Indian tandoori fish masala(oven-baked).

Tandoori fish masala is a healthy fish recipe using the tandoori marinade to flavour.

You’ll love how this baked masala fish with the crispy skin and tender moist meat to savour.

A drizzle of lime juice is all you need.

Tandoori baked masala fish recipe is a keeper!

I’ve oven-baked this tandoori fish but you can use the grill function to make the recipe as well.

Whichever function you use to make the fish recipe, it’s going to be a healthy dinner option and makes the perfect dinner for a family.

A fish masala in three easy steps.

All you need to do is clean, cover the fish with the tandoori masala paste and bake it.

I’ll also show you a way to keep the fish moist while baking so you don’t end up with a fish that is too dry.

What to serve with Tandoori masala fish.

• Rice dishes to try with this tandoori baked masala fish.
  • Easy lemon rice recipe.
  • Sri Lankan Yellow Rice(turmeric rice)
  • how to cook rice on the stove.
  • garlic and egg fried rice(in 30 minutes).
  • ghee rice(nei choru).

• Side dishes to serve with baked masala fish.
  • green beans-garlic stir-fried in browned butter.
  • Serve with some mixed roasted vegggies
  • Serve on a bed of couscous.
  • Serve with some roasted potato wedges.
  • A creamy coleslaw or a simple asian slaw.

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Baking Tandoori fish whole or as fish steaks.

 Bake the whole fish or cut them into thick fish steaks and serve them with your preferred side-dishes.

What kind of fish should I use to make this Indian fish bake.

I am using red mullet to make this Tandoori fish mainly because there is less bone in it except for the pin bones and its spinal bone.

The fish has a thick skin which helps to withstand high heat while maintaining the moisture of its delicate meat.

I bought my red mullet from the neighborhood fishmonger who pays a visit to our lane daily, you can ask them to scale and gut the fish for you.

If you plan on making tandoori masala fish steaks instead of using a whole fish, I would suggest using another alternative fish mentioned below.

What fish should I use if I want to make Tandoori fish steaks?

If you prefer to bake them as steaks for convenience, you can use salmon, halibut, tuna and swordfish.

How to bake Tandoori masala fish while keeping the fish tender and moist.

Here’s are a few tips to maintain the delicate flavors of the fish tandoori while baking it over high heat in the oven.

•  When you are coating the fish with the tandoori paste, make sure the paste is coated thoroughly, especially in the middle where the heat of the oven will be centralized, the thick tandoori paste also helps to flavor and give you gorgeous, crispy skin.

• I cover the fish with a bunch of curry leaves so that the heat doesn’t directly hit the baking/grilling fish.  

Place them over the fish like the image shown below, this way you’ll still get crispy skin while avoiding the fish from getting too dry.

What can I use to cover the fishinstead of curry leaves?

Any type of leafy herb would be fine, the purpose of the leaves is to avoid the fish from getting too dry while it bakes. bay leaves, pandan leaves can be other substitutes.

Reader’s comments and how they adapted the recipe for their family.

“I made the tandoori masala whole fish recipe using Florida pompano fish. The tandoori paste is outstanding!

I then used it to make chicken for a son who is not fond of fish. I made extra paste to keep in the fridge.

I added a layer of oil on top and have not mixed in yogurt. I also added a few curry leaves ground into the paste. Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe!”.

More healthy fish recipes.

Sri Lankan fish curry.

How to make a Sri Lankan canned/tinned fish curry.

Thai-inspired spicy tuna fish curry cooked in coconut milk.

Sri Lankan red fish curry(malu mirisata).

Sri Lankan ambulthiyal(sour fish dry curry).

Spicy Sri Lankan spicy fish stir-fry(less oil used).

RECIPE DIFFICULTY-LITTLE CARE NEEDED.

How to make Tandoori masala fish

Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

Ingredients to make masala fish)

1 medium-sized whole red mullet(500-700g in weight, replace with some chunky fish steaks)

6 cloves of minced garlic 

1-2 inch piece ginger minced

1/3 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons of chilli powder

1 tablespoon of cumin powder

1 tablespoon of garam  masala powder

Salt to season

3 tablespoons of finely crushed peanuts(substitute with cashews or almonds)

1/2 cup curd or plain yoghurt

4 tablespoons of oil

a bunch of curry leaves(optional)

Method

Wash, clean, scale and gut the fish for baking. you can also get this done from your fish seller.

How to marinate the fish.

Place fish on a platter, with a sharp knife, make 4 deep, long slits over the body of the fish on both sides.

Over very low-heat gently toast the finely crushed peanut(substitute with cashews or almonds) until they release the aroma and turn brown. grind them and set aside.

In a smaller bowl, combine garlic, ginger, lime, cumin, garam masala, curd, salt to season, the peanut paste(cashews), oil and make the tandoori masala.

Once you have a thick tandoori marinade made, rub the marinade over the prepared fish.

Make sure the masala is applied thoroughly.

Refrigerate and let the fish marinate for 1 hour.

Remove fish from the refrigerator and let it reach room temperature(15-20  minutes).

How to bake the masala fish.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Place fish on a baking pan covered in foil, brush oil over the fish and cover with a few stems of curry leaves(see notes for substitute).

Bake the fish over 180C for 20-30 minutes or until the skin of the fish turns crispy and golden.

keep in mind if you are using a small oven or a convection oven you might have to turn the fish twice to make sure that both sides of the fish is baked through. while turning, baste with oil for a crispier skin.

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