Baked Tamarind Fish
A delicious and healthy dish bursting with flavor, featuring a tangy tamarind sauce over flaky white fish.
Ingredients
For the Aromatic Bed
- 1 piece 3-inch piece ginger, peeled
- 6 pieces scallions, trimmed
- 4 cloves garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
For the Tamarind Sauce
- 1/2 cup tamarind concentrate (about 5 1/2 ounces by weight)
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder
- 1 teaspoon date, palm or brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
For the Fish
- 4 pieces 6- to 8-ounce cod, halibut or other flaky white fish fillets (about 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick)
- 3 pieces Thai green chiles, seeded or unseeded, chopped
For Serving
- Cooked white rice for serving
Instructions
Preparation
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Roughly chop 2 inches of ginger and slice the remaining inch into matchsticks.
- Chop 4 scallions and thinly slice the last 2.
- Smash and peel the garlic, chopping one clove finely.
Prepare the Baking Pan
- Toss the chopped ginger, scallions, 3 smashed garlic cloves, and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.
Make the Tamarind Sauce
- In a bowl, whisk together the finely chopped garlic, the other tablespoon of sesame oil, tamarind concentrate, soy sauce, vinegar, chile powder, sugar, and salt.
- Whisk until it thickens slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Bake the Fish
- Place the fish fillets on the bed of ginger, scallions, and garlic.
- Top each fillet with the tamarind sauce, covering it well (about 2 tablespoons per fillet).
- Cover with foil and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Serving
- Use a spatula to scoop up the bed of aromatics with each fillet.
- Transfer them to plates or a platter.
- Add more sauce on top if you like, and garnish with matchstick ginger, sliced scallions, and chopped green chiles.
- Serve with fluffy white rice.
Notes
Make sure to cover the fish well with tamarind sauce for the best flavor. Feel free to adjust the spice level by adding more or fewer chilies. Use your favorite flaky white fish; cod and halibut work really well. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave before serving again.