← All recipes · Species guide: Tilapia
Egypt · Tilapia

Egyptian Fried Tilapia

Bolti Maqli

Along the Nile and in the fish shops of Alexandria, bolti is rubbed with a garlic, cumin and chili paste, dusted in flour and fried whole until the fins crunch. It comes to the table with tahini, salad and warm bread.

  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 25 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: flukesamed / Adobe Stock
Served with: Egyptian Baladi Salad ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the fish

For the spice paste

Method

Step by step, the way it is done there.

  1. Make the paste. Blend the garlic, bell pepper, chilies, cumin, coriander, salt, vinegar and lemon juice into a thick paste.
  2. Season the fish. Cut 3 or 4 deep slashes on each side of every fish. Rub the paste all over and into the slashes and belly. Cover and chill 1–2 hours.
  3. Flour. Mix the flour with the salt. Dredge each fish well, shake off the extra and let it sit 10 minutes so the coating sets.
  4. Fry. Heat 2 inches (5 cm) of oil to 350 °F (180 °C). Fry the fish one or two at a time, 7–10 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp.
  5. Serve. Drain on a rack, sprinkle with a little salt and serve right away with lemon, tahini sauce, baladi salad and warm bread.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

Egyptian Baladi Salad
Egypt

Egyptian Baladi Salad

Salata Baladi

The everyday chopped salad of Egypt: tomato, cucumber and onion with lemon, cumin and herbs. It cuts right through fried fish.

  • Prep 15 min
  • Cook 0 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 3 ripe tomatoes, diced small
  • 2 small cucumbers, diced small
  • ½ red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small green pepper, diced
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill or mint
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp salt

How to make it

  1. Chop. Cut the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion and pepper into small, even dice.
  2. Dress. Whisk the lemon juice, oil, cumin and salt.
  3. Toss. Toss the vegetables and herbs with the dressing.
  4. Serve. Serve cold, within the hour.

More ways to cook Tilapia

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Alexandria, EgyptEgyptian Grilled Tilapia
Cartagena, ColombiaColombian Crispy Fried Mojarra
Camagüey, CubaCuban Oven-Baked Tilapia in Sour Orange