Palla is a fish we wait for every spawning season. Why? Because their gaboli or roe is worth it’s weight in gold here in Mumbai. Eaten in curries or fried, that Indian caviar a delicacy worth waiting for. But the fish itself is tasty too. Thorny yes! But delicious.
Here’s how we fry the popular fish called palla or illish or hilsa. We usually eat it with masoor dal or moong dal and rice or apas, but it also tastes good with some spicy chana dal. Will post the recipe for that one soon!
We get it chopped into two to three inch sized pieces, and if there’s any roe (gaboli), that precious commodity is set aside for making roe vindaloo or frying, or freezing for future use.
How to Fry Palla / Hilsa Fish
Frying hilsa or palla the way my mom does is pretty easy. Get the fish into a glass or plastic dish and add pepper, salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder to it. Mom also adds some vinegar or lemon juice and mixes the pieces together by hand so that they’re fully coated. These fish pieces are then left aside for 10 to 15 minutes to marinate.
Once the pieces have marinated for a while, they’re coated with semolina. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the hilsa/illish/palla till crunchy. That’s about four to five minutes on each side. And that’s it really! The fish is ready so quick and tastes delicious.
We usually eat it with dal and rice or roti. It can be masoor dal, moong dal or chana dal. All work well!
Fried Hilsa Fish (Palla / Illish) – Indian Style
Click the stars to add your rating! Left you don’t like it, right you love it!
Ingredients
- 1 Kilograms Hilsa/Palla/Illish Fish Cut in slices
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt Adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 2 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- .5 teaspoon Pepper Powder Optional
- 30 ml Vinegar or Lemon Juice
- 4 Tablespoons Semolina or Rice Flour
- 3 Tablespoons Oil For frying
Instructions
- Wash and clean the fish slices and put them in a bowl.
- Add salt, turmeric and red chili powder and mix well. (Also add pepper powder if you want it more zingy.)
- Add vinegar or lemon juice and allow to marinate for a few minutes.
- Add the semolina or rice flour to this mixture and allow to marinate. Otherwise, marinate first, and coat with semolina just before frying for a more crispy fish.
- Heat oil in a frying pan and when hot, place the fish slices next to each other.
- Fry for about 4-5 minutes on one side and turn over and fry the other side.
- Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve!
Please click to rate the recipe! Left you don’t like it, right you love it!
Notes
- You can allow the fish to marinate longer for more flavour.
- If you want it gluten-free, replace the semolina with rice flour or cornmeal.
STUFF YOU MAY NEED
- Fish Spatula
Nutrition (Per Serving)
Disclaimer: Nutrition Information per serving is estimated by a third party software based on the ingredients used, and is for informational purposes only. It will vary from product to product, based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients. Please consult the package labels of the ingredients you use, or chat with your dietician for specific details.
This printable recipe card is for home use only. For more recipes head over to AbbysHearth.comOther recipes you might like
Heya, I’m Abby! I’m a Gourmand Award-winning cookbook author and East Indian from Bombay, India. This blog is all about faith, food, and culture – from East Indian recipes to home, DIY, and spending time in the Word. Find out more about me here!