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Stuffed Fish

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Usually made with pomfret this stuffed fish is filled with a mixture of sauteed onions, tomatoes, and spices before being pan-fried on the stovetop. A simple recipe that gets done in less than 30 minutes.

A tray with pan fried fish stuffed with sautéed onions.
Fish Stuffed with Sautéed Onions

Stuffed pomfret is a huge back home, especially because pomfret is not cheap. Once you have a medium to large pomfret you don’t really want to slice it and make a curry! You want to do something more impressive with it. Like, stuff it with green masala, red masala, or themp which is this mixture made with sauteed veggies.

Today, I am using this sauteed onions but the options for suffing are endless from green masala, red masala, vindaloo masala, and sometimes even stuffed it with cooked fish kolim.

Ingredients and substitutes

  • Fish – traditionally, pomfret which is a flat white fish is used. But, we don’t always find these overseas so I used Dennis, Bouri, Sea Base, etc. As long as it is a flat white fish that can be stuffed you are good to go.
  • Onions – You can use brown or white onions but I love a combination of brown and red Spanish onions. The red onions are sweeter and caramelize beautifully once cooked down.
  • Tomatoes – add moisture and flavor to the stuffing.
  • Chilies – I like to use finely chopped green chilies with red spices. But you can also omit the chilies to make it less spicy.
  • Spices – I like to add a tablespoon of bottle masala sometimes but a combination of chili powder, coriander, cumin, and turmeric.
A tray with pan fried fish.
Fish Stuffed with Sautéed Onions

Tips for Success

  • Use a flat fish and make the slits close to the bones.
  • Clean the fish well and pat it dry with paper towels otherwise, the stuffing will spill out during cooking.
  • Season the fish with salt and lemon juice well before cooking. This will remove the fishy smell.
  • Coat the fish well in flour this will give the fish a nice coating and golden color too.
  • The stuffing is usually already cooked or does not need more cooking so don’t overcook the fish. It needs to cook from the outside to the center. That’s it.

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A tray with pan fried fish stuffed with sautéed onions.

Stuffed Pan Fried Fish

5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Calories: 235kcal
$5
Adjust Servings Here: 4 servings
Usually made with pomfret this stuffed fish is filled with a mixture of sauteed onions, tomatoes, and spices before being pan-fried on the stovetop. A simple recipe that gets done in less than 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 large Flat white fish pomfret, sea bass, bouri or denise
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Chili powder
  • ½ tsp Turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Black pepper
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil

Stuffing

  • 2 large Onions chopped finely
  • 2 large Garlic cloves chopped finely
  • 1 large Tomato chopped finely
  • 2 medium Green chilies chopped finely
  • ½ tsp Turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp Chili powder optional
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Black pepper
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
  • ½ cup Chopped cilantro coriander leaves – kothmir
  • ¼ cup Chopped mint leaves Pudina leaves (optinoal)

Coating

  • ½ cup Flour
  • ½ tsp Black pepper
  • ¼ tsp Salt

Instructions

  • Marinate fish – Clean, trim, and wipe the fish dry. Slit the fish on either side of the bones. Season with salt and pepper. Apply lemon juice, turmeric powder, and chile powder – all over and inside the slits too. Marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
    Pro tip – the marinated fish can be left in the fridge for up to 12 hours.
  • Stuffing – In a large skillet or frying pan saute the onion and garlic in oil on medium heat until almost brown. Add the tomatoes, green chilies, turmeric, and chili powder. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Add the fresh chopped herbs and combine well. Set aside to cool completely.
  • Stuff fish – Divide the stuffing between the two fish. Then, stuff the filling in the fish between the slits.
    Pro tip – Be generous and make sure to stuff the fish well on both sides of the slit.
  • Coat fish – Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a plate. Coat the fish in flour on all sides.
    Pro tip – The flour helps keep the filling in and will help get a lovely color on the fish during pan-frying.
  • Pan-frying – Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the fish on one side for 3 to 4 minutes then use a large flat spatula and flip the fish to the other side then cook for 3 to 4 minutes more.
    Pro tip – Start with medium-high heat for the color then reduce to medium-low heat to prevent burning.

Recipe Notes

  • Use a flat fish and make the slits close to the bones.
  • Clean the fish well and pat it dry with paper towels otherwise, the stuffing will spill out during cooking.
  • Season the fish with salt and lemon juice well before cooking. This will remove the fishy smell.
  • Coat the fish well in flour this will give them a nice coating and golden color too.
  • The stuffing is usually already cooked or does not need more cooking so don’t overcook the fish. It needs to cook from the outside to the center. That’s it.

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Nutrition Information
Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 3696mg | Potassium: 897mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 934IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 3mg

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

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