Amritsari Macchi Fry

Name: Amritsari Macchi Fry
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Punjab)
Ingredients: Singhara (river fish) or sole fillets: 600g; Besan (chickpea flour): 120g; Rice flour: 30g; Kashmiri red chilli powder: 2 tsp; Ajwain (carom seeds): 1 tsp; Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp; Lemon juice: 2 tbsp; Chaat masala: 1 tsp; Turmeric: 0.5 tsp; Baking soda: a pinch; Salt: to taste; Oil: for deep frying; Green chutney and onion rings: to serve; Rice flour in the batter guarantees crispness — without it the batter goes soft quickly.; The oil must be hot enough — test with a drop of batter; it should rise immediately.; Singhara (freshwater catfish) is the traditional choice in Amritsar; sole is an acceptable substitute.; Eat immediately — Amritsari macchi does not wait well.

🍗 Non-veg📊 Easy

Fish fillets dipped in a besan-spice batter spiked with carom seeds and Kashmiri chilli, deep-fried until crackingly crisp — the most famous street food of Amritsar served as a dinner starter.

⏱️20 minPrep

🔥20 minCook

🕒40 minTotal

🍽️4Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Amritsari Macchi Fry

Pat fish dry.
Make shallow cuts.
Apply lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric, and chilli.
Rest 15 minutes.
Whisk besan, rice flour, ajwain, remaining chilli, chaat masala, salt, and baking soda.
Add water gradually to form a thick coating batter — it should cling to the fish without dripping.
Heat oil to 180°C.
Dip marinated fish in batter; fry 3–4 minutes until deeply golden and batter is crisp.
Do not crowd.
Fish is done when it floats and sounds hollow when tapped.
Drain on paper.
Sprinkle chaat masala immediately.
Serve with green chutney, onion rings, and lemon wedges.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 380 kcal | 32g | 22g | 18g | 2g | Amritsari Macchi is synonymous with Lawrence Road, Amritsar, where several legendary shops have been frying fish for generations. It is traditionally eaten as a winter evening meal — Punjabis believe river fish warms the body. The dish is so embedded in local culture that "going for macchi" is a social event in itself. ---

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