Fish on the tawa

EVERYONE — that is everyone who eats fish — has his favourite fix — a special ingredient sarson, ajwain, methi, imli, green chilli-coriander-mint paste or a cooking technique — frying, steaming, pan grilling — that brings the best out in the jal ki rani. Some like it grilled in tandoor, others prefer her draped in banana leaf; there are those who can’t do without bones to chew and countless are fish lovers who can only lavish affection on boneless avatar. Batter — besan or egg — has its own attraction. Kebab, kofta and biryani are rarer but fish cakes of Thai lineage are relished by quite a few.

Then there are khatti machhali, khat mitthi machhali and the exotic musallam and mahi zamidoz from Hyderabad and Awadh that continue to delight. In the hill villages of Uttarakhand, they believe a dash of lemon juice keeps the fish pieces intact — little goes a long way in watery piquant soup and on the western seaboard, a hint of vinegar is not taboo and both in Goa and Mangalore red chilli paste and coconut adorn the fish. It is not easy to make up your mind about what would you like to order or cook.

We consume and are consumed by everything fishy. Our affair with the Pisceans started rather late in life but to tell you the truth, we are more partial to the boneless river variety sole. Chef Manish some time ago, working at the Oriental Octopus, regaled us with a steamed sole in lemon sauce that verged on the sublime and makes us not drool but sigh even now. Nor can we resist a fish tikka whenever it is encountered. The pity is that the fish, far more delicate than the chicken, is often indifferently spiced and comes out poorer after the brutal fire ordeal in the tandoor. This is the reason we tinkered on the tawa till the recipe for tawa machhi tikka was to our mind perfected.

It is not only very easy to cook but also is guaranteed to dazzle.

Tawa  machhi  tikka

Machhali tawa tikka is not only easy to cook but is also sure to tickle the tastebuds 

Ingredients

Sole (boneless fillets

cut into large chunks) 400 gm

Garlic-ginger paste 2 tsp

Green chilli paste 1 tsp

Lemon juice 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil 1tsp

Method
Wash and pat dry the fish tikka. Prepare a marinade by mixing garlic-ginger paste, lemon juice, green chilli paste, along with salt. Apply gently to the fish and keep aside for about an hour in a cold place. Line a non-stick frying pan or shallow karahi. Put the fish in it when the oil is hot. Cook covered for 6-7 minutes — a little over three minutes on each side turning carefully once ensuring that the fish doesn’t break. Enjoy hot. (If you prefer other fish you may substitute it for sole). Mark our words, this recipe works best when nothing is added or subtracted. Stay with firm white fish of best quality and let it talk.





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