Air fryer recipe · Starters
Punjabi Fish Tikka
Firm cubes of fish bathed in carom-spiked yoghurt, grilled to a smoky golden crust with melting centres.
- 40 minTotal time
- 190°CAir fryer
- 6Serves
- Non-vegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 120kcal
- 15.7 gprotein
- 4.2 gcarbs
- 4.7 gfat
- 0.7 gfibre
Per serving, about 6 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Firm fish fillets (basa or surmai), cubed400 g
- Hung curd1/2 cup
- Gram flour (besan)2 tbsp
- Carom seeds (ajwain)1 tsp
- Kashmiri chilli powder1 tbsp
- Mustard oil1.5 tbsp
- Ginger-garlic paste1 tbsp
- Lemon1/2
Method
Toast the besan
Dry-roast the gram flour in a pan over low heat for a minute until it smells nutty and loses its raw edge. This small step stops the marinade from tasting pasty and helps it cling to the delicate fish.
Prep the fish gently
Pat the fish cubes dry and rub them with lemon, salt and a little chilli powder, then let them sit ten minutes. Handle them carefully, as fish breaks far more easily than chicken or paneer.
Build the yoghurt marinade
Combine the hung curd, toasted besan, ajwain, Kashmiri chilli, ginger-garlic paste and the mustard oil into a thick coating. Heating the mustard oil to smoking and cooling it first mellows its pungency for a smoother flavour.
Coat and skewer
Fold the fish through the marinade until evenly covered and chill for thirty minutes, no longer, since acid can turn fish mushy. Thread the cubes onto skewers or simply lay them flat for a basket fry.
Air-fry to a golden crust
Brush the basket with oil and air-fry the fish at 190C for 12 minutes, turning once at the halfway mark very gently. The tikka is ready when the edges brown and a fork slides through with no resistance. The fish is done when it turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
