“Machh-e Bhat-e Bangali” the name Bengalis justly earned which means “Fish and rice make a Bengali”. Bangladesh is a fish loving nation. Rice is staple and the traditional favorite with rice is Fish. Almost every part of the fish except scales, fins and innards is happily gawked by Bengalis. The fish head is particularly preferred and mostly saved for special guests and the head or lady of the house. Other spare bits of fish are usually used to flavor vegetable curries and lentils.
There are numerous ways of cooking fish in Bengali style. Fried, steamed, cooked in gravy(jhol), cooked with potato or other seasonal vegetables such as cauliflower, tomato, taro, pointed gourd, ridge gourd and so on. There are fish dishes that are also prepared with yogurt or pineapple. The variety is vast.
The whole Tilapia is a very popular dish in my family. Common but simple Bengali spices that are used to cook everyday fish, infuse this whole Tilapia. Depending on the mood and time in hand, I prepare this either on stovetop entirely, or bake it. Every time I shared this recipe with my family at home or with friends at parties, the dish always received nothing but compliments.
To cook the fish on stovetop, it needs frequent attention and the fish may need to be turned several times to ensure it’s not burning meaning you can’t necessarily leave the kitchen for an extended period. If baking, I pan fry the fish for few minutes but it is not necessary. The fish can be baked in its entirety freeing you up to do something else, unlike the stovetop option. This time, I liked having the free time so that we as a family could go out to the backyard and enjoy the beautiful weather. We giggled, played and plucked some flowers and had an awesome time. When we got back in, the fish was ready for us to feast on.
As I mentioned, depending on the mood and time I have on my hand, I pick the method to cook this fish. The stovetop would be more authentic Bengali style as conventional oven was seldom found in a Bangladeshi kitchen before the 80’s. Either way, the Tilapia tastes great.
Which of the two methods would you prefer if you were preparing this fish?
- 1 medium whole Tilapia, cleaned
- ½ cup onion, sliced
- ½ cup onion, paste
- 1½ teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, extra for cleaning
- 2 tablespoon lemon/lime juice
- ¾ teaspoon red chili powder
- 2-3 green chilies
- Cilantro for garnish
- Salt to taste
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- Clean the fish thoroughly, specially the inner cavity. Rub some salt and turmeric powder on the fish. Set aside for 5-10 minutes.
- Wash off the salt and turmeric. This step should eliminate any foul smell that the fish may have.
- Mix onion paste, garlic paste, cumin, turmeric and chili powder. Add lemon juice and half the oil.
- Rub the spice paste generously on to the inner cavities and outside of the whole tilapia. Set aside for 5-10 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a flat bottomed non-stick pan.
- Add the fish and pan fry in medium heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- On an oven proof dish, add onion slices, green chili and the fish.
- Bake fish for 25 minutes.
- Set the oven to broil and keep the fish in the oven to broil for 5-6 minutes turning once.
- Garnish with lemon slices and cilantro, if desired.
Fish can be cooked entirely on stovetop by covering the fish and cooking in low-medium heat after pan frying.
Adjust chili and other spices according to taste.
