Inspiration for Tacostan’s Crispy Fish Tacos
When we first got married, Team Rahim dove deep into exploration of the food from our cultures. Monica began exploring the complex spice mixes, or masalas, in Pakistani cuisine, becoming intimately familiar with Shan boxes. (If you know, you know.) And Usman became the main corn tortilla maker.
At the time we got married, we were living in New Orleans, so seafood became a regular staple of our diet. Monica had experienced a lot of rich Pakistani dishes that used meat but wanted to explore Pakistani seafood. One day, while down the Google rabbit hole, Monica came across the Flour and Spice blog. Flour and Spice is a great food blog run by Sarah, a self-described “Pakistani origin Canadian mama.” Since she first found the recipe, Monica has made Sarah’s Lahori Fried Fish multiple times. That’s the recipe that inspired these Baja-Style Fish Tacos!
We draw upon Sarah’s masala and change up the techniques to reflect the deliciously puffy, fried, crispy baja-style fish tacos. We recommend eating these crispy fish tacos with flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas, and, of course, the garnishes are a must!
You can buy flour tortillas at the grocery store, but you can also try making them at home. We used the recipe for flour tortillas made with butter from Rick Martinez’s new cookbook, Mi Cocina, and they were *chef’s kiss.*
Our four-year-old helped with rolling out the tortillas, and she was incredibly proud of her work. In her words, “What can I say? I’m a professional!” May we all walk with the confidence of a 4-year-old making flour tortillas for the first time.
Recipe Notes
- For households that don’t have the spices for the masala (spice mix) on hand, the spices might seem like the most intimidating part. You can find all of these spices at an Indian or Pakistani store, and all of them should be available in powder form. If you can’t get one or two of the spices, it’s not the end of the world! It will still be delicious.
- If you get stressed out at the idea of frying fish at home, you can simply sear it with a little oil in a shallow pan. If this is the route you decide to go, use all of the masala (spice mix) in the marinade.
Baja-Style Crispy Fish Tacos
Equipment
- Mixing bowls (for slaw, tamarind mayo, and marinating fish)
- Spice grinder (if using whole spices)
- Frying pan (A cast iron or steel pan with taller sides works great.)
- Large, shallow bowl (This is for fish batter. I use a glass pie dish.)
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
Cabbage Slaw
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces pre-shredded cabbage slaw mix
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Tamarind Mayo
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 1/4 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Masala (Spice Mix)
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground methi
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground caraway seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/3 teaspoon turmeric powder
Fish Marinade
- 2 pounds firm white fish, cut into strips (tilapia, code)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 large garlic clove (or 1 teaspoon garlic paste)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Batter for Frying Fish
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup sparkling water
- Canola or vegetable oil for frying
For Serving
- Tortillas
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro
Instructions
Cabbage Slaw
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, lime juice, and salt until smooth. Stir in cabbage slaw and cilantro until they are fully mixed and well coated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, giving the flavors time to sit together while you work on the rest of the recipe.
Tamarind Mayo
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, tamarind paste, chaat masala, and salt until smoothly incorporated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Masala (Spice Mix)
- If any of the spices are in whole form (seeds or leaf), grind them using a spice grinder until they form a fine powder. In a small bowl, combine all powdered spices using a spoon or fork until they are well combined. Divide the masala in half, about 3 ½ tablespoons for each half.
Fish Marinade
- In a medium bowl or plastic bag, mix lemon juice, garlic, salt, and half of the masala. Place pieces of fish in the bowl or bag and lightly massage to distribute marinade across the fish. Set aside for 20 minutes.
Fry Fish
- Heat 1-2 inches of canola or vegetable oil in a pan. While oil is heating up, make the batter. In a large, shallow bowl, mix all-purpose flour, garlic powder, baking powder, salt, pepper, and remaining half of the masala, and whisk to combine. Add sparkling water and whisk together until batter is smooth.
- Test the oil’s temperature by dropping a small dollop of batter in the oil. If it begins frying and rises to the top immediately, the oil is ready for frying. Using tongs, dip the marinated pieces of fish into the batter and coat on both sides. Lightly shake off any excess batter.
- Lightly fry fish for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Continue frying fish in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Serve immediately.
- Assemble tacos. Place a small spoonful of mayo on each tortilla, placing 2 pieces of fish on top. Then top with cabbage slaw. If desired, sprinkle with additional cilantro and serve with lime wedges.