If you are a seafood freak and can’t get the perfectly smoky fish kebab anywhere, you have arrived at the right place! The ultimate smoky fish kebab is here to knock you out!
I told you in my earlier post of steamed fish in a foil that I am always in the look out of fish recipes other than the fish curries since fish is an inevitable part of our daily meals. Today my search landed me to the most amazing smoky fish kebab of all time!
You will be as much in awe as me once you try this delicacy! Simple recipes never fail to surprise me and this recipe is an ideal proof of how simplicity can bring out the best in things!
Smoky fish kebab is not as fancy recipe as it sounds or looks, not even close! Actually, it could be the perfect choice when you are out to impress someone without a fussy recipe which is guaranteed to be fail-proof!
The gorgeousness of this dish will impress even the stubborn critic of all and make him/her fall for it miserably! Trust me on this and don’t miss to get the pack of fish fillet on your very next trip to supermarket!
For my smoky fish kebab, I used succulent cubes of Basa a.k.a. Indian catfish. Basa has recently gained a lot of popularity and I have seen its frozen fillet readily available in almost all supermarkets across my city and that’s exactly what I used.
If you are not of the frozen kind, you can ask your local fishmonger to prepare the fresh fillets from the fresh fish, that will be the best possible option I believe; I just chose the convenient one!
In place of Basa, you can use other white & meaty firm fish fillets, for example, haddock or cod, but we really vouch for Basa due to its insane ability to soak up immense flavors.
Whatever fish you use is totally up to you as I am sure this marinating sauce for smoky fish kebab is potential enough to create magic to any fish it is applied to. The marinating sauce is the real treasure of this recipe.
The combination of brown sugar and ginger paste produces the incredible smoky effect and gives you the most amazing smoky fish kebab of all time! I urge you not to overpower this simple marinade with anything strong like garlic or chili or some other strong flavors; the beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity and let it be just like that!
If you are not a fish lover and generally avoid such a healthy and tasty food may be due to its fishy smell, then you must give this one a shot. Basa fish is totally odorless and soaks in whatever spices you cook it with.
I have quite a few Basa recipes up here in our blog thanks to our unconditional love for this piece of gem. You must definitely check out my battered fried Basa recipe which is still topping the popularity chart since its appearance. Also, you must not miss out my best ever fish & chips, England’s most favorite comfort food!
Fish is really a good thing to incorporate into your daily meals. You may already be aware that fish is the best source of omega 3 fatty acids which are essential for our good health and it provides us with the required protein without much of unnecessary fat.
All in all, fish is always a winner when it some to tasty as well as healthy food. And when you have such delicious recipes as this smoky fish kebab or my earlier spicy pan seared Tilapia at your disposal, there is absolutely no reason not to get into the fishy zone!
- Basa fish fillet – 500 gms, cut into 2”x2” pieces (you can use any other firm fish too)
- Ginger paste – 2 tbsp
- Brown sugar – 2 tbsp
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Black pepper – ½ tsp
- Lemon – 1, large (you will need about 2 tbsp of lemon juice)
- Onion – 1, large
- Bell/sweet pepper – 2, small (you can use bell pepper of any color of your choice)
- Wash and pat dry the fish pieces. Season them with salt on both sides. Set them aside.
- Cut the onion into large chunks and separate the scales.
- Cut the peppers into 1 inch squares.
- In a large bowl, add ginger paste, brown sugar, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Mix them really well. The marinate will not be too thick.
- Add the fish cubes, onion and bell pepper pieces to the prepared sauce and coat everything well. Let them marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- While the fish and veggies are marinating, soak the bamboo skewers in water to prevent them from burning while grilling.
- Now skewer the fish, onions and peppers alternatively into the bamboo sticks. Do not overcrowd a single stick. I maintained 2 fish cubes per stick starting and ending with veggies.
- Heat the grill pan on high heat and spray or brush oil on top. Once the grill pan is very hot, carefully place the loaded skewers and do not disturb them immediately.
- Let the fish and veggies grill for 2 minutes on medium-high heat. Then brush the marinating sauce on top and flip the sticks over to cook the other side for another 2 minutes. Basa cooks really fast, so do keep an eye on them to avoid burning.
- Once done, remove from heat and serve the delicious smoky fish kebab hot with your favorite dip immediately.
Does this have to be served hot
This is best served warm! 🙂