While India boasts culinary exports like butter chicken and tandoori naan, it’s time we venture toward the goldmine of seafood dishes that the country has to offer! Seafood in India is fresh, delicious, spicy, and sour—it hits all the notes, we swear! Want to know the best seafood dishes in India? Here is our ultimate list of the top seafood dishes in India!
Chingri Malai Curry
The Bengal region is the birthplace of the classic seafood dish—Chingri Malai curry. Coated in garam masala, prawns and coconut milk form the foundation of this dish. Onions, spicy chilli peppers, garlic-ginger paste, turmeric, and ghee or mustard oil are added during frying. If you want to take the curry to the next level, you can add red chilli powder, cinnamon, sugar, and cardamom. Typically served hot with rice on the side, the meal is cooked until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy. The name comes from the belief that this curry was introduced to Bengali kitchens by Malaysian traders. These days, it's more often made for weddings and other festive occasions. It is one of the best seafood dishes in India!
Shorshe Ilish
The main attraction in the traditional meal shorshe ilish is the ilish fish. A thick broth made with ground mustard seeds, green chilli peppers, mustard oil, turmeric, cumin, and red chili powder is slowly simmered with sliced ilish. Milk or yogurt (doi) can be added to the dish to make it more varied. Traditional accompaniments to this substantial fish meal include steamed rice. Although this recipe is for river fish, you can use the template for sea fishes as well, and taste one of the best seafood dishes in India!
Karimeen Pollichathu
This meal is called Karimeen Pollichathu, and it's made with cichlid fish that has been fried, encased in masala (a blend of spices and fresh ingredients), and then wrapped in banana leaves to form a package. It's then quickly grilled or pan-fried. The dish's origin can be traced back to the Indian state of Kerala, as the green chromide, also known as pearl spot, is a local cichlid fish species. A quick marinade in a spice mixture (turmeric, chilli powder, pepper, salt, and lime juice) is the first step in the preparation, followed by shallow-frying the fish in coconut oil on both sides. Serve hot Karimeen pollichathu with rice, naan, lime juice, and onions as sides. This is the best seafood in Kerala!
Nandu Omlette
The classic Indian crab omelet recipe is called Nandu omelette. In a typical recipe, you'll find crabmeat, eggs, onions, tomatoes, curry leaves, spicy peppers, turmeric, oil, salt, and pepper. The crab is prepared by cleaning it, steaming it, and then mixing it with spices, tomatoes, curry leaves, spicy peppers, and onions. After whisking the eggs into the mixture, fry the omelet in oil until it turns golden brown on both sides. The nandu omelette is best eaten immediately after completion, and it’s an offbeat seafood dish in India!
Malabar Meen Curry
Traditional fish curry from Malabar, Kerala, also known as Kerala fish curry, is a popular meal in the state. Sea bass, tilapia, sardines, or seer are common fish ingredients in this curry. Among the other ingredients you'll find: tamarind, garlic, onions, tomatoes, hot chili peppers, chili powder, curry leaves, turmeric, coriander, fenugreek, and oil. The rich creaminess of the curry comes from the coconut milk, which is flavored with deep and earthy Indian spices like tamarind and fried curry leaves. The fish is cooked through by adding it to the curry sauce when it is boiling and then simmering. Hot basmati rice or naan is a common accompaniment to this fish curry once it's cooked.
Spiced Pomfret
India's coastal regions, such as Maharashtra, Goa, and Chennai, are renowned for their delectable pomfret, traditionally prepared in a tandoori style. After the pomfret has been washed and its internal organs removed, it is marinated in a mixture of salt, ginger-garlic paste, and lemon juice. After a short marinade, it is combined with turmeric, dahi, red chili paste, and garam masala spices. With green chutneys, lemon wedges, and onion slices, the fish is typically served as an appetizer after being grilled in a tandoor oven. Sides of butter garlic naan flatbreads will elevate the dish to the next level.
Machher Jhol
A curry-like hotfish stew, macher jhol, is popular in Bengali and Odia cuisines. Ingredients like as onions, turmeric, chili peppers, ginger-garlic paste, coriander, cumin, nigella seeds, and mustard seeds are typically added to the fragrant broth as the fish is cooked in it. The recipe typically calls for ilish (hilsa), rohu, or bhakura (catla) as its fish of choice, and it frequently calls for potatoes, tomatoes, or tomato purée. Traditional accompaniments to macher jhol include rice and, on rare occasions, coriander leaves.
Masor Tenga
The classic Assamese curry is known as masor tenga. Fish, kokum, mustard seeds, hot peppers, tomatoes, mustard oil, potatoes, rice flour, turmeric, coriander, and salt are typical ingredients, though there are many variations in the recipe. The fish is sliced, sprinkled with salt and turmeric, then cooked in mustard oil till golden and crisp. In addition to the fried fish, the dish calls for boiled kokum. Finally, to thicken the curry, rice flour is added. Garnishing masor tenga with fresh coriander leaves is a traditional practice before serving. For a satisfying lunch or dinner, try it with some steamed rice and some fresh, spicy green peppers.