• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Press
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Shop

Honey, Whats Cooking logo

July 17, 2019 11 Comments

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.
Spicy Fish Masala - wild sole cooked with tomatoes and Indian spices.

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.
Spicy Fish Masala - wild sole cooked with tomatoes and Indian spices.

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?!?
Spicy Fish Masala - wild sole cooked with tomatoes and Indian spices.

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.
Spicy Fish Masala - wild sole cooked with tomatoes and Indian spices.

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.


Print Pin
5 from 4 votes

Fish Masala


Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Fish
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Nisha @ honeywhatscooking


Ingredients

for spice blend

  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch piece ginger
  • 1 green cardamom
  • 2 cloves laung
  • 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 to matoes 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 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.

Notes

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

Tag @honeywhatscooking on Instagram and hashtag it #honeywhatscooking.

I love seeing your creations!

Tried this recipe?Mention @honeywhatscooking or tag #honeywhatscooking! I love seeing your creations!

Pin Spicy Fish Masala
Fish Masala - paleo, healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free

Recipes You Will Love:

Baked Chipotle Lime Salmon with Mango Salsa (healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, 10 ingredients) Salmon Panang Curry (paleo, dairy-free, gluten-free) Blackened Salmon Tacos with Mango SalsaBlackened Salmon Tacos + Mango Salsa (healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free) Thai Butternut Squash Red Curry (paleo, gluten-free, vegan option)

Filed Under: Fish & Seafood, Gluten-Free, Healthy-ish Meals, Main Course, Paleo, Recipes Tagged With: Recipes

Previous Post: « Quinoa Broccoli Pulao (healthy, vegan, gluten-free, 10 ingredients)
Next Post: Tikka Masala Pasta (vegetarian, whole wheat/gluten-free options) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nida says

    July 17, 2019 at 4:16 am

    5 stars
    I love how Mr. HWC is so real.. You guys really know how to keep things real. Quirks and all.. relatable, genuine fresh content. Nisha your recipes and overall demeanor is awesome.

    Reply
    • honeywhatscooking says

      July 18, 2019 at 1:26 am

      Hi Nida! Thanks. We definitely keep it real with each other, too real. Thanks so much for your kind feedback. Greatly appreciate it. xoxo

      Reply
  2. Pooja says

    July 18, 2019 at 1:33 am

    5 stars
    Made this for my husband today and he loved it. He loved the flavor and the spices. Also Mr honeywhatscooking insights into your life were great!

    Reply
    • honeywhatscooking says

      July 18, 2019 at 10:43 pm

      Thanks Pooja. I’m so glad to hear that. Awww.. that’s so sweet. Yeah, Mr. Hwc is a funny one. 🙂

      Reply
  3. sheenam @ thetwincookingproject says

    July 20, 2019 at 11:32 am

    Looks so sinful. YUM!!!!!!

    Reply
    • honeywhatscooking says

      July 23, 2019 at 1:05 am

      Haha.. thanks. It’s actually pretty healthy. 🙂 Hope you try it! xoxo

      Reply
  4. Rebecca L Reynolds says

    June 29, 2020 at 2:27 pm

    What can I use instead of chat masala? Are there any other options?

    Reply
    • honeywhatscooking says

      June 29, 2020 at 4:04 pm

      Hi Rebecca.

      You can always use mango powder (amchoor).
      If you don’t have that, I would just use lime juice or lemon juice on top.
      Chat Masala adds sourness to a dish, so lime or lemon juice will work instead.

      Let me know.

      Reply
    • Rebecca L Reynolds says

      June 29, 2020 at 4:09 pm

      Thank you so much! I just finished it and added lemon juice on top. Ill send you a photo via instagram

      Reply
  5. Rebecca L Reynolds says

    July 1, 2020 at 8:57 am

    5 stars
    The recipe was fantastic! I didn’t have chaat masala so used lemon and that gave it the perfect amount of tangyness. The cilantro is a great garnishment on top to bring it all together. I used cod which was so delicious.

    Reply
  6. Sharmeen says

    July 7, 2020 at 11:39 pm

    5 stars
    Such a great recipe and easy to follow! I made this with cod and added half a can of coconut milk for some creaminess and it turned out delicious!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar






Trending

  • Chili Tofu (no-fry, vegan, lightened up, GF option...
  • Rava Dhokla | Suji Dhokla (vegetarian, 10 ingredie...
  • Gajar Ka Halwa | Indian Carrot Pudding (gluten-fre...
  • Mexican Pizza Taco Bell (vegetarian, 10 ingredient...
  • World’s BEST Spaghetti RAO’s Homemade Marina...
  • Cranberry Orange Bundt with White Chocolate Glaze
  • Green Moong Dal Khichdi (healthy, gluten-free, veg...
  • Honey Glazed Ginger Garlic Salmon (gluten-free, da...

Footer

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Privacy

Subscribe

Don't miss a single post!

© 2020 Honey, What's Cooking.