10 Delectable Ways to Enjoy Fish

Each and every state of India has its own favorite fish recipe and a favorite variety of fish to make it. Rohu, Surmai, Salmon, Basa, Mackrel, Sardines, Pomfret or Shark fish….the list is endless. There are many ways to enjoy fish & we absolutely love the ones made with rich Indian spices. We present to you ten delectable ways to enjoy fish from the various states of India.

1. Kashir Gaadh/Trout:

Kashmiri cuisine is known for intense flavors. dishes. Kashir Gaadh is a Kashmiri fish preparation, preferably made with trout-gaadh. Scaled, sliced and thoroughly washed fish is seasoned with salt and turmeric and left for 15 minutes. These slices are deep fried to golden. In a pan, chili powder, crushed cloves and asafoetida are sauteed at low flame with little water. Later, two- three cups of water is added to the pan and boiled with fennel powder and ginger powder, before carefully sliding the fried slices of fish. This is left to simmer for 30 minutes till the water seem to dry and the flavors intensified.

2. Macher Jhol:

This intriguing Bengali Rohu recipe, bursting with earthiness of panch phoron (a whole spice blend used in Eastern India) is an ideal Bengali/Oriya lunch delight. The fish is cleaned and sliced, before frying to golden brown in mustard oil and removed. Egg plants and potatoes are also added to the same oil sauteed and removed. Later, in the remaining oil, panch phoron is crackled along with onions paste till soft. After sauteing, egg plants and potatoes are added again to be welled up with various spices. When oil separates, water is added and fish is gently slithered in to be cooked till potatoes are fully done.

“Creative Commons Bengali Macher Jhol” by Sarojinir is licensed under CC BY 4.0

3. Chettinad Style Fish Curry:

Straight from the hot Tamil Nadu, is the Chettinad style, which is known to be the spiciest cooking style bursting with aroma. King fish or Surmai is washed thoroughly and marinated in sambar powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste and turmeric powder for 15-20 minutes. Dry roasted spices and cashews are ground to a paste with ginger, garlic and onion with some water. Coconut too is ground to a fine paste with water. A rich gravy/masala is created with asafoetida, mustard seeds, bay leaf, curry leaves, chopped onions and tomatoes—red chili powder is added to make it spicier. Pan fried/or raw fish can be added to the prepared gravy and simmered till cooked. Lastly coconut paste comes to bring the glossy richness to the dish.

“Creative Commons Chettinad Fish curry” by Babithajcosta is licensed under CC BY 4.0

4. Goan Fish Curry:

From the serene waters of Arabian Sea, the catch of the day is relished by locals in authentic Goan style. The sweetness of coconut milk and the tanginess of tamarind, create a yin and yang balance, teeming an ocean of flavour in your mouth. Any white boneless fish is marinated with lemon and salt for 10-15 minutes. A base for gravy is created by grinding various spices, garlic and onion, grated coconut, tamarind and green chillies in water. The ground paste is cooked on low flame before adding the marinated fish to it, and brought to a boil together.

5. Pudina Fish:

An easy snacky, delectable and flavorsome creation that leaves you craving for more. Regular mint/ coriander chutney forms the base of this dish. Whole Pomfret is marinated with salt and lime juice, and left for 15-20 minutes. Later the chutney is stuffed in the cavities and slathered over the fish, before pan frying or to put in skewers to be baked in tandoor/grill. Both leave the fish with a smokey aroma. Squeeze a lime and bite with a crunchy salad!

“Creative Commons Fish fry” by Pankaj Kaushal is licensed under CC BY 2.0

6. Bhapa Maach:

Another succulent delicacy from the waters of Bengal is the Hilsa fish based Bhapa Maach. It is a unique amalgamation with minimum ingredients—curd, mustard paste with green chillies. The fish is cleaned and cut into pieces, a marinade of curd, mustard paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt is made. The fish is liberally coated in this marinade and left for half an hour. This is can be steamed in a cooker for 8-10 mins. The pungent mustard leaves a tangy after taste lingering in your mouth.

7. Patrani Machi:

Parsi’s brought with them the culinary skills of Persia and blended them well with the local Indian style. Patrani Machi reflects the fusion at its best, this traditional Parsi recipe is an ideal blend where boneless-Pomfret fillets are cooked to perfection wrapped in banana leaves, leaving it tender and luscious. Fish is cleaned and cut into bite size pieces and rubbed with lemon juice, salt and red chili powder. A paste of coriander leaves, grated coconut, mint leaves, garlic, sugar, salt, black pepper with a gentle squeeze of lemon is whizzed in grinder to a smooth texture. This paste is gently smeared on fish before refrigerating. Later, these pieces are wrapped in banana leaves in small parcels and sealed well with toothpicks, the fish is now ready to be steamed (5-6mins) or pan fried gently turning the parcels till the banana leaves turn brown.

“Creative Commons Fish in banana leaf” by Edsel Little is licensed under CC BY 2.0

8. Amritsari Fish Tikka:

Famous from the land of tandoor is the boneless fish recipe-Amritsari Fish tikka. This recipe is an ideal starter, which tastes best when cooked in a tandoor to get the authentic smoky flavour. Boneless Salmon or king fish is cleaned and cut into to squares-it can be let to marinate in vinegar and salt for few mins, before coating in a batter made with hung curd, gram flour, carom seeds, turmeric, salt, red chili powder, ginger- garlic paste, chaat masala. After liberally smearing and coating the fish in this batter, it is refrigerated for an hour or two, before cooking in tandoor or grilled at high in oven. Squeeze a wedge of lime and dig in the crispy boneless delight.

“Creative Commons Ajwaini Fish Tikka ” by Msroshni905 is licensed under CC BY 4.0

9. Meen Curry:

Straight from God’s own country is a mouth-storming fish curry. Any fish of your choice, is cleaned-cut and seasoned with salt and left for 5-10 minutes. Before you get started with the recipe, don’t forget to soak kokum in some water. While to prepare a gravy—shallots, curry leaves, ginger and green chilly is sauteed in oil. When the onions look slightly brown, add to this basic spices like coriander powder, turmeric, red chillies powder. Lastly, coconut milk is added along with the water from soaked kokum. This seems to be the apt time to add the fish pieces and let it simmer (20 mins).

“Creative Commons Kottayam Meen (Fish) Curry” by Prasad Pillai is licensed under CC BY 2.0

10. Masor Tenga:

As we are trotting across India to get fish recipes, we culminate with the Assamese style Tangy fish curry. This is Assam’s signature fish curry that will leave you with tangy-tartness— craving for more. The easiest of all recipes, Masor Tenga requires tomatoes, coriander chopped, squeeze of lemon, fenugreek seeds and slit green chillies. Any fresh water fish-ideally, Rohu is cleaned and seasoned with salt and turmeric and left for 20 minutes. The fish is first fried in mustard oil to crisp and set aside. Later in some oil, fenugreek seeds are crackled to brown and removed, before sauteing green chillies and tipping in tomatoes. Once the tomatoes are soft, salt and turmeric powder are added to taste and later the fried fish is gently put in to be cooked to perfection with some water. A generous squeeze of lime, will complete the dish.

“Creative Commons Masor Tenga” by Rupak76 is licensed under CC BY 4.0

We tried to gather some of the popular fish delicacies of India, and may have missed many a mouth-storming ones. Do share your favorites! We are looking forward to hear from you. Till then, happy fishing! :)