Grilled Bhetki Recipe
The biggest confusion for this recipe involved what is vetki fish called in English? Well the english for Bhetki or Vetki mach is Asian Seabass or Barramundi.
But as a Bangladeshi, the names Asian Seabass or Barramundi mean nothing. Usually every fish in our cuisine has a Bangla name, some carp fish like silver carp being the exception.
So I went to my mother to learn other names for bhetki fish. She told me that I know Bhetki Mach as Koral Mach or Koral Fish. Now I recognized the fish, and the recipe made a lot of sense.
So Are koral and vetki fish the same? Yes, they are the same fish with different names. I am not sure about which region in Bangladesh prefers which name, but generally they are used interchangeably.
Koral Fish is my favorite fish because it is absolutely delicious. Koral or Bhetki fish has a taste that is more similar to meat than fish. The fish oil or fat of Koral has a distinct flavor as well.
Another quality of koral or bhetki is that this Bengali fish has less bones than most other fish. There are a minimal number of bones which are very easy to pick out. So anyone that struggles to pick out fish bones can easily enjoy any vetki fish recipe.
The minimal number of bones also makes bhetki fish grill a suitable choice. Which other bengali fish fillet when grilled or barbecued can be difficult to eat, bhetki fish grill can be eaten like a piece of steak.
That is why Koral fish grill is quite popular in Bangladesh. The coastal resorts and restaurants offer koral fish bbq on their menu and it is a crowd favorite. A very popular dinner option in Cox’s Bazar or Saint Martin islands is whole koral fish bbq. But of course, these koral fish bbq recipes are quite different from the one we are making today.
But as you can understand, grill or bbq is one of the more popular vetki fish recipe. Whenever someone wants to bbq a fish in Bangladesh, koral or vetki bbq is the way to go.
That being said, you can try this koral fish grill recipe with other fish as well. You can use pomfret or rupchanda fish, it is the other Bengali fish popular for grilling.
FAQs
Which Bengali fish has less bones?
Koral fish or Bhetki fish is a bengali fish with less bones compared to other fish.
Which fish is best for grilled fish?
Koral fish or vetki mach is the best bengali fish for grilling. The fish has less bones making it ideal for grills or bbqs.
What is bhetki fish called in Bangladesh?
Bhetki fish is also known as Koral fish in Bangladesh. Both of the names are used interchangeably.
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Vetki Fish/ Koral fish rinsed & cleaned
- 1 ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp red chili powder
- 2 1/2 tbsp oil
- 2 tsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp ginger chopped
- 2 tsp garlic chopped
- 1 pc red onion finely chopped
- 2 tsp white sugar
- 1 bell pepper deseeded and chopped
- 2 tsp cornflour + 1 ½ tbsp water
- 2 tsp tamarind water
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp spring onions chopped
- Cilantro garnish
Instructions
- Slit the fish and marinate the fish with salt, half a teaspoon of turmeric, half of the red chili powder, and a tablespoon of oil.
- Place the fish in a baking tray lined with parchment; baked in the preheated oven for 25 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.
- Remove the fish from the oven then spread the butter over the fried fish.
- In another pan, saute the chopped ginger, garlic, and onions with the remaining oil until fragrant for about 2 minutes over medium low heat.
- Sprinkle with white sugar and continuously stirring until caramelized.
- Add the remaining turmeric powder, chili powder, tamarind water, chicken stock, bell peppers; bring the mixture to a boil.
- Mix the cornflour with a little water to make a slurry and add it to the pan. Stir well.
- Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Pour the sauce of the fish and garnish with spring onions and cilantro leaves.
