4 Traditional Indian Fish Dishes You Must Try
Posted on: 23 October 2020
Fish is a popular ingredient in authentic Indian dishes from the North East and coastal regions. A wide variety of fish and seafood is used to make hearty dishes that any fish fan would enjoy sampling. If you enjoy Indian cuisine but tend to stick to the classic chicken dishes so commonly found in Indian restaurants across Australia, consider giving one of these traditional fish dishes a try next time you eat out.
Fish Bhuna
Fish bhuna uses meaty white fish that's cooked in a paste made with rich spices, such as paprika, cumin, turmeric, chilli and ground coriander seeds. The spices are fried in hot oil and once they combine into a thick paste the fish is added. The fish absorbs the flavour of the paste and it's served piping hot with a garnish of green chillies. Enjoy fish bhuna with basmati rice or paratha, which is a flatbread.
Fish Makhani
Fish Makhani tends to use a mix of white and oily fish and is a creamy, tomato-based dish that's perfect for warming you up on a chilly evening. The fish is marinated in turmeric and red chilli powder before being cooked in butter with garlic, red chillies and ginger. Tomato paste, cumin and garam masala are then added to the pan before finishing the dish off with some creamy yogurt. Fish Makhani is garnished with coriander leaves, which add an aromatic flavour, and it's typically eaten with steamed rice.
Amritsari Fish
Amritsari fish is traditionally eaten as an appetiser or as part of a light lunch. White flaky fish is used for this dish, which makes for a satisfying contrast to the crunchy outer coating that results when bite-sized chunks of fish are coated in a mix of gram flour and aromatic spices, such as coriander powder, ginger and turmeric before being fried in hot oil. Amritsari fish is served with a selection of pickled vegetables, chutneys and dips, such as creamy raita.
Fish Mappas
Fish mappas is a curry dish that consists of hearty chunks of white fish cooked in a creamy coconut milk sauce. The sauce contains fish stock, shallots, mustard powder, ginger, garlic, green chillies and fenugreek seeds, and the dish simmers slowly until the flavours combine and the fish is cooked through. Fish mappas is traditionally served with appams, which are a type of pancake made with fermented rice.
These are just a few examples of authentic fish dishes that are worth looking out for. Next time you visit an Indian restaurant, ask your server to recommend a fish dish based on the types of flavours you enjoy.
For more information, contact a local Indian restaurant today.
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