Tandoori Fish Tikka

We have a relative who doesn’t eat meat. But she eats fish. So that one time, when she came to our home we thought of making fish tikkas in the starter. As we were in Kolkata we went for boneless bhetki fillets. But frankly, you can use any kind of fish you like for making fish tikkas. As long as the fillets are thick and boneless chunks they will always do the job of making fine tikkas for you.

You can flavour the tikkas with just salt and ginger-garlic or anything that you find tasty and satisfying. But for me tandoori masala is the one that works like magic. The tanginess from the aamchur and lime juice is just too perfect.

As for cooking fish tikkas, they don’t take too much time to cook, but you do need to pay attention. If the fish tikkas are soggy and the marinade is sticky even after cooking, they all indicate an undercooked tikka. Fish Tikkas should be dry and firm. Serve the tikkas with kasundi or chutney of your preference and you have the perfect appetiser ready under half an hour.

Tandoori fish Tikka

Serves 4

Ingredients:

500gm of boneless fish fillet

4 garlic cloves – paste

1 inch ginger – paste

2 green chillies – paste

2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp red chilli powder

1 and ½ tsp cumin powder

1 and ½ tsp coriander powder

2 tsp garam masala powder

2 tsp aamchur powder / dried mango powder

1 tsp chat masala

Juice of 1 and ½ lime

2 tbsp thick yogurt

Salt

2 tbsp pure virgin mustard oil

1 tbsp besan or gram flour

A few chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp melted butter for basting the tikkas

Method:

Make small cubes of the fillets. Keep aside.

Whisk the yogurt in a bowl.

Add the ginger-garlic and chilli paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, chopped coriander leaves, aamchur powder and chat masala.

Heat the mustard oil until smoking hot and pour it into the prepared masala paste.

Add besan/gram flour and whisk until everything is well combined.

Add salt to taste and lime juice.

Add the cubed fish fillets and marinate for half an hour.

After half an hour place the cubes on a grilling rack and grill according to your microwave instruction.

Or you can preheat the oven at 600F and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Turn them over after 10 minutes and baste with melted butter.

After 20 minutes, when the fish tikkas comes out of the oven baste again with butter and serve immediately with onion rings, lime wedges and mint and coriander chutney or kasundi or ketchup.