Pakistani Karachi-Style Baked Masala Fish

About This Recipe

Coastal Karachi cooking leans heavily on fish, and while frying is the more common everyday method, a baked masala fish is a common oven-adapted version for home cooks who want the same bold red-chile flavor without a pot of hot oil. A thick paste of garlic, ginger, red chile, smoked paprika and lime juice is rubbed both over and inside slashes cut into the fish, letting the marinade actually reach the flesh instead of sitting on the surface. Smoked paprika isn't a classic Pakistani spice, but it's a reasonable stand-in here for the deep red color and mild smokiness that whole red Kashmiri chiles usually provide, especially for cooks outside South Asia who can't easily find them. The fish bakes on high heat, uncovered, so the skin blisters and the masala forms a slightly charred crust rather than steaming soft. A whole pomfret, snapper or sea bass works well; the dish is finished with a squeeze of fresh lime and served with plain rice and a simple onion salad, coastal-style.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 wholepomfret or snapper(cleaned, about 700g)
• 5 clovesgarlic
• 1 tbspfresh ginger
• 2 tspsmoked paprika
• 1 tspred chile powder
• 1 tspcumin powder
• 0.5 tspturmeric
• 2 tbsplime juice
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 1onion(thinly sliced, for serving)
• 1lime(cut into wedges)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prep the fish

   Pat the fish dry and cut 3 to 4 diagonal slashes into each side down to the bone. Preheat the oven to 220C (425F).

2. 2

   Make the masala paste

   Blend garlic, ginger, smoked paprika, chile powder, cumin, turmeric, lime juice, oil and salt into a thick paste.

3. 3

   Marinate

   Rub the paste all over the fish and into the slashes, working it into the cavity as well. Let marinate at least 20 minutes at room temperature.

4. 4

   Bake

   Place the fish on a lined baking tray and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the skin is blistered and the flesh flakes easily at the thickest point.

5. 5

   Rest and serve

   Let the fish rest 5 minutes. Serve topped with raw sliced onion and lime wedges, with rice on the side.

Variations

• •

  Grill the marinated fish over charcoal instead of baking for a more traditional smoky char.

• •

  Use fish fillets instead of a whole fish and reduce the bake time to 12 to 15 minutes.

• •

  Add a pinch of ajwain (carom seed) to the paste for a more traditional Sindhi coastal flavor.

Storage

Best eaten fresh the day it's made; fish texture degrades on reheating. If needed, refrigerate up to 1 day and reheat gently in a low oven, covered, just until warmed through.

Frequently Asked Questions