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Tandoori pomfret
तंदूरी पापलेट (tandoori paplet): whole pomfret in yogurt, ginger-garlic and Kashmiri chilli, roasted hot
Tandoori pomfret is a fixture of Mumbai's coastal restaurants and Koli fishing families' feasts, especially in the cooler months when silver pomfret is at its best. Whole fish are slashed, given a lemon-and-salt first marinade, then coated in thick yogurt with ginger-garlic, Kashmiri chilli, ajwain and garam masala and roasted until charred at the edges and juicy inside. Suitable as part of a balanced diet: high-protein fish with no batter. About 280 kcal and 6 g carbohydrate per portion; serve with onion-cucumber salad and mint chutney. The usual mistake is using runny yogurt, which slides off and steams the fish; strain it first. Chef's tip: a spoon of roasted gram flour (besan) in the marinade helps it cling and char.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
First marinade
- 2 whole pomfretabout 400 g each, cleaned
- 1 lemonjuiced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
Second marinade
- 5 ½ oz thick (hung) yogurt
- 1 ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp ajwain (carom) seeds
- 1 tbsp gram flour (besan), roasted
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- ½ tsp salt
To serve
- 1 red onionin rings
- 1 limein wedges
- ½ tsp chaat masalaoptional
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Cut 3 deep slashes on each side of the 2 whole pomfret. Rub with 1 lemon juice, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground turmeric and leave in the fridge for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Mix the 5 ½ oz thick (hung) yogurt, 1 ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp ajwain (carom) seeds, 1 tbsp gram flour (besan), roasted, 1 tbsp of the 2 tbsp mustard oil and ½ tsp salt into a thick paste.
3 minStep 3: Pat the fish dry and coat it all over and into the slashes with the paste. Marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
60 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 450°F (400°F fan) with a rack over a lined tray. Lay the fish on the rack and brush with the rest of the mustard oil.
10 minStep 5: Roast for 18–20 minutes, turning once, until charred in spots and the flesh near the bone is opaque and flakes easily.
20 minStep 6: Serve with 1 red onion, 1 lime and a sprinkle of ½ tsp chaat masala.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tandoori pomfret take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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