Spicy Fish Masala (healthy, paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free)

Spicy Fish Masala is prepared with wild sole cooked in tomatoes and Indian spices. Alternatively, you may use cod, halibut, snapper, catfish. I always recommend using ‘wild’ fish.

Being married to a Food Blogger

​Hey Guys, it’s Sanjiv (aka… Mr. HoneyWhatsCooking). Yes my name changed after I married Nisha. 🙂 It’s been almost 2 years since we’ve been married, and my friends are always asking me what’s life like being married to Mrs. HoneyWhatsCooking. Well, let me tell you I love the gourmet meals that Nisha prepares for me. She has a very creative and innovative mind when it comes to cooking. So what comes with her experimenting on different dishes you may ask?…. it’s me being the guinea pig lol. That’s right. I’m the guy who tastes all those concoctions she comes up with in the kitchen.

The Taste Test

When the food comes out great I know Nisha is going to be happy. However, if it comes out not so great, she’ll get upset and pout, and guess who has to deal with that….me lol. The main reason for this is because she is very critical of her food and wants to perfect all her dishes before posting them on her blog. When I taste her food I usually rate it from a 1 to 10 scale. And let me tell you if the food isn’t at least a 9 or 10 she is going to ask me A LOT of questions.

Why wasn’t it a 10?
Did you like the taste?
How was the texture?
What was missing? uhmm.. like I would know?!?

The good thing about Nisha is that when the food is not a 9 or 10, she doesn’t give up on the recipe. She’ll make the same dish over and over again until she gets it right. So sometimes I have to eat the same food over and over again until its perfect lol. So what happens when she makes something amazing? I will probably not get to eat it again for quite some time because she quickly moves on to the next recipe. Remember that Honey Glazed Ginger Garlic Salmon (where she talks about our love story) that I loved so much? Well, I haven’t had that dish for months!

Get it while it’s HOT

The other thing which most of you might not know is that I don’t get to eat the food while it’s fresh and hot. As soon as my wife is done cooking she races to take the perfect picture of the food for her blog and Instagram. So my mouth waters in anticipation while I look at the food getting photographed. I didn’t realize people photographed food until I met her lol.

Health is Wealth

Also, did I mention my wife is super healthy? I have seen how difficult it is for Nisha to keep her recipes healthy (relatively speaking) while still tasting great. She is looking out for our health which I appreciate. I do get to splurge when we have guests over though. That is when she will make the most delicious and unhealthy dishes (full fat and white carbs). So while life with a food blogger seems delicious and fun, there is actually a lot of hard work and experimentation along the way. You really have to take the good with the bad, and I’d say it’s mostly good for sure. Nisha works really hard and I’m so proud of her.

Here’s a delicious Spicy Fish Masala she recently made with wild sole in a tomato gravy. I enjoy her Indian non-veg dishes the most. It was incredible, and yes I devoured most of it (while it was NOT hot lol). Enjoy guys!

spicy fish masala is:

Healthy
Paleo (skip the rice)
Low-Carb (skip the rice)
Gluten-Free
Dairy-Free
Loaded with Flavor
High Protein
Light & Tender

how to make fish masala step by step?

Using a coffee grinder, grind the dry spices along with the ginger and garlic. This is your masala.

Chop the tomatoes and set aside.

Heat a dutch oven cast-iron pan on medium heat, once hot, add avocado oil. Add the masala mixture. Saute for 30 seconds, make sure the garlic doesn’t burn.

Add the tomatoes. Stir.

Immediately add the tomato paste. Stir well.

Cover and cook for 8 minutes on low-medium heat until the tomatoes are cooked through.

In the meantime, prepare your fish. I used wild sole, alternatively you can use cod, snapper, catfish, or halibut. Any white fish will do.

Here is your tomato masala mixture. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder.

Add water. Stir. Bring the liquid mixture to a boil for about 1-2 minutes.

Once bubbles form, gently add the fish.

This is what you should have. It’s okay if they are a bit crowded. You can use a wider pan.

Cover and cook the fish on low-medium heat for 10 minutes.

Once done, check with a fork to make sure the fish is cooked through. Add chat masala and garam masala.

Garnish with lots of fresh cilantro. Serve hot with brown rice, quinoa, or white rice.

Enjoy!

More Fish Recipes!

• Blackened Salmon Tacos with Mango Salsa
• Salmon Panang Curry
• Hariyali Salmon
• Baked Chipotle Lime Salmon with Mango Salsa
• Cajun Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Cream Sauce

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Fish Masala

Spicy Fish Masala is prepared with wild sole cooked in tomatoes and Indian spices.

5 from 5 votes

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Diet Healthy, Paleo, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 218kcal

Author: Nisha

Equipment

Le Creuset Dutch Oven 2.75

Fish Spatula

Cutting Boards

Primal Avocado Oil

Ingredients

for spice blend

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 1 green cardamom
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1-2 Indian green chilies
• 1/2 inch stick cinnamon

for fish masala

• all the blended spices
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 3 tomatoes finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 cup water
• 1.4 - 1.5 pounds wild sole cod, halibut, snapper, catfish will work too
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• garnish with fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tsp chat masala I love MDH

Instructions

• Using a coffee grinder, grind the dry spices along with the ginger and garlic. This is your masala.
• Chop the tomatoes and set them aside.
• Heat a dutch oven cast-iron pan on medium heat, once hot, add avocado oil. Add the masala mixture. Saute for 30 seconds, make sure the garlic doesn't burn.
• Add the tomatoes. Stir.
• Immediately add the tomato paste. Stir well.
• Cover and cook on low-medium heat for 8 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through.
• In the meantime, prepare your fish. I used wild sole, alternatively, you can use cod, halibut, snapper, catfish. Any white fish will do.
• Here is your tomato masala mixture, it should turn into a paste-like consistency. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder.
• Add water. Stir. Bring the liquid mixture to a boil for about 1-2 minutes until slight bubbles form.
• Now add the fish.
• This is what you should have. Use a larger pan, but it's okay if they are a bit crowded.
• Cover and cook the fish on low-medium heat for 10 minutes.
• Once done, check with a fork to make sure the fish is cooked through. Add chat masala and garam masala.
• Garnish with lots of fresh cilantro.

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 870mg | Potassium: 625mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1004IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2mg