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Karahi & handi

Fish Karahi Recipe

فش کڑاہی بنانے کا طریقہ

Firm boneless fish, lightly fried, then folded into a quick tomato and ginger karahi masala with ajwain: big flavour without breaking the fish.
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Illustration of Fish Karahi

Prep

15 min

Cook

25 min

Marinate / soak

20 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Spice

Medium hot

Fish karahi is a winter favourite across Pakistan, made when river and sea fish are at their best. The masala is a classic karahi base of tomatoes, ginger and green chillies, with a little ajwain, which has a natural affinity with fish. The fish is marinated briefly and shallow-fried first so it holds together, then simmered in the masala for only a few minutes.

Ingredients

4 servings

For 4 servings

Measures

Marinade

To finish

Method

  1. Pat the fish dry. Rub it with the lemon juice, salt, turmeric, red chilli and ginger-garlic paste from the marinade and leave it to sit.

    ⏱ 20 min

  2. Heat the oil in a karahi on medium-high heat and shallow-fry the fish in two batches, turning once, until just firm and lightly golden. Lift out and set aside; it will finish cooking in the masala.

    ⏱ 6 min

  3. Pour off all but about 4 tbsp of the oil. Add the ajwain and cumin, let them sizzle for a few seconds, then add the ginger-garlic paste and stir for 30 seconds.

  4. Add the tomatoes, salt, red chilli powder, chilli flakes, turmeric and crushed coriander. Cover and cook on medium heat until the tomatoes are soft.

    ⏱ 8 min

  5. Uncover and bhuno on high heat, mashing the tomatoes, until the masala is thick and the oil separates.

    ⏱ 5 min

  6. Lower the heat, lay the fish in the masala and spoon the masala over it rather than stirring. Add the ginger, green chillies and garam masala, cover and cook on low heat.

    ⏱ 5 min

  7. Shake the pan gently instead of stirring, scatter the coriander and serve.

Tips for the best result

  • Choose a firm, meaty fish. Delicate fish like pomfret fall apart; rohu, singhara, surmai or mahi mahi hold well.
  • To remove a muddy smell from river fish, rub it with a little besan and salt, then rinse before marinating.

Common mistakes

  • Stirring with a spoon after the fish goes in. It breaks the fish into flakes; shake the karahi instead.
  • Frying the fish until fully crisp. It then dries out in the masala; fry only until it firms up.

How to serve

Serve hot with naan or roti, lemon wedges and a mint raita.

Storing and reheating

Best eaten the same day. Keeps 1 day in the fridge; reheat gently, covered, without stirring.

Nutrition and cost

Worked out from the ingredients, not measured in a lab. Treat both as a rough guide.

Per serving Estimate

Calories
465kcal
Protein
40g
Fat
31g
Carbs
9g
Fibre
2.4g
Sodium
980mg

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018), public domain values for the raw ingredients (100% of the recipe by weight had data). Deep-frying oil is counted at 20%; bones and water lost in cooking are not subtracted, so bone-in and fried dishes can read high. Not medical advice. Method

Cost per servingEstimate

≈ Rs 36

Whole dish ≈ Rs 145 · 43% of ingredients by weight priced

From the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics weekly SPI, week ended 29 Oct 2026. Spices, herbs and some vegetables are not in the SPI and are left out unless you add your price, so the real cost is a little higher. How this works

Fish Karahi: questions people ask

Which fish is best for fish karahi?

Firm white fish with few bones: rohu or singhara from the river, or surmai and mahi mahi from the sea. Boneless chunks are easiest to eat.

Can I make fish karahi without frying the fish?

Yes: add the marinated raw fish to the finished masala, cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes without stirring. It is lighter but more fragile.

Serve it with, and similar recipes

All karahi and handi recipes

Read this recipe in Urdu: فش کڑاہی بنانے کا طریقہ

https://handi.danixsoft.com/recipes/fish-karahi · Handi, DanixSoft