Skip the grease and do the tandoori twist
This week’s recipe offers a healthy, quick, and delicious alternative to a pub-food classic: fish and chips.
I always want to like fish and chips. I like fish, potatoes, and ordering fried foods at restaurants as a treat—because I never deep-fry anything at home.
Unfortunately, the few times I’ve ordered fish and chips at a pub I’ve been disappointed. The batter was overcooked and soggy from all the grease, the fish had that fresh-from-the-freezer flavour, and the fries were under-seasoned and limp.
Am I just a huge food snob? I don’t think so. I’ve eaten frozen fish fingers that I’ve enjoyed a great deal more without blowing half my monthly restaurant budget for something that’s making me feel sick.
But why settle for frozen fish fingers when making a fresh version is only a few extra steps and a whole lot tastier?
My friend Reena taught me this amazing oven-baked tandoori fish recipe that is so easy and so much better than any fish I’ve ever had at a restaurant.
To try it out, you can buy a little of the tandoori masala spice blend from Bulk Barn. If you’re not into big flavours then just do a couple pinches of salt, pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice instead.
The potatoes are an easy addition that I usually “hide a vegetable with”—yes, I trick myself into eating vegetables like you do with children; let’s move past it. Zucchini, broccoli, or mushrooms are great because they can all be seasoned the same way that you do the fish, or simply with oil, salt, and pepper. We haven’t moved past the hiding vegetables thing, have we? Time to distract you with a recipe.
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Ingredients
Fish
1 basa filet (Note that this is basa fish and not bass); you can also try tilapia
Olive oil, drizzle
2 teaspoons tandoori masala
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
Salt, one pinch for each side of a filet
Fresh lemon juice, a squeeze over each filet
1 teaspoon of finely grated fresh ginger root per filet
Chips
1 baking potato (russet), sliced thinly for crispier potatoes or thickly for softer potatoes
1/2 a zucchini sliced, a handful of broccoli florets, or a handful of mushrooms
1-2 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
On a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, place the potatoes on one side and the veggies on the other side. Make sure things are not piled on top of each other; they should be in a single layer. If it doesn’t all fit then use a second baking sheet or bake the potatoes and the veggies in two batches.
Place the sliced potatoes and veggies in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Flip them halfway and remove anything that is done at that time.
Gently rinse your fresh fish filets and then use some paper towel to dry them off.
Place fish filet on the dull side of a piece of aluminum foil that is approximately 30 cm by 50 cm.
Drizzle a little olive oil on both sides of the filet and rub it in.
Season each side of the filet with one teaspoon of tandoori masala, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin powder, and a pinch of salt. Rub all spices into the fish evenly. Add more olive oil if needed.
Add the grated ginger and a squeeze of lemon on one side.
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Fold the aluminum foil in half and firmly seal it with the fish filet inside.
Add the fish to the oven (in a casserole dish or on a baking sheet in case of leaks) for the last 15 minutes of the cook time of the potatoes. If the veggies are baked to your liking, then remove them before returning the potatoes to the oven to finish cooking.
Enjoy!