If you don't have pomfret, use any flattened fish, like crappies, bluegills, porgies, butterfish, etc. This recipe would also work with small flounder.
1 or 2whole pomfret, or enough crappies or bluegills to feed four people
Salt
1/2cuprice flour
1/2cupcorn starch or potato starch
Oil for frying
Instructions
Make the chile sauce by mixing all the ingredients together. Set aside at room temperature. This sauce can be made up to a few days ahead of time.
Slice the fish in a cross-hatch pattern to expose the meat. Salt the fish well inside and out. Mix the starch and rice flour together then dust the fish with it, inside and out. Get about 1/2 inch of canola or vegetable oil hot in a very large pan.
When the oil is hot, shake off any excess flour and fry the pomfret for about 5 minutes per side. One tip: If the tail overhangs the frying pan, break it off and fry it separately, then "reattach" it on the platter, covering the break point with sauce. No one will notice.
Place the fish on a platter and drizzle with the sauce. Fresh cilantro is a nice garnish, as is mint.
Notes
NOTE: You can use the oil a few times by straining it after it cools, then putting the oil in a glass jar and setting that in the fridge. Only use it for fish, though.