Tuna Fish Tikka Recipe
Everytime I write about a fish recipe the first thing that comes to me mind, without exception, is “মাছে ভাতে বাঙালি” (Mache Bhaate bengali, which roughly translates to fish and rice make the Bengali). This one saying is enough to express the importance of fish in Bengali cuisine.
Bangladesh is full of freshwater bodies, and rivers run through the country like a net. So the people always looked at the water as the main source of protein and food. Hence fish became an inseparable part of Bengali diet.
But the fish recipes of Bangladesh are mostly different types of curries. The curries are all unique, making use of different spices, vegetables and fish – creating a special combination every time.
Now, Tuna is one of the most eaten fish in the world, But in Bangladesh the fish is seldom available. Freshwater fish are what Bengali default to. Some saltwater fish like Koral, pomfrett – are a part of Bengali cuisine. But these fish are pretty exclusive.
So is tuna fish available in Bangladesh? Most supermarkets in the country sell canned tuna. In the coastal regions like Chittagong and Cox Bazar you can find Tuna. But still a big portion of the population have never heard of the fish.
And many out of those who have heard of Tuna think of it as western only food. And they wonder: Is tuna fish halal or haram? According to islamic scholars, tuna is halal. According to most mainstream schools of Islamic thought, the consumption of fish as long as they have scales and fins are permitted. So tuna is halal.
And when you consider the Tikka culture of Bangladesh, it is also pretty distant from fish. Sure fish tots and other fish items are pretty popular in restaurants.
But when you think about tikka, you think about street food. And in the streets, you will only find beef or chicken tikka. Like other afgan or kabab items, tikka is predominantly made with meat. Tikka is originally a mughal recipe. The origin of vegetable or chicken tikka can be traced back to ancient babylon. But the name tikka was given during the mughal era, and that is when the dish got more popular. Tikka was “boneless pieces of cooked meat” to the Mughals.
And now that I know that, the concept of a fish tikka recipe feels blasphemous. But when I tried the fish tikka, all doubts were swept away from my mind. I remembered my mother also made similar tikka with fish. But she used Koral fish.
Since tikka is a “boneless pieces of cooked meat”, using fish with a low number of bones makes the most sense. And if we follow that, what is fish tikka? Fish tikka is boneless pieces of cooked fish. Tikka was originally made with meat or vegetables, but boneless fish is a suitable alternative. Fish tikka is also much easier to prepare than a typical bengali curry.
Which fish is used for fish tikka? Any fish with low bones can be used for fish tikka. If the fish has a meaty taste to it, the tikia will be even better. That is why tuna tikka, koral tikka, bhetki tikka are popular options.
So Moni dadi picking Tuna for the fish tikka recipe just makes sense. This tuna fish tikka recipe is also pretty healthy. I have not tried, but I think you could make this tuna fish tikka recipe with an air fryer. If anyone has experience with making any tikka, not just fish tikka, in an airfryer let us know.
Ingredients
- 1 453g or 16oz canned chickpea, drained
- 3 155g or 5.5oz canned Tuna in oil, drained
- 1/4 cup water or vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp biryani mix
- 2 eggs
- 4 green chillis finely sliced
- 1 white onion finely sliced
- 1/4 cup mint leaves
- Oil for frying
- Tomato Ketchup optional as dipping sauce
Instructions
- Make the Filling — Add oil in a pan and saute mint leaves, thinly sliced onions, and
- green chillis until slightly caramelized over medium low heat for 3 minutes. Remove
- and set aside.
- Make the Patties — Boil the chickpeas with water and then mix well with the tuna
- on the stove.
- Mix in the biryani spice mix until the water has fully evaporated.
- Then mash the chickpeas and tuna by hand or by fork.
- Then add the eggs and mix well.
- Shape into a ball and add a teaspoon of the filling at the center and cover. Then
- shape into a patty. Repeat the process with the remaining mixture.
- Fry the patties until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.
