Baked Tandoori Fish

About

This is one of the most appetizing dishes that I have ever had. I was introduced to fish and seafood right from my early years. Luckily, I found a husband who is equally fond of seafood just as I am. This is my version of the baked pomfret just for my husband. The most suitable fish for this recipe is white or silver pomfret. It comes frozen and is available at Asian supermarkets weighed about 3/4 of a pound on an average. But you can use any other filet of fish if you prefer it without bones. In that case, filet of cod and swordfish are some of the other options. Of course if you are in India, you have the luxury of getting the fish cleaned by someone else. As for the fish, it be grilled directly on charcoal (insert skewers and grill for not more than 4-5 minutes each side or until browned), or baked in a Tandoor. I have baked the fish at 375 F in a conventional oven. This dish is delicious, but be careful of the tiny bones in the pomfret that could be hazardous and you could choke over the carcasses.

Ingredients

Whole Silver Pomfret- 2  

Lime juice of one lemon-2 tablespoons

Slices of lemon-2

Salt, to season

Mayonnaise- 2 tablespoons

Garlic paste- 1 teaspoon

Vinegar- ½ teaspoon

Whole Garlic, coarsely crushed- 4

Ginger paste- 1 teaspoon

Green Chilies paste- 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon

Tomato Ketchup- 1 teaspoon

Red Chili Powder- ½ teaspoon

Cumin powder- ½ teaspoon

Tandoori spice Mix- 1 teaspoon (I used MDH Tandoori Chicken Mix)

Egg- 1

Olive Oil or Butter- 1 tablespoon

Bell Peppers, cut in 1 inch squares-½ cup

Onions, cut in 1 inch squares-½ cup

Mint Leaves- ½ cup

Sliced Onions- ½ cup

Chat Masala- 1 teaspoon

Carom (Ajwain) seeds- ½ teaspoon 

Method

Cleaning the fish

Clean the fish by placing it in cold running water and scrubbing and scaling it with a knife. Cut off the fins. Make an incision vertically near the eyes. Wear surgical gloves (available in supermarkets) if you will, as this is fish has a very strong smell. Dig through the incision and clean the gills and try to clean all the viscous stuff inside the fish. Run through fresh cold water. Make sure not to cut the head completely to retain character for presentation. If the head bothers you, get rid of it and just bake the lower part. Wash with salt and turmeric. Make 3 slits vertically on each side of the fish with a sharp knife making sure not to cut through completely and retaining the tail and side fins. The idea is to maintain the fish as a whole.

Marinade

Prepare the marinade by mixing salt, lemon juice, mayonnaise, garlic paste, ginger paste, green chilies paste, coriander powder, vinegar, tomato ketchup, red chili powder, cumin power and tandoori spice mix. Beat one egg and add to this mix. This will allow to the fish to look glossy after it bakes. Rub the marinade over the fish and make sure it is stuffed inside the slits. Stuff the crushed garlic in the incisions made on the fish. Let it sit in the refrigerator for about 4 hours (if you have no time to marinate, you can bake it directly. But I recommend letting it sit for at least 30 to 45 minutes in the refrigerator).

Bake

Prepare a baking dish (I prefer using disposable baking dish because I don’t fancy cleaning the mess later :) ) and brush the bottom of the dish with a little oil. Carefully place the fish in the center of the dish. Drizzle with olive oil or butter. Now, at this stage, you can also skewer the fish through its mouth to its tail. But the choice is yours. You can place the fish directly on the rack of your oven. Be sure to place aluminum foil on the bottom to retain the juices oozing out of the fish. (I used the baking dish to bake the fish and later directly placed it on the rack). Pour any remaining marinade into the dish along with bell peppers and onions cut in squares. Garnish the fish with mint leaves and slices of lemon. Pre-heat the oven at 375 F and bake the fish for 20 minutes. Turn the setting to broiler and broil the fish directly on the rack for 2 minutes each side to darken the skin. Keep a watch on the fish because this may burn the fish very quickly. Carefully take the fish out of the oven, add lemon juice of half a lemon and garnish with mint, lemon and coriander leaves, sliced raw onions and chat masala. Serve over rice pilaf or with tandoori roti.

Chef’s Tip

Prepare the marinade in a zip lock bag as this allows all the flavors to mix in well and marinade the fish evenly without becoming messy. You can directly place the zip lock in the refrigerator without worrying about washing after. 

Happy Cooking!!