“Tava Grilled Rawas (Indian Salmon Fish)” … fishitarians love fish fries and it has always taken a prominent place in meals … deep frying has slowly taken a back seat making way to tava grilling that saves on oil and I guess it’s time to switch over to new methods to continue enjoying healthy food … go ahead and enjoy these tava grilled rawas, they taste awesome … Yummilicious …
** Deep fried fish be it surmai (visonu/ king fish), pomfret (manji), mackerel (raja/ banguda) or Rawas (Indian Salmon fish) have always been a favorite with GSB Konkani Sarawat Community people who savor fish. Yes, unlike some people thoughts amchies do eat fish more so the one’s on coastal region. The story of how they came about eating fish is a long story that runs back to more than 500 yrs and I will not run into it here, however you can always find it in the history of GSB’s for more info.
** Fish curry and fries both are a favourite of fish lovers and Sunday meals are always eagerly waited for when these delicacies are prepared, served and enjoyed with whole family sitting together along with guests/ relatives if any have dropped by. There is nothing more tastier than crisp fried fish pieces and children usually love either surmai/ rawas or pomfret as they have less thorn unlike sardines, mackerels which is usually loved by older ones. In my home, I love surmai while hubby prefers mackerels, that’s it.
** Coming to deep fries, I have recently been thinking a lot about shifting to tava fries/ grilled/ baked or air fried options. Most of my friends successfully prepare tava fries while some habitually stick to deep frying methods, I guess I fall in later group as despite trying them all deep fries appealed me the most. My air fryer purchased 5 yrs back has still not been put to full use except for potato fries. I know at the back of my mind that I must change over to healthier options but my heart somehow stubbornly refuses.
** Unlike olden days we live in much more comfort and health has been the major issue for most of us, in fact I find that people in 20’s have started to face serious issues which I think should be addressed properly and dealt with starting from home. That’s it, hopefully I will be using my air fryer more or will follow grill method to curtail usage of oil in near future. I have shared a few fries before, but rawas on pan grill turned out the best of them all, I guess I have nailed the method to perfection now, so now eager for more.
** If you have not purchased a non stick pan grill, then do so, it’s a wise investment if given instructions are followed. Grill pan falls in handy be it for grilling veggies or non veg dishes. I have tried both and after a few trials I have now learned to prepare them perfect. Off course this does not mean I will cut down on all deep fried dishes or sweets, no way, limitation is the key to all problems, so cook wisely, eat wisely and enjoy life with good food, family and friends. More to be shared soon till then enjoy these.
** Here is my method of “Tava Grilled Rawas (Indian Salmon Fish)” ... My Style ....
** Rawas/ Indian Salmon Fish (as shown whole and cut pieces in attached collage) is highly nutritious and is a good source of protein, omega- 3, Vit. D, B etc. and falls under the bracket of one of the healthiest fish that should be eaten. It is easily available worldwide and in India too, it’s the most sought after fish used in fries.
** Rawas/ Indian Salmon Fish comes in medium, large sizes and is sold sometimes in pieces if too large. Most of the fish vendors clean and slice the fish when we purchase it and it is best got done from them as it not only is done in perfection, but workload too is cut down, all you need to do is clean it in plenty of water.
** However, sometimes scales on surface, fins, stomach, head portion are not cleaned well by vendors as they are always in hurry to sell to the next customers. So one does need to check well to ensure all inedible portions have been cleaned/ removed/ discarded. You need to handle fish pieces gently as they will break easily.
** After gently washing in water, changing water a few times till you see it clear, drain off all water properly, pat dry with kitchen towel or absorbent tissues and apply salt all over the pieces, mix well gently and let rest for few minutes. Once again wash in water, drain, pat dry and then apply the marinate all over and its ready.
** You need to let the fish pieces rest for 20-30 minutes once the marinade has been applied, if you want to fry them later, say in a few hours time then put them in an airtight container, keep it in fridge and remove just before frying. If you need to fry it next day or after 2-3 days then store them in freezer, thaw and fry when required.
** Masala/ Marinade for application : In a small bowl add in 3-4 tblsp of kashmiri red chilly powder (mirsange pitti/ mirchi tikkat), ½ tsp of hing (asafoetida) powder, ¼ tsp of haldi (turmeric) powder, 1 tsp dhania (coriander/ kothambari) powder, salt (namak/ meeta) to taste and 2 tblsp of vinegar and mix to a smooth but thick paste with adding water as is required only. (check picture collage for reference).
** Now gently apply the paste on both sides of the fish evenly on a thin layer after taking care to see that the fish pieces are dry. (check picture collage for reference). Put the masala applied fish pieces in a airtight container and keep it in the fridge for about 2-3 hours for best result, remove and keep it ready for 10 minutes and it is ready to be fried. You can also fry the marinated fish straight away if in hurry.
** Powder for dusting fish pieces : In a plate add in 2 tblsp of fine rava (chiroti rava), 2 tblsp of rice powder, 1 tsp kashmri red chilly powder and a pinch of salt. Mix all the ingredients well. Keep this ready before you start grilling the fish.
** Heat grilled tava, when hot, lower the heat to medium, dust fish pieces with prepared powder to evenly coat a thin layer on both sides of the fish. Tap the fish holding it sideways on the tray, doing this removes excess powder on the fish.
** Now slightly smear the tava with oil using a brush/ spoon and place the fish pieces on the grill tava and let fry for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Apply oil with a brush on the top side of the fish and then with the help of tongs gently flip over the fish and grill on the other side too for 2-3 minutes. Fish always cooks fast so on the whole the process may take about 8-10 minutes for crisp fried fish pieces.
** Always handle fish with care as being soft texture they tend to break easily. When done, gently remove them with help of tongs held firmly and keep the fish pieces on an absorbent paper for excess oil to drain off. Do not overcook the fish pieces as they taste best when just done to perfection unless you want them too crispy. Rawas fish takes maximum 8-10 minutes to get crisp fried on medium heat, that’s it.
** A tip for those who want that extra crisp on the surface of fish … If you want a crispier textured exterior on fish pieces, do not overcook it on medium heat for extra minutes, just raise the heat for a minute once the fish is cooked and wait for the fish to get crisp and then flip over and do the same to other side too. If you sprinkle a little bit of oil and do the same, you will get a good crust on the fish and deep grill cuts too.
** “Tava Grilled Rawas (Indian Salmon Fish)” is done and ready to be served. Fish fries should always be served hot immediately when done to retain its crisp texture and taste. You can serve it with dal- chawal during meals or as a starter at parties/ get together, either way they taste great. I have tried explaining in details the steps taken by me for getting perfect crisp grilled fries, do try it out and enjoy with your family if like us you too love fish fries and please do let me know how your family liked it.
** Note : You can increase or decrease the amount of red chilly powder depending upon individual preference in your home. I have kept the fish medium spicy, as though a decade back we would love to have it spicier now we do not do so for health issues. Too much spice is considered not good for health as it increases the acid level in the body. The remaining marinade if any can be stored in freezer and used later.
** You can try the same masala and method for any fish of your choice and also deep fry or shallow fry the same, they turn very good too. However, if you are using the grill pan method do use flat shaped fish pieces for easier perfect cooking as rounded edges sometimes stay under cooked as heat does not reach evenly to the entire fish, for those you can use the plain pans that will give best results using the same marinade and dusting method. You can check out fish fry methods posted earlier using the search option.
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Thanks.