Tandoori Fish

Tandoori fish with mint chutney and lime wedges

Crisp Tandoori fish, little crunchy on the outside and soft melt in the mouth on the inside. A fave in our house, this dish can be used both as a starter or a main dish. Just cut in small pieces and skewer them to get fish tikka for appetizer. I make my own Tandoori masala mix at home (recipe link given below) which gives an explosion of freshly ground spices and a reddish hue to the dish. You can also use the store bought masala for this. A small amount of gram flour in the marinade ensures a crisp coating around the fish piece and helps seal in the flavor of spices. Hung yogurt helps keep the marinade thick and not runny thus retaining the marinade more on the fish. 

Ingredients:
2 lbs fish (I used salmon) cut in 2 X 2 inch pieces
1/4 cup hung yogurt
2 tsp besan (gram flour)
salt to taste
1 tsp red chilie powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp olive oil
2 heaped tbsp tandoori masala (recipe)

Tandoori fish with mint chutney and lime wedges

Procedure

1. Make hung yogurt
   Place a sieve lined with cheese cloth over a bowl. Put 2 cups of plain yogurt (yields 1 1/2 cups of hung yogurt) on the cheese cloth, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight (minimum 4-5 hours). All the water from the yogurt will filter out into the bowl leaving a thick creamy hung yogurt perfect for use in marinade. Use the water in dals and curries
2. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and marinate the fish pieces for 3-4 hours.
3. Grill for 7-10 minutes per side till cooked through.
4. Serve with mint chutney and onion rings.

Accompaniments:

Mint Chutney