Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Tikaht Modaka
Tikaht Modaka (Spicy Whitebait)

Tikaht Modaka

Spicy Whitebait
Non-vegetarian●●●Origin CoastalPrep 15–30 minutesCook 15 minutes

A quick, zesty Goan fish preparation of delicate whitebait braised with green chillies, garlic, and lime juice, finished with a fragrant dusting of garam masala.

Whole spices for the oil

2.1 gFried in the hot oil (step 1)
01
2.1 g1 teaspoon
spice
Keep whole: they go directly into the hot oil.

Garlic paste

16 gSautéed with the aromatics and seasoning (step 2)
Ensure the paste is smooth and ready to add to the pan.

Finishing spice

2.6 gDusted over the cooked fish before serving (step 4)
01
2.6 g1 teaspoon
spice blend
Keep ground: sprinkle over the dish at the very end.

Everything else

01
27 g2 tablespoons
oil/fat
02
Coriander · Dhanialeaves only, chopped
~1 g1 sprig
herb
03
Green chilli · Hari Mirchde-seeded and chopped
24 g4 chillies
vegetable
04
4.2 g1 teaspoon
sweetener
05
Whitebait or herringgutted, rinsed and patted dry with kitchen paper (paper towels)
1000 g
fish
06
31 g2 tablespoons
souring agent
07
to taste
salt

Method

  1. Warm 27 g vegetable oil in a pan set over medium heat, then tip in the whole spices for the oil (2.1 g cumin seed) and fry for about 1 minute until darkened.
  2. Add 1 g chopped coriander leaves, the garlic paste (15.6 g garlic paste), 24 g green chilli, 4.2 g granulated sugar, and salt to taste, cooking together for 1 minute.
  3. Tumble in 1000 g whitebait and pour over 30.6 g lime juice, turning carefully to combine. Drop the heat to low, cover with a lid, and let simmer for 10 minutes until the fish is tender and cooked through.
  4. Scatter the finishing spice (2.6 g garam masala) across the top immediately before taking to the table.

Don't have something?

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.

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.

Coriander
  • Coriander leaf

    Use equal weight, chopped fresh and stirred in off the heat or used as garnish. Matches the citrus-herbal profile identically.

  • Mint

    Use 40% to 50% of the weight; chop finely and add at the very end. Adds fresh herbal brightness, but shifts the aroma toward cool menthol.

Garlic paste
  • Garlic

    Use equal weight; crush or finely grate to a smooth pulp to replicate the same fresh, pungent moisture in your base gravy.

  • Garlic powder

    Use 20 to 25% of the weight; mix with a teaspoon of water before adding to oil so it does not burn, noting it lacks the fresh bite.

Green chilli
  • Chilli powder

    Use 10 to 15% of the weight (about 1/4 teaspoon per chilli); imparts dry pungent heat and reddens the dish without the grassy crunch.

  • Dried red chilli

    Use 1 dried pod per fresh green chilli; snap in half and temper in hot oil for a deeper, toastier heat.

Granulated sugar
  • Jaggery

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

Whitebait or herring
  • Small whole fish

    Use the same weight; clean and dry well, and fry 1–2 minutes longer if larger.

  • Sardine

    Use the same weight; gut and score larger fish, and add 3–5 minutes cooking.

  • Whole mackerel

    Use the same weight; score the skin and cook 5–8 minutes longer, or cut into pieces.

Lime juice
  • Lemon juice

    Use equal volume or weight; slightly sweeter and less pungent, but otherwise an imperceptible swap.

  • Dried mango powder

    Use 25% of the weight; imparts dry, fruity sourness, best stirred in right at the end of cooking.

  • Tamarind extract

    Use 50% of the weight; delivers pleasant fruity tang but turns pale sauces considerably darker.

Garam masala
  • Ground cumin

    Use 50% of the weight mixed with equal parts ground coriander and a pinch of ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground green cardamom. Sprinkle near the end for a warming finish.

  • Lentil stew spice mix

    Use 75% of the weight. Simmer briefly in the gravy; imparts roasted warmth and complexity, though it adds a slight tang and earthy lentil undertone.

Similar dishes

Kothmiratil Machhi
Coriander (Cilantro)-flavoured Fried Fish
Kothmiratil Machhi tastes more herbaceous and coriander-forward with a crisp fried coating, while this dish tastes zesty and braised with green chilli, lime, and garam masala.
  • Same: Kothmiratil Machhi shares the same main fish, green chilli, garlic, lime juice, sugar, and salt with this dish.
  • Different: Kothmiratil Machhi adds rice flour, coriander leaf, ginger, and turmeric and fries the fish, while this dish braises it with cumin seed, ground coriander, and garam masala and has no rice flour or coriander leaf.
Karhai Machhali
Stir-fried Spicy Fish
Karhai Machhali tastes tangier from tomato and lemon with a toasted, chilli-hot, richer fat flavor, while this dish is lighter, lime-forward and green-chilli zesty.
  • Same: Karhai Machhali shares garlic paste, green chilli, garam masala, coriander and a citrus souring agent with this dish.
  • Different: It uses tomato, dried red chilli, ajwain, fenugreek, ginger and mustard oil or ghee, while this dish uses vegetable oil, cumin, sugar and lime juice and braises whitebait without tomato.
Masala Pomfret
Spicy Stuffed Pomfret (Butterfish)
Masala Pomfret tastes fierier and more sour from dried red chilli and vinegar, with a crisp shallow-fried finish, compared with this dish’s zesty, delicate braise with lime and green chilli.
  • Same: Masala Pomfret shares with this dish a Goan-style spicy fish preparation using vegetable oil, garlic, cumin seed, sugar, and salt.
  • Different: Masala Pomfret uses whole pomfret, dried red chilli, vinegar, ginger, and a shallow-fried coating of chilli-vinegar paste, while this dish uses whitebait or herring braised with green chilli, lime juice, coriander, and garam masala.
Chincheche Talwan
Fish & Tamarind Curry
Chincheche Talwan offers a richer, tangier tomato-and-tamarind gravy compared to the sharp, citrus-heavy heat of this dish.
  • Same: Both dishes are Goan fish preparations cooked in vegetable oil with garlic, green chillies, garam masala, sugar, and lime juice.
  • Different: Chincheche Talwan is a saucy curry built with tamarind extract, tomatoes, ginger, turmeric, and chilli powder, whereas this dish is a quick braise flavoured with whole cumin seeds.