Ingredients

* 1kg fish fillets, (rahu) patted dry and cut into 5cm square pieces
* 1 tsp Turmeric, heaped
* 1 tbsp Chilli powder
* 2 tsp Salt
* 250g wholemeal flour
* 500ml sunflower oil, for deep-frying

For the masala

* 1 tbsp Coriander seeds, heaped
* 1 tsp Cumin seeds, heaped
* 1 tsp Carom seeds, loveage
* 0.5 tsp Fennel seeds
* 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds, heaped
* 6 tbsp tamarind pulp

Method

1. Coat the fish in the tumeric, chilli powder and salt and set aside in the refrigerator to marinate for 30-40 minutes.
2. To make the masala, pound the spices in a pestle and mortar. First, roughly crush the coriander, then set aside.
3. Pound together the cumin, lovage and fennel to make a coarse powder.
4. Crush the pomegranate seeds until they take on the texture of crushed peppercorns, then crush again into a fine powder. Mix together the crushed coriander, cumin, lovage, fennel and pomegranate seeds.
5. Coat the marinated fish fillets in the tamarind paste, then with the crushed spices.
6. Heat the oil for deep-frying in a wok, large deep saucepan or deep fat fryer until very hot.
7. Roll the coated fish fillet in flour and deep-fry in the hot oil in small batches for two minutes or so.
8. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and serve at once with a salad and a fresh green coriander sand chilli chutney.