Air fryer recipe · Starters
Goan Rava Fish Fry
Tangy chilli-marinated fish fillets in a semolina crust, the seaside Goan favourite reborn light and crackly.
- 24 minTotal time
- 200°CAir fryer
- 3Serves
- Non-vegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 290kcal
- 30.0 gprotein
- 26.9 gcarbs
- 6.2 gfat
- 1.8 gfibre
Per serving, about 3 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Fish fillets (pomfret/kingfish)400 g
- Rava (semolina)1/2 cup
- Kashmiri red chilli powder2 tsp
- Ginger-garlic paste1.5 tsp
- Lemon juice and turmeric1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp
- Oil for brushing1 tbsp
Method
Marinate the fish
Rub the fillets with the Kashmiri chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, lemon juice and salt. Chill them for at least twenty minutes so the flavours soak in, and the salt firms the flesh a little so it holds together when you fry it.
Prepare the rava
Season the rava with a little salt and spread it out on a flat plate. Keep the semolina completely dry and do not add any water, because dry rava is what turns into a crackly, crisp crust while damp rava just clumps into a paste.
Coat the fillets
Press each marinated fillet into the rava on both sides until it is thoroughly covered, then pat off the loose grains. A firm press makes the crust grip cleanly, and shaking off the excess stops patchy, uneven browning.
Brush and preheat
Brush or mist both sides of the coated fish with oil and preheat the air fryer to 200C. Starting in a hot basket sets the crust the moment the fish goes in, which seals the surface before the delicate flesh has time to dry out.
Air-fry the fish
Air-fry at 200C for 12 min, flipping carefully at the halfway mark so both sides colour into an even golden crust. The fish is ready when it flakes easily with a fork and the rava is crisp and crunchy right across the surface.
