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BBQ & kababs

Fish Tikka Recipe

فش تکہ بنانے کا طریقہ

Fish tikka with firm boneless fish in a thick yogurt, ajwain and lemon marinade, grilled fast over coals or under a hot grill so it stays moist.
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Illustration of Fish Tikka

Prep

20 min

Cook

15 min

Marinate / soak

30 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Spice

Medium hot

Fish tikka is the winter BBQ order when the fish markets are full and people want something lighter than mutton. Cubes of firm white fish are marinated in hung yogurt with ajwain, which is the classic partner for fish in Pakistani cooking, then grilled just long enough to char at the edges. The marinade is thick and short, because fish turns mushy if it sits in acid for hours.

Ingredients

4 servings

For 4 servings

Measures

First rub

For the marinade

To grill and finish

Method

  1. Pat the fish cubes dry with kitchen paper. Toss them gently with the lemon juice, salt and ginger-garlic paste from the first rub and set aside while you make the marinade.

    ⏱ 10 min

  2. Mix the hung yogurt with the salt, ajwain, both chilli powders, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, black pepper, roasted besan and mustard oil into a thick paste.

  3. Drain off any liquid the fish has released, fold it into the marinade and leave it covered in the fridge for 30 minutes, no longer than an hour.

    ⏱ 30 min

  4. Light the coals or heat the oven grill to its highest setting. Thread the fish onto oiled skewers, alternating with onion and capsicum if using, leaving a small gap between pieces.

    ⏱ 15 min

  5. Grill over glowing coals or close under the grill, turning once, until the edges char lightly.

    ⏱ 6 min

  6. Brush with melted butter and grill 2 minutes more. The fish is done when it flakes when pressed and is white all the way through.

    ⏱ 2 min

  7. Slide the tikka off the skewers, sprinkle with chaat masala and serve straight away with lemon wedges.

Tips for the best result

  • Use a firm, meaty fish. Soft fish like rohu or pomfret breaks on the skewer; surmai, kingfish, sole or basa hold together.
  • No coals? Cook the cubes on a very hot oiled tawa or grill pan, turning carefully with a flat spatula.
  • Roasting the besan first takes away its raw taste and makes the coating cling better.

Common mistakes

  • Marinating overnight. The lemon and yogurt start to 'cook' the fish and it turns soft and crumbly on the grill.
  • Using runny yogurt. Thin marinade drips off and the fish steams instead of charring.
  • Grilling too long. Fish cubes need only about 8 minutes; past that they dry out.

How to serve

Serve hot with hari chutney, sliced onion and lemon, with naan or on its own as a starter.

Storing and reheating

Best eaten straight off the grill. Leftovers keep 1 day in the fridge; warm briefly on a hot tawa. Do not freeze cooked fish tikka.

Nutrition and cost

Worked out from the ingredients, not measured in a lab. Treat both as a rough guide.

Per serving Estimate

Calories
305kcal
Protein
40g
Fat
14g
Carbs
7g
Fibre
1g
Sodium
740mg

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018), public domain values for the raw ingredients (99% of the recipe by weight had data). Deep-frying oil is counted at 20%; bones and water lost in cooking are not subtracted, so bone-in and fried dishes can read high. Not medical advice. Method

Cost per servingEstimate

≈ Rs 11

Whole dish ≈ Rs 45 · 14% of ingredients by weight priced

From the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics weekly SPI, week ended 29 Oct 2026. Spices, herbs and some vegetables are not in the SPI and are left out unless you add your price, so the real cost is a little higher. How this works

Fish Tikka: questions people ask

Which fish is best for fish tikka?

A firm, boneless white fish that holds its shape: surmai (kingfish), sole, basa or thick cod fillets. Avoid soft or very bony fish.

How do I make fish tikka in the oven?

Put the skewers on a rack over a tray and grill at the highest setting, about 10 cm from the element, for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once and basting with butter.

Serve it with, and similar recipes

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Read this recipe in Urdu: فش تکہ بنانے کا طریقہ

https://handi.danixsoft.com/recipes/fish-tikka · Handi, DanixSoft