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Pakistani · Punjabi

Lahori fish fry

Non-vegetarian

لاہوری مچھلی · Lahori machhli

A winter street classic from Lahore: chunks of white fish in a spicy, ajwain-scented gram-flour batter, deep-fried until crisp and served with chutney and lemon.

Lahori fish fry is a Pakistani street food, ready in about 1 hour 5 minutes and made with white fish fillet, chickpea flour and ajwain. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Lahori fish fry: spicy batter-fried fish pieces with onion rings and mint on a plate
Photo: Miansari66 / Wikimedia Commons · CC0-1.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Rest
30 min
Total
1 h 5 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
386

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Toss the fish with the lemon juice (opens in a new tab), salt, garlic (opens in a new tab) and ginger and leave to marinate in the fridge.

    • 5 min

    Food safety: Keep raw fish chilled; don't marinate longer than an hour or the lemon starts to 'cook' it.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Mix the gram flour (opens in a new tab), rice flour (opens in a new tab), ajwain (opens in a new tab) and spices, then add the water to make a thick paste. Coat the fish all over.

    • 5 min

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oil to 175 °C and fry the fish in batches until crisp and deep golden.

    Food safety: Don't crowd the pan; never leave hot oil unattended. Fish is done when it flakes easily (63 °C).

  4. Step 4

    Drain on paper and serve hot with lemon (opens in a new tab) wedges.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan · Commonly attributedMore food from Pakistan
    Dish
    Snack · Dinner · Street food · Appetizers & starters
    Cooking method
    Deep-fried, Marinated / cured
    Taste
    spicy (chilli heat), savoury, aromatic / warmly spiced, tangy
    Diet
    Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
    All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Street food
    Cook more with
    White fish fillet · Chickpea flour · Ajwain · Lemon juice · Garlic · Fresh ginger
    Techniques
    Deep-frying · Marinating · Curing

    Allergens

    • Contains: Fishfrom white fish fillet

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    386 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 262 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 36%
    • Carbohydrate 17%
    • Fat 47%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy386 kcal147 kcal
    Protein34.8 g13.3 g
    Carbohydrate16.2 g6.2 g
    Net carbohydrate13.8 g5.3 g
    Sugars2.1 g0.8 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre2.4 g0.9 g
    Fat19.8 g7.5 g
    Saturated fat1.6 g0.6 g
    Trans fat0.1 g0 g
    Cholesterol101 mg39 mg
    Sodium1285 mg491 mg
    Salt equivalent3.2 g1.2 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    738 mg
    Calcium
    46 mg
    Iron
    1.7 mg
    Magnesium
    73 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    47 µg
    Vitamin C
    6 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.9 µg
    Vitamin B12
    3.4 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    92 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: lemon.
    • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): ajwain.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Sprinkle with chaat masala straight out of the oil for the authentic street flavour.

    Common mistakes

    • A thin batter — it slides off and the fish steams instead of crisping.

    Serve with

    • Serve with mint-yogurt chutney and sliced onions.

    Storage

    • Best eaten immediately.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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