Tandoori Fish

Tandoori is one of our favourite dishes and, even though we do not have a proper tandoor oven, we get good results from the ordinary oven, grill or barbecue. Also, when we first arrived here 17 years ago, it was difficult to cook anything Asian as the proper spices just weren't available. Now, with the advent of places like Pili Ethnic Market in Iraklion, anything is possible. This recipe is the creation of my husband, Tony, who was head chef at the popular Neraida Restaurant in Kokkini Hani.

For four people you will need:

4 large fish such as Tsipoura, cleaned and descaled
250ml yoghourt
5 tbsp Tandoori Masala powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt to taste
½ lemon- juice only
4 tbsp sunflower oil
A few drops of red food colouring
Lemon twist and onion slices to garnish

1. Make several slashes in both sides of the fish

2. In a bowl mix together the yoghourt, tandoori powder, salt, lemon juice, oil, cayenne pepper (if using) and the colouring. Using your hands, rub the mix into the fish and save any leftover for later. Put the fish into a dish, cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

3. The fish can be grilled, but the flavour is better if cooked on a barbecue. Heat the coals and cook the fish as you would normally, brushing with leftover marinade.

4. Serve decorated with lemon twists and onion slices along with a crisp salad, raita and onion salad.

Chicken can be made in the same way using the leg cut in half. However, with chicken we cook it in the oven at 180°C. Place the chicken pieces on a rack over a cooking tray and baste with melted butter. Cook for 15 minutes, remove and baste with any leftover marinade. Turn the oven down to 160°C and cook for a further 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. This dish freezes well, so it is a good idea to make a lot and freeze for later.

There is a large array of side dishes to accompany this tandoori, but our favourite is Raita, which is a cold yoghourt condiment, served with Indian food to cut the heat of the spicy dishes. Raita can be made with many different ingredients but the most common is the following recipe:

1 large unpeeled cucumber, halved, seeded and coarsely grated
2 cups plain yoghourt
¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp garam masala
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like an extra kick)
A couple of drops of green food colouring

1. Put the cucumber into a kitchen towel and squeeze the water out of it as much as you can.

2. Whisk together the yoghourt, mint, cumin, garam masala, green food colouring and cayenne pepper.

3. Stir in the cucumbers and season with salt and pepper.

4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve sprinkled with a little cayenne pepper.

A very quick version of this is to just mix a little mint sauce into some yoghourt and add a pinch of cayenne. Very easy and still as tasty.

What also goes well with tandoori, whether it is fish or chicken, is a salad made of very thinly sliced onions, a little salt, a little lemon juice and finely chopped parsley.