilee, fish hash/ puttu, fish fingers, fish vadai….. the list goes on.
meen varuval recipe, tamilnadu style meen varuval, fish fry recipe, how to make Indian style fish fry?, மீன் வறுவல், tamil samayal, tamil food, tamil cuisine, tamizh samayal, enga veetu samayal, south indian recipes, fish recipes, seafood recipes
Check our other fish fry recipes –
Tilapia Fish Fry – I have used fresh Tilapia fish which is also called as Neyyi meen, Jilebi (Jalebi fish) or sometimes also called as Kari meen. I got them cut into thick steak like pieces. Reserved the head and tail for making kuzhambu and used the fleshy portion for frying.
Meen Varuval - Tilapia Fish Fry
Ingredients
- 6 steaks Tilapia fish steaks
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Fennel seeds powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste crushed tastes better
- 1 teaspoon Yogurt plain thick curd
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- 1/4 cup Oil for shallow frying
- 5 cloves Garlic optional, crushed
Instructions
- I have used fresh Tilapia fish which is also called as Neyyi meen, Jilebi (Jalebi fish) or sometimes also called as Kari meen. I got them cut into thick steak like pieces. Reserved the head and tail for making kuzhambu and used the fleshy portion for frying.
- Take fresh cut tilapia steaks or fillets. Clean the cavities and give a quick rinse in cold water, use little yogurt & turmeric to rinse off the fishy smell if any.
- Combine all the masala – turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, balck pepper powder, fennel seeds powder, ginger garlic paste, salt, yogurt and lemon juice in a bowl and make a thick paste.
- Apply the masala all over the fish and marinate for 5 minutes.
- Heat oil in a frying pan and place the fish and shallow fry. Throw in some extra crushed garlic on the side, I love crispy fried garlic and hence always add a few on the side. Its is purely optional, give it a try, delicious!
- Fry until golden brown and either side about 3 minutes on either side. Remove and serve hot as a side dish for rice or biryani!
Notes
- Fennel powder adds in fresh flavor to the fry, do include.
- I like to add crushed ginger and garlic instead of the paste. They have nice crunch to every bite.
- If you cannot find tilapia steak cuts then go with regular tilapia fillets, they taste equally good!
Clean the cavities and give a quick rinse in cold water, use little yogurt & turmeric to rinse off the fishy smell if any.
Combine all the masala – turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, balck pepper powder, fennel seeds powder, crushed ginger, crushed garlic or paste , salt, yogurt and lemon juice in a bowl and make a thick paste.
Apply the masala all over the fish and marinate for 5 minutes.
Heat oil in a frying pan and place the fish and shallow fry. Throw in some extra crushed garlic on the side, I love crispy fried garlic and hence always add a few on the side. Its is purely optional, but give it try, you will like it! (Optional : Cover & cook to keep the flesh moist and soft while shallow frying )
Fry until golden brown and either side about 3 minutes on either side. Garnish with few chopped curry leaves for extra flavor! Remove and serve hot as a side dish for rice or biryani!
Some more fish fry recipes to try …..
Chettinad Meen Varuval
Fish Fry (using tilapia fillets)
Notes
- Makes 6 (medium size steaks )
- Fennel powder adds in fresh flavor to the fry, do include.
- I like to add crushed ginger and garlic instead of the paste. They have nice crunch to every bite.
- If you cannot find tilapia steak cuts then go with regular tilapia fillets, they taste equally good!
- You may use the same recipe for any fish… vanjaram, koduva, vavval meen the list goes on…
