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Mahi (Kabul fried fish)
ماهی (mahi): Kabul's winter street fish fried in a spiced batter, sold beside jalebi
When the snow comes, Kabul's fish sellers set up their huge woks of oil, and the smell of mahi frying drifts across the city's bridges and bazaars, with stalls next door piling up bright orange jalebi to eat alongside it; mahi wa jalebi, fish and sweets, is a winter outing for the whole family. Chunks of firm fish are coated in a thin, spiced batter of flour, garlic, coriander seed, cumin and chilli and fried until crisp and reddish-gold, then eaten hot with naan, green chutney and a squeeze of lemon. Carp or other river fish is traditional, but any firm white fish works. Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature and gives soggy, greasy pieces, so fry only a few at a time. Chef's tip: salt the fish and leave it for 10 minutes, then pat it completely dry so the batter grips.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 ¾ lb firm white fish fillets or carp steakscut into 5 cm pieces, bones removed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For the batter
- 3 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 ¾ oz gram flour
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 cloves garlicgrated
- 1 /2 tsp salt
- ¾ cup cold water
For frying and serving
- 3 cups sunflower oilfor deep-frying
- 1 lemoncut into wedges
- Afghan green chutney (optional)to serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Toss 1 ¾ lb firm white fish fillets or carp steaks with 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a bowl and leave in the fridge for 10 minutes, then pat each piece very dry with kitchen paper.
10 minStep 2: Whisk 3 ½ oz plain flour, 1 ¾ oz gram flour, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric, 2 cloves garlic and 1 /2 tsp salt with ¾ cup cold water to a smooth batter that coats the back of a spoon, like single cream.
Step 3: Heat 3 cups sunflower oil in a wok or deep pan to 350°F, when a drop of batter sizzles and rises straight away.
Step 4: Dip 4–5 pieces of fish in the batter, let the excess drip off and fry for 4–5 minutes, turning, until crisp and deep golden and the fish inside is opaque and flakes easily.
5 minStep 5: Lift out onto kitchen paper and repeat with the rest, letting the oil come back to temperature between batches.
Step 6: Serve at once with 1 lemon, naan and Afghan green chutney.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mahi (Kabul fried fish) take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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