Tandoori Fish - 4 with Cumin
Tandoori Machli - 4 with Jeera
Mamta Gupta
This is another simple and delicious way of cooking fish in an oven or on a barbecue. You can even pan fry it. You can barbecue fish marinated in this marinade.
Same marinade can be used for chicken pieces too.
Also see BBQ Selection and Marinade Selection.
Serves 4
Edited October 2023
Ingredients
4 fish fillets of choice, here I have used cod fillets
Marinade:
1 small cup of thick yoghurt. If using home made yoghurt, let it hang in muslin for a while to drain of excess water. This will stop marinade from getting too watery.
4-5 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp. chilli oil with solids (or use chilli flakes + oil)
1 tsp. turmeric powder (optional)
1 tsp. Garam Masala
2 tbsp. besan (chickpea flour) or plain flour
1.5 tsp. salt, adjust to taste
2 tbsp. cumin seeds/whole jeera
Juice of half a lemon
Garnish:
1 lemon, cut into thin slices
Instructions
Dry roast cumin in a frying pan or on a griddle, until browned and a nice aroma rises. Take out of the pan (otherwise they will burn) and keep aside to cool. Use half of it in marinade and 1/2 for garnish
Place all marinade ingredients in a blender, saving half the cumin seeds for garnish and blend into a thin paste. Take out in a bowl. Adjust seasoning.
Add fish to the bowl, gently turn it in marinade to coat it well on all sides. Cover and leave overnight in the fridge in an airtight container (otherwise your fridge will smell of garlic)!
Preheat oven to 180-200C or 350-400F.
Place each fillet on a large square of aluminium foil, sprinkle a little cumin on each fillet and then garnish with 2-3 thin slices of lemon to each fillet. Wrap the foil around the fish, making a parcel.
Place fish parcels on a flat tray in a single layer.
Bake in the centre of a hot oven for approximately 12-15 minutes. Do not overcook. Fish is ready when the flesh flakes on touch.
If you do not have an oven, you can pan fry the fish fillets in a little oil. For barbecuing, place parcels on BBQ and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning over a couple of times.
Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.
To serve as a starter, cut into smaller pieces and serve individual piece on a bed of mixed salad leaves with a slice of lemon and a dressing of your choice.