Punjabi Fish Tikka

• 900 g firm white fish fillets, boneless, cut into 4-cm pieces
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, thick and hung for thirty minutes
• 1 1/2 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic paste
• 3 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 tbsp mustard oil, heated to smoking point then cooled
• 2 tbsp gram flour, dry-roasted
• 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 green chillies, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
• sea salt, to taste
• chaat masala, for finishing

1. 1

   Toast your garam masala components — 2 black cardamom, 4 green cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick, 6 cloves, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns — in a dry pan on low flame until fragrant, then grind to a fine powder. Fresh-ground is non-negotiable; the pre-ground tin has no soul.

2. 2

   Pat the fish pieces bone-dry with a kitchen towel. Any surface moisture will dilute your marinade and steam the fish instead of charring it.

3. 3

   First marination: toss the fish with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, half the ginger-garlic paste, and a pinch of salt. Let it sit for fifteen minutes — this opens up the fish and lets the next layer grip properly.

4. 4

   Heat the mustard oil in a small pan until it reaches its smoking point, then remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. For the second marination, whisk the hung yogurt with the cooled mustard oil, remaining ginger-garlic paste, roasted gram flour, Kashmiri chilli, turmeric, coriander, ajwain, 1 teaspoon of the freshly ground garam masala, minced green chillies, and salt. The gram flour is what binds the masala to the fish so it doesn't slide off on the grill.

5. 5

   Fold the fish into the yogurt marinade gently — don't break the pieces. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, ideally two. Anything beyond three hours and the acid starts to cure the protein, turning it chalky.

6. 6

   If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for thirty minutes so they don't burn. Thread the fish with a little space between each piece — crowding them blocks the char.

7. 7

   Heat your grill or oven to 230°C. Cook the skewers for eight to ten minutes, turning once halfway, until the edges have dark char spots and the fish is just opaque through the center. Overcooking by even two minutes will leave you with dry, cottony fish — pull them the moment they flake under gentle pressure.

8. 8

   Rest the skewers for two minutes off the heat, then slide the fish off and finish with a squeeze of lemon, a dusting of chaat masala, and a scatter of fresh coriander.

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