Tandoori Fish

July 24, 2023

Tandoori is an Indian cooking method where meat or fish is marinated in yoghurt and spices and baked in a clay oven at very high heat. The yoghurt tenderises the fish and the spices form a crust. At home in a standard oven you cannot reach the same temperature, but the marinade and oven-baking still give the characteristic reddish colour and spiced flavour.

It works well as a weekend dinner or light summer main course. Firm white fish like halibut, cod or monkfish holds its shape well during cooking. Paprika gives the colour, cumin and fennel seeds round it out, and chilli sets the heat. Four to five hours in the fridge is enough for the marinade to penetrate.

The dish is served with sharp, fresh accompaniments — shredded lettuce, sliced fennel, lemon wedges — that cut through the spices.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Fish

4 halibut steaks, approx. 175 g each (or other firm white fish)
6 tbsp plain yoghurt
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin, ground
1 tsp fennel seeds, ground
1 tsp chilli powder
salt

Garnish

1 small lettuce, shredded
1 fennel bulb, sliced
lemon wedges

Directions

Rinse the fish steaks under cold running water and pat them dry with kitchen paper.

Mix the yoghurt, oil, paprika, cumin, fennel seeds, chilli powder and a pinch of salt together in a bowl.

Place the fish in the bowl and turn it in the marinade so all surfaces are coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 4–5 hours.

Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).

Lay the marinated steaks in an ovenproof dish without a lid. Bake the fish for 20–25 minutes until the flesh flakes easily when pressed with a fork.

Arrange the lettuce on a warm serving dish. Place the fish on top and pour the juices from the baking dish over. Serve with fennel slices and lemon wedges alongside.

Notes

The marinade can also be used on chicken breasts or thighs — adjust the baking time according to thickness.

Halibut is ideal, but cod, monkfish or pollock also work. Avoid thin, delicate fish like plaice; they fall apart in the marinade.

Ground cumin and fennel seeds lose flavour quickly. Toast whole seeds briefly in a dry pan and grind them in a mortar just before use to get the most out of the spices.