Tali Machchi - Goan Spicy Fried Fish #FishFridayFoodies

Tali Machchi is a spicy fried fish dish from Goa, India made with firm white fish, coated in spiced flour and shallow fried. 

Often when I’m sitting on an airplane, I think of that Louis C.K. standup bit where he talks about the miracle of flight and how we still complain. (Here’s the audio link. I find it hysterical, because it’s true, but I must warn you the language is rough, to say the least.) Not that I don’t do my share of moaning about jet lag and the like, but I am awed by the age in which we live.

The host of my Fish Friday Foodies group can say, for instance, make a southern fried fish dish this month. And I can put those search words into my amazingly small computer (relatively speaking) and it gives me a long list of recipes to choose from, many of which I have never heard before. I mean, at all. Not even in passing. From a part of the world where I have yet to travel. Waaaaay south of here. (Although Goa’s on my list. Almost everywhere is on my list.) I am able to compare and contrast any number of recipes and merge them into one that I feel will work best. If that’s not amazing, I don’t know what is!

If you are looking for a simple seafood dish with loads of flavor, you’ll love tali machchi. It got two thumbs up at our house and even a “would order again” from my husband. Bonus: It's also quick.

Ingredients
1 pound or 450g firm white fish (I used local grouper, called hammour here.)
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons plain flour
3 tablespoons besan (also called gram or chickpea flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 cups or 480ml canola or other light oil for frying
1 large egg

Serve with lemon or lime slices, garnished with cilantro

Method
Wash and dry fish fillets. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Toss gently in the fresh lime juice and sprinkle on one 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix well.

Mix flour, chickpea flour, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, garam masala, turmeric and cayenne together in a shallow plate.

Heat oil in deep frying pan until smoking hot. Dip fish chunks in the beaten egg.

Then roll them in the spiced flour.

Fry the pieces in at least two batches to make sure you don't crowd the frying pan. Cook on one side for 2-3 minutes.

Turn and cook another couple of minutes on the other side, until the pieces are brown all over.

Drain on paper towels or on a wire rack resting on paper to catch the drips.

Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and extra wedges of lime or lemon.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to our host, April of Angels Home Sweet Homestead. Check out the other recipes this miracle we call the internet has brought right to this spot for you from my fellow Fish Friday Foodies.

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