The term Koliwada originates from a fisherman’s colony in Maharastra, India; hence the name, Koliwada fish/machi/prawns. I visited the Koliwada colony in Mumbai back in 2008 and absolutely loved the experience. There are thousands of vendors selling their famous Koliwada masala fish, chicken, and prawns. You can either dine-in or carryout or you can pick up a marinated fish and cook at home. The hustle and bustle of the colony mixed in with the aroma of fish is an experience not to forget. In this recipe, we will tweak the original recipe, and instead of deep-frying, we will learn how to make crispy Koliwada pan-fried fish.

What is Koliwada Fish?

Koliwada fish simply means fried fish in a batter. You can use the same batter to make prawns, chicken, or any vegetable of your choice. The secret lies in the batter! Like many Indian recipes, there are many versions of Koliwada batter. I often see people trying to over complicate this recipe by adding a ton of ingredients and overdoing the batter. This recipe is very simple and only requires a few ingredients to give it its authentic flavor.

How do I make the Koliwada Masala?

There are two main ingredients to keep in mind when preparing this recipe:

• Red chili powder/kashmiri red chili or red color: Koliwada fish usually has a strong red color which comes from the red food coloring. I prefer not to use food coloring in my cooking, so I am using a combination of red chili powder, and kashmiri red chili powder for that red color. Since we are not using food color, our color will be a little less red than what you normally see in restaurants.
• Ajwain (caraway seeds): This is the main ingredient that gives the Koliwada fish its distinct taste. You can slightly roast the ajwain to release its flavor or use it as is.

I am preparing this recipe using Tilapia fish. For this recipe, you can use any fish of your choice but for best results, try and use a light fish such as Tilapia, Cod, or Haddock.

I am lightly coating it in besan (chickpea flour), rice flour (for the crispiness), ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, red chili powder, kashmiri red chili powder, and ajwain. In my personal experience, the fish should not be drowning in a thick batter like a pakora batter. It should be lightly coated so that it is light and crispy when you bite into it.

Pan-Fried, Deep Fried, Air-Fried?

Traditionally the fish is deep-fried, but I wanted to keep it slightly healthy so I am opting to pan fry it. You can also bake it in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or air-fry it.

How long do I marinate the fish in the masala?

You should marinate the fish for a minumum of an hour. Remember, we are just coating the fish with the masala so there is no need to marinate it overnight.