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রেসিপি: আস্ত তেলাপিয়া
উপকরন:
১ টি মাঝারি তেলাপিয়া
১/২ কাপ পেঁয়াজ, পাতলা স্লাইস
১/২ কাপ পেঁয়াজ বাটা
১ ১/২ চা চামচ রসুন বাটা
১ চা চামচ জিরা গুঁড়া
১ চা চামচ হলুদ গুঁড়া, মাছ পরিষ্কারের জন্য কিছু অতিরিক্ত
২ টেবিল চামচ লেবুর রস
৩/৪ চা চামচ শুকনো মরিচ গুঁড়া
২-৩ কঁাচা মরিচ
ধনিয়া পাতা
লবণ, স্বাদ অনুসারে
৪ টেবিল তেল
প্রণালী:
-
- মাছ ভালোভাবে পরিষ্কার করুন। বিশেষকরে মাছের পেটের অংশ ভালোভাবে ধুয়ে নিন।
- কিছু লবণ ও হলুদ গুঁড়া দিয়ে ৫-১০ মিনিটের জন্য মাছ ভিজিয়ে ধুয়ে নিন।
- পেঁয়াজ, রসুন, জিরা, হলুদ এবং শুকনো মরিচ দিয়ে একটি পেস্ট তৈরি করুন। লেবুর রস এবং অর্ধেক তেল যোগ করুন।
- মসলার পেস্ট সমগ্র মাছের ভেতর ও বাইরে ভালোভাবে মাখিয়ে ৫-১০ মিনিটের জন্য সরিয়ে রাখুন।
- ২ টেবিল চামচ তেল একটি পাত্রে গরম করুন।
- ৩-৪ মিনিট মাঝারি তােপ মাছ ভেজে নিন।
- ওভেন ৩৫০ ডিগ্রী ফারেনহাইটে প্রি-হিট করুন।
- পেঁয়াজ স্লাইস, কঁাচা মরিচ মােছ যোগ করুন ও ২৫ মিনিটের মত ওভেনে রেখে দিন।
- ৫-৬ মিনিট ব্রয়েল করুন।
- লেবু স্লাইস এবং ধনিয়া পাতা দিয়ে পরিবেশন করুন।
প্রয়োজনিও কিছু টিপস্ এর জনে্য দয়াকরে আটির্কেল অথবা ইংরেজি রেসিপির নোট সেকশন টা একটু দেখে নেবেন।
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Lail: Tilapia is one of my favorite fish because its mild flavor!!! Yours seems to be very nice and aromatic, seasoned with many wonderful spices… And the photos are gorgeous!!!
Thanks a lot Denise. This recipe is a keeper.
Such a gorgeous and delicious way to prepare fish! Beautiful.
Thanks, Liz.
Delicious, colourful and an awesome meal 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks Uru.
Looks delicious, I’m a fan of tilapia so can’t wait to try your recipe.
Thanks, Jen. Let me know how it turns out for you.
yum, I love the way you prepared the fish and spices are not too overpowering. I usually pan fry for few minutes then bake ( totally agree on the much needed free time!)..I think I want to try the authentic stovetop next time, this is delicious Lail:-)
That’s the beauty of this recipe, Jehanne. Great flavors but not overpowering.
Great looking fish! I think my favourite way to prepare fish is with Indian spices. The spices definitely take care of any fishy smells. My extended family would devour this…my kids however would have issues!
Photos are beautiful Lail.
Thanks, Nazneen.
We love tilapia and always try to find ways to enjoy it. This looks so delicious, Lail 🙂
Thanks, Kiran.
This sounds great! I am a Bengali and I really admit the saying “mach-e-bhat-e-bangali”. Nice recipe and I loved this picture of the fish!
http://cosmopolitancurrymania.blogspot.in/
Thanks, Purabi.
Wow….that looks divine……love that preparation……
Thanks, Lubna.
You know how much I will love this dish! I make something similar with pomfret as well. absolute YUM!
Never baked pofret and have some in the freezer. You know how those will be cooked, right? Thanks for the idea.
My family loves whole baked fish and yours looks heavenly
Love all the spices that go into it
Thank you, Sawsan.
My family is a great fish eater and they love pretty much any kind of preparation (and eat with head on!). This looks flavorful and delicious!
This recipe was such a lifesaver! I really didn’t want to cook fish on the stovetop, typical Bengali style but I didn’t know what to do with the whole tilapia my husband had bought. Your recipe was the perfect solution and I am so happy it came up on Google! Delicious, simple and quick, thank you so much for this and many other excellent recipes.
Dear Lani, Comment like this makes me going with the blog. I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you so much for all your kind words. I hope you find more recipes that suit you and your family. Appreciate you letting me know. Hope to see you around again soon. Take care.