Masala stuffed Fried Pomphret

I am going to keep this short, because I don’t believe anyone will be reading my story when they could be eating this fish. This fish, pomphret, is my most favorite fish in the whole world. It beats prawns, salmon, and hilsa for me. For those of you who are not familiar with pomphret, it is close to butter fish in taste and is extremely versatile. You can fry pomphret, steam pomphret, stir-fry pomphret, grill pomphret…whatever your heart desires. It is very soft and buttery and is the perfect base for any kind or combination of flavors. They are easily available in any Asian grocery. If you cannot find pomphret, however, you can still make this recipe with any kind of firm white fish. Tilapia will work just fine. 

Funny story: You will notice that even though I started with prepping 3 pomphrets, only one made it to the final shot. That’s because after I fried the first two pomphrets, I plated them and went back to the kitchen to fry the third fish. When I came back I saw a huge cat in the guise of my husband gorging on the first two. He looked at me (with the bhaja mach ta ulte khete jane na expression) and said, “Ooops! I thought these were for me!”. They weren’t! Not yet anyway. They were sitting ready to be photographed. But that just tells you that these are really that irresistible. 🙂

Masala Stuffed Fried pomphret recipe

Level: Moderate difficulty     Preparation time: 20 mins     Cooking time: 25 mins     Serves: 3

Ingredients:

3 whole pomphrets, gutted and cleaned
For marination
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chaat masala powder (optional)
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp lime juice
salt to taste
cracked black pepper to taste
oil for shallow frying
For the stuffing
1 tbsp canola/mustard/olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp green chopped chilies
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chaat masala powder (optional)
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp tamarind paste
a pinch of sugar
salt to taste
2 tbsp semolina (optional)

Instructions: 

Score incisions on the fish as shown in the first image.
In a small bowl mix all the ingredients listed under “for marination” (except oil) and rub on the pomphrets. Make sure to coat them evenly, reaching inside the incisions. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 
Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilies and cook over medium heat until golden brown.
Add the rest of the dry spices and cook for 3-4 minutes. 
Add the tamarind paste, stir and remove from heat, check for seasonings and set aside. 
When the masala has cooled, stuff the pomphrets (as shown in the picture blow) with the onion stuffing.
I like to sprinkle some semolina on the fish because that prevents them from sticking to the pan, but you can skip this step. 

Next fry the stuffed pomphrets, one at a time, in a shallow pan with sufficient oil until golden brown and crispy. It will take about 3-4 minutes on each side.  

Serve with onion rings and lime wedges. I like to sprinkle some chaat masala and salt on top. Enjoy!