Tandoori Pomfret

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Pomfret or another light, flaky fish is seasoned with a spice-rice yogurt marinade and then broiled for a quick and flavorful supper.

By
Maneet Chauhan
Manee Chauhan
Maneet Chauhan

Maneet Chauhan is an Indian American chef, television personality, restaurateur, and cookbook author. She has served as the executive chef of Morph Hospitality Group restaurants in Chicago, Nashville, and New York, and is a judge on the Food Network's Chopped.

Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines
Updated on August 2, 2023
Tested by
Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time.
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Maneet Chauhan's Tandoori Pomfret
Photo: Matt Blair
Active Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
1

Maneet Chauhan calls pomfret a prized fish, noting that in India, it is one of the few freshwater fish that doesn't have a lot of bones. She says it works especially well cooked in a tandoor oven, or when cooked using the highest broiler setting in a home oven. If you can't source pomfret, swap in sea bass, tilapia, or another light, flaky fish.

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Ingredients

  • 8 whole Pomfret fish, cleaned and trimmed, or 16 fillets of pomfret, sea bass or tilapia

  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1 tablespoon tandoori masala

  • 1 teaspoon garam masala

  • ¾ cup strained plain (Greek-style) yogurt

  • 4 tablespoons mustard oil

  • 4 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste

  • 2 tablespoons Kashmiri chile powder (see note)

  • 2 tablespoons besan (chickpea flour)

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • Melted butter

  • Chaat masala

  • Cilantro sprigs

  • Red onions cut in rings

  • Lemon wedges

Directions

  1. Make several 2-inch incisions on fish fillets, about 1 inch apart. In a small bowl, whisk turmeric, tandoori masala, garam masala, yogurt, mustard oil, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri chile powder, besan, lemon juice, and salt until combined. Cover fish with marinade and refrigerate 30 minutes.

  2. Preheat oven to broil, with rack about 6 inches from heat source. Line a broiler-safe baking sheet with foil. Place fish on prepared baking sheet and broil until edges char, about 10 minutes.

  3. Brush fish with melted butter, top with chaat masala, and serve with cilantro, onion rings, and lemon wedges.

Note

If you can't find Kashmiri chile powder, substitute with a mix of 3 parts paprika and 1 part cayenne pepper.

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