Name: The Best Lahori Fish Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 pound paddlefish fillets (or other white flaky fish); 1 Tablespoon kosher salt; 2 cups canola oil; 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour; 1 Tablespoon cornstarch; 1 3.52 ounce box of Shan Lahori Fish seasoning mix; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon peppercorns; 1 fresh lemon, cut into wedges; 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

This Lahori Fish Recipe offers something unique to the normal fried fish when you are looking for Lent recipes.

The Shan Lahori Fish seasoning mix adds a huge burst of flavor to this Pakistani Fried Fish recipe. And it comes together in just 15 minutes!

lahori pakistani fried fish for lent recipes

Are Paddlefish Good To Eat

This recipe easily answers the question, "Are paddlefish good to eat?" And the answer is absolutely yes!

For this Lahori fish recipe, I used simple, sweet fillets of a Paddlefish I caught right here in North Dakota. However, you could use your choice of a multitude of different fish to create this fiery, fragrant concoction.

Paddlefish recipes like this one are amazing! Paddlefish are tender and flavorful. Best of all you don't have to worry about getting any fish bones lodged in your throat while munching happily on the fried fish! This is because paddlefish, like sharks, have skeletons made of cartilage, not bone. Paddlefish also don't have any scales.

Pakistani Fried Fish

Lahori Fish is famous in Pakistani, and once you've tasted it, you'll know why! It can easily be made at home wherever you live. I found the Shan Lahori Fish seasoning mix at the A & A Supermarket here in Fargo, North Dakota. If you don't have an Asian market near you, you can order some Lahori seasoning mix right here on Amazon.

Be it in the spices or the dishes, the cuisine of Pakistan is in many ways identical to Indian cuisine. As in Indian cuisine, many Pakistani dishes like this Lahori Fish use gram flour with a mix of spices like red chili, onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon. If you are a fan of the flavors found in Indian food, you will love this Pakistani Lahori fish!

The Best Fish For Lahori Fried Fish

I used Paddlefish fillets for this Lahori Fried Fish recipe, but I've also used walleye, perch, catfish, and cod.

I’ve made fried fish recipes six ways to Sunday, but all the best variations share a few elements. They all use firm, white, and lean fish that are skinless and boneless. I'm devoted to getting people to try more Paddlefish recipes like my Easy Lemon Butter Baked Paddlefish. However, the Paddlefish snagging season in North Dakota and Montana only happens once a year starting on May 1. The season only lasts a few days before the harvest cap of 2,000 fish is reached. So don't be afraid to experiment with this Pakistani fried fish recipe with whatever fish you are able to catch or buy locally.

Pakistani Lahori Fried Fish for Lent Recipes

How To Make Lahori Fish

1. Gather your ingredients.

Lahori Fish recipe ingredients including paddlefish fillets, San Lahori fish seasoning, lemon, cilantro, red peppercorns, fennel seeds, and homemade tartar sauce

2. Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels, sprinkle both sides of the fillets with salt, and set them aside at room temperature.

3. Add 2 cups of canola oil to a Dutch oven over medium high heat until the oil reaches 350 to 360 degrees F.

4. In a mixing bowl, combine half cup of water, 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, and the Shan Lahori Fish seasoning mix and whisk together to make a smooth batter.

5. Dredge the fish in the batter and let the excess drip off. Lay each piece of coated fish gently into the hot oil. Do this by letting the bottom end of the piece of fish fry for a couple of seconds in the oil before you lay the whole piece of fish in the hot oil. This will help prevent the fish from sticking to the bottom of the Dutch oven.

Fried fish battered paddlefish fillets in hot canola oil

6. Fry the fish until golden brown and crispy, between 5 to 7 minutes, flipping fish halfway through frying using a fish spatula. Transfer fish to a paper towel–lined plate and sprinkle with fennel seeds and peppercorns if so desired. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and chopped fresh cilantro.

Lent Recipes

I get asked for Lent recipes a lot. And since I'm the "wild game and fish guy", I don't do a lot of meatless recipes. Instead, I try to come up with creative ways to cook fish. And that's where this Lahori fish came about.

Lent, which runs from Ash Wednesday until sundown on Holy Thursday, is meant to be a solemn observance, forty days of commemorating Jesus Christ’s time of fasting and temptation in the desert through contemplation and abstention. As a Catholic, I love Lent because of the Lenten fish fry. The tradition of a Lenten fish fry, put on by churches and other affiliated groups like the Knights of Columbus, helps the observant Catholic stay on the righteous path while also raising a little money. You can easily find a Lenten fish fry near you in any Catholic enclave across the country, but especially here in the Midwest.

If you'd like to make your own Lent recipes at home and are looking for more great ways to use some of that fish in your freezer, be sure and check out some of our favorite fish recipes:

Come to North Dakota to Catch Fish

If you would like to visit North Dakota and catch some fish, check out details at the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website.

Join Our Wild Game Cooking Community

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE

If you make this Lahori Fish Recipe, tag @wildgameandfish so I can share it on my Instagram stories.

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