Fish Tikka recipe: learn how to make restaurant style fish tikka at home with step by step cooking instructions. While fish tikka is traditionally prepared in a tandoor or on a grill, we love doing this easy version in our kitchen. It’s quick to prepare and is delicious, perfectly seared outside with the inside soft, juicy, and succulent!
The word Tikka means “chunk” or “piece” and refers to the size and cut of ingredient used, traditionally some sort of meat. It is one of the most cherished foods in North India, with versions varying for the popular chicken tikka, mutton and fish tikka, to vegetarian options ranging from cauliflower tikka to ones made out of potato.
The stories of how our foods originate and evolve have always fascinated us, and the tikka’s background is one such narrative. In its most basic form, the tikka tale probably goes back to the discovery of fire by the caveman, who used sticks to skewer meat and cook it over an open fire, giving them their nourishment and required protein. Later documented versions are of roving bands of soldiers traveling long distances, setting up campsites, and using their swords as skewers to grill chunks of meat as a convenient and easy to prepare meal on the go.
In India, tikkas have been traditionally prepared in a tandoor (clay oven) or on a charcoal grill, but in this modern day, tandoors are not common at home and everybody wants a fish tikka recipe in microwave or a fish tikka recipe in oven. While we stay away from microwaves, our Amritsari fish tikka recipe is easily made in a simple kitchen oven.
Our fish tikka recipe is boneless chunks of fish marinated in delicious spices and then grilled or broiled on high heat. The fish needs to be a firm-fleshed variety otherwise for a grilled recipe like this where the fish is being skewered, the risk that the fish will fall apart and slip off the skewers is high. Earlier, in Punjab (Punj Ab - the land of five rivers) like in most Punjabi food, only river fish, like the river sole in our recipe, was used to make tikka but now fish from the sea are also commonly used and the result is equally excellent!
While ours is not a spicy fish recipe, it is absolutely delectable, gently spiced with the flavours of fennel seeds (saunf), carom seeds (ajwain), ginger, garlic, and others, combined with the creaminess of hung yogurt. This is a sophisticated recipe that will bring pleasure to your guests and to you.
For the best results, fish tikka needs to be cooked on high heat (as high as your oven allows you to go) so that the fish is quickly seared outside to a beautiful golden with some charred spots and is perfectly cooked through inside, staying succulent and juicy. High heat grilling quickly cooks the fish and prevents it from turning dry inside.
Watch our fish tikka recipe video tutorial for step by step instructions, and find the detailed recipe with all ingredients, cooking method and time for healthy & tasty fish tikka right here.
And if you’re looking for other fish recipes, then you’ll definitely want to try our:
Fish Biryani, Moplah Kerala Style
Or go directly to our fish recipes page to see all our fish recipes!
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