Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Masala Pomfret
Masala Pomfret (Spicy Stuffed Pomfret (Butterfish))

Masala Pomfret

Spicy Stuffed Pomfret (Butterfish)
Non-vegetarian●●●Origin CoastalPrep 30 minutes, plus soaking and marinating timeCook 10–12 minutes

Whole fish coated in a fiery, sour Goan-style chilli and vinegar paste, then gently shallow-fried until crisp and tender.

Chillies for soaking

4 gSteeped in vinegar (step 1)
01
4 g4 chillies
spice
Leave whole to soften in the vinegar.

Cumin for the marinade

3.2 gBlended into the spice paste (step 2)
01
3.2 g1½ teaspoons
spice
Leave whole; grind directly in the blender.

Everything else

01
Whole pomfret · Papletcleaned, head, tail and fins removed
400 g1 fish
fish
02
Vegetable oil · Telfor shallow-frying
114 g125 ml
oil/fat
03
15 g1 tablespoon
souring agent
04
30–36 g10–12 cloves
aromatic
05
12 g1 piece
aromatic
06
4.2 g1 teaspoon
sweetener
07
to taste
salt

Method

  1. Place 4 g dried red chilli (the chillies for soaking) into a small bowl, pour in 1 tablespoon vinegar, and let steep for 15 minutes.
  2. Tip the steeped chillies and vinegar into a food processor or blender. Add 3.2 g cumin seed (the cumin for the marinade), 30–36 g garlic, 12 g ginger, 4.2 g granulated sugar, and salt to taste, then grind to a smooth paste.
  3. Spread the paste generously over the cleaned fish, working it inside the cavity and across both sides. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 to 4 hours.
  4. Set a wide frying pan over low heat and warm 114 g vegetable oil. Lay the fish into the oil and shallow-fry for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until cooked through, then transfer to kitchen paper to drain.

Don't have something?

Whole pomfret
  • Whole mackerel

    Use the same weight; it is stronger and oilier, so reduce added oil and simmer slightly less.

  • Whole fish

    Use the same weight and a firm fish; score it and adjust cooking time by 3–5 minutes depending on thickness.

  • Firm white fish fillet

    Use the same weight; there are no bones, so reduce simmering by about 5 minutes and handle gently.

Vegetable oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.

  • Ghee

    Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.

  • Mustard oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Dried red chilli
  • Dried kashmiri chilli

    Use equal weight whole. Fry in hot oil or ghee as tempered spice; gives a richer red colour with slightly milder heat.

  • Red chilli powder

    Use 50% to 70% of the weight. Stir into the oil with ground spices; distributes heat evenly throughout the dish without whole chilli skins.

Vinegar
  • White vinegar

    Use 100% of the weight directly. It delivers an identical sharp, clean acidity to curries and marinades.

  • Lemon juice

    Use 100% of the weight. Add towards the end of cooking off the heat; introduces a fruity citrus aroma rather than pungent acetic sharpness.

  • Tamarind extract

    Use 75% of the weight diluted in a splash of warm water. Gives a rich, fruity sourness and darkens the gravy.

Cumin seed
  • Ground cumin

    Use 70% of the weight; add with ground spices or sauce bases rather than hot oil tempering, where it scorches quickly and turns bitter.

  • Black cumin seeds

    Use equal weight for oil tempering. Delivers an earthy profile with an additional musky, smoky, and slightly bitter edge.

  • Fennel seed

    Use 60% of the weight for tempering; offers comparable warm aroma, but leans sweet and liquorice-like rather than savoury and earthy.

Garlic
  • Garlic paste

    Use equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.

  • Garlic powder

    Use 15% to 20% of the weight (about 1 g for every 5 to 6 g fresh cloves). Whisk into sauces; gives a savoury, toasted garlic flavour without raw pungency.

  • Shallot

    Use 1.5 times the weight, very finely minced. Sauté until golden; provides savoury allium sweetness, though it lacks garlic's pungent sulphur bite.

Ginger
  • Fresh ginger

    Use equal weight; scrape off the skin and grate or finely julienne according to the recipe.

  • Ginger paste

    Use equal weight; stir straight into the sizzling aromatics, taking care as the extra moisture may spit.

  • Ground ginger

    Use 15 to 20% of the weight; add alongside ground spices, noting it imparts warm, dry heat rather than zesty freshness.

Granulated sugar
  • Jaggery

    Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Similar dishes

Kane Kari
Curried Ladyfish
Kane Kari has an earthy, savoury, and aromatic curry flavour rather than the sharp, tangy vinegar bite and hint of sweetness found in this dish.
  • Same: Both recipes use whole fish cooked with vegetable oil, dried red chillies, garlic, and cumin seeds.
  • Different: Kane Kari is a simmered ladyfish curry made with onions, coriander seeds, turmeric, and curry leaves, while this dish coats pomfret in a ginger-vinegar paste and shallow-fries it.
Lal Machhali
Fish in Red Chilli Chutney
Lal Machhali tastes creamier and citrus-tart from coconut and lime juice, rather than sharply sour and pungent from vinegar and ginger.
  • Same: Lal Machhali also features fish prepared with dried red chillies, garlic, sugar, and vegetable oil.
  • Different: Instead of shallow-frying whole fish in a paste of vinegar, ginger, and cumin, it simmers cut fish in a gravy enriched with desiccated coconut, lime juice, and turmeric.
Bhajela Saranga
Baked Fish
It is milder, citrusy, and nutty from coconut, lacking the sharp vinegar acidity and intense chilli heat of this dish.
  • Same: Both recipes coat fish in a paste made with dried red chillies, garlic, and ginger before cooking with vegetable oil.
  • Different: Bhajela Saranga uses fillets cooked in parcels with onion, turmeric, and lime juice, rather than shallow-frying whole fish directly in a cumin and vinegar paste.
Talela Bangda
Fried Fresh Mackerel
Talela Bangda has an earthy spice and deep tamarind tang with higher chilli heat, lacking the pungent garlic-ginger bite and sweet-sour vinegar sharpness of this dish.
  • Same: Both dishes feature whole fish coated in a fiery dried red chilli and cumin paste, then shallow-fried in vegetable oil.
  • Different: Talela Bangda uses mackerel seasoned with tamarind, coriander seeds, and turmeric, whereas this dish uses pomfret marinated with vinegar, ginger, garlic, and sugar.