Joe Thottungal's Fried Tilapia: Flavour-packed fish with a marinade too good to waste

In this recipe, “the marinade is the star,” chef and restaurant owner Joe Thottungal told us. So he makes sure to use onions to mop up the rest of it in his recipe for fried tilapia. But if you still have a bit left over after that, Thottungal says you can use it to marinate cauliflower, bell peppers or zucchini before searing those, too. 

This recipe comes to us from his latest cookbook, My Thali: A Simple Indian Kitchen, and if you’re looking for something to serve it with, he told us it goes well with Jeera Rice (also from his cookbook) and ginger pickle.

Fried Tilapia

By Joe Thottungal

Don’t skimp on the time the fish sits in this magnificent marinade: the longer, the better, to my mind. In our home, we often buy more fillets than we need for one meal and freeze the rest, smothered in this paste, ready for the next fry-up. The fried onions, rolled in the leftover marinade (we don’t waste a bit of it!), make a fine finish.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs tilapia (about 4 fillets)
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste (recipe follows)
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup coconut oil, plus extra if needed
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 lime wedge, for garnish

Ginger-Garlic Paste:

• 1 (4-inch) knob ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped, and patted dry
• 10 cloves garlic

Preparation

Cut each tilapia fillet in half lengthwise. Pat dry with paper towels, then place on a baking sheet or in a shallow bowl. 

Using a food processor or a mortar and pestle, combine shallots, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, black pepper, turmeric, salt, and lime juice. Process or pound into a smooth paste. Spread the paste on both sides of the fish. Cover fish and marinate in the fridge, for at least 3 hours and up to 1 day. (Fillets can also be frozen in their marinade.)

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, until oil is shimmering. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add fish to the pan (reserving excess marinade) and fry for 3 minutes on each side, adding more oil if necessary. Set cooked fillets on a serving plate and keep warm.

Meanwhile, add onions to the leftover marinade and mix well. Add a little more coconut oil to the hot frying pan if necessary, and add the onions, sautéing for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned and wilted.

Scatter onions on top of the fish fillets. Serve with a lime wedge on a bed of rice with a side of chutney.

Ginger-Garlic Paste: 

Transfer ginger, garlic, and 2 tbsp water to a mortar and pestle or mini food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as required. Makes ½ cup. The paste can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Serves 6. 

Excerpted from My Thali: A Simple Indian Kitchen by Joe Thottungal with Anne DesBrisay. Photography by Christian Lalonde. Copyright © 2023 by Thali Restaurant. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.