Tandoori fish skewers (machhli tikka)

The term ‘tandoori’ relates to dishes that are cooked in a tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven that’s renowned for turning out perfectly scorched naan and skewered meats, as a result of its intense heat that’s fuelled by charcoal or wood. You will need 8 x 20 cm skewers for this recipe.

Credit: Brett Stevens

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 kg firm white fish fillets, such as ling, cut into 5 cm pieces
• chaat masala (see Note), to sprinkle
• chargrilled limes and warm naan, to serve

Tandoori marinade

• 3 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (see Note)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp fennel seeds, ground
• 190 g (⅔ cup) thick Greek-style yoghurt
• 50 g (⅓ cup) raw cashew nuts
• 4 cm-piece ginger, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves

Green chutney

• 1 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 cup coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 4 long green chillies, finely chopped
• ⅛ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp chaat masala
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil

Tomato and onion salad

• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 white onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp lemon juice 

Marinating time 1 hour

You will need 8 x 20 cm skewers for this recipe.

Instructions

To make tandoori marinade, place all ingredients in a food processor and process to a paste. Transfer to a large bowl, add fish and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, to make green chutney, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Alternatively, process in a food processor for a smoother sauce. Season with salt and pepper and set aside until needed.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat a barbecue or chargrill pan to medium-high. Thread fish onto skewers, then cook, turning, for 5 minutes or until lightly charred.

Transfer to a greased wire rack set over an oven tray and bake for 8 minutes or until fish is just cooked.

Meanwhile, to make salad, place all ingredients in a bowl and toss gently to combine. Season to taste.

Sprinkle fish skewers with chaat masala and serve with green chutney, tomato and onion salad, chargrilled limes and naan.

Note

• Kashmiri chilli powder and chaat masala, a sweet and sour spice, are both available from Indian food shops.

Photography Brett Stevens. Food preparation Leanne Kitchen and Phoebe Wood. Styling Vivien Walsh.

As seen in Feast magazine, November 2014, Issue 37.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.