My Grandmother’ specialty Goan Fish Ambotik.
I have grown up eating Fish Ambotik. Goan Fish Ambotik has a tangy, sweet and hint of spicy taste. This Goan Fish Ambotik has a flame orange color. It tastes great with steamed rice or Pav. There are lot of variations to make Fish Ambotik. My mom has slightly modified this Goan Fish Ambotik. You can choose any kind of fish you want to make this Goan Fish Ambotik. So here comes another special dish of Goan Cuisine and my mom The Goan Fish Ambotik!
We have made Ambotik from fresh Sardines fish which is commonly called as Tarli In India. There is a thin line between Ambotik and Vindaloo recipes. Goan has great influence of India and Portuguese food which gives us some amazing combination of amazing food.
Honestly we all had Goan Fish Ambotik with Sardines fry. We relished our lunch as its drizzling In India. Who wouldn’t love to eat such amazing food? Even my pet loves it. Let me not make you too much curious lets move towards this recipe quickly.
Goan Fish Ambotik step by step recipe follows:
First wash the fish and slit towards the mouth of fish. Rub some salt on it. Keep it aside.
Combine kashmiri chilies, sugar, ginger-garlic, 1 chopped onion, cumin seeds, pepper corn, cinnamon, tamarind, cardamom, turmeric.
Grind all of them into a processor until smooth paste is formed. Add oil in a pan. Once hot the rest of chopped onion. Saute on low flame for 2 to 3 mins.
Now add the paste into the curry also add water as consistency required. Do add chopped tomatoes as well.
Let this cook for 3 mins on low flame.
Add fish + salt. Be careful while adding salt as the fish already consisting salt. Be gentle while stirring the curry as the fish might break.
Finally add Triphala Spice.
Let this cook for a minute more.
Now cover the curry with a lid. allow it to cook for 5 to 7 mins on medium heat.
Check the curry add seasoning if required.
Your Goan Fish Ambotik is ready. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice.
The printable version below:
- 8 to 9 Sardines fish Or Any other Fish (cleaned and rubbed with salt)
- 5 Red Kashmiri Chilies
- 1 t/s Turmeric
- 1 t/s Cumin seeds
- 18 to 20 Pepper Corn
- 3 Cinnamon sticks
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 8 to 10 Garlic Cloves
- 1 small bunch of Tamarind
- 1 t/s Sugar
- 2 Onion's chopped
- 1 inch Ginger chopped
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 Tomato chopped
- ½ cup Water or as consistency required
- 6-7 Triphala Spice (Sichuan Pepper)
- Salt as per taste
- Few Coriander leaves for Garnishing
- First wash the fish and slit towards the mouth of fish. Rub some salt on it. Keep it aside.
- Combine kashmiri chilies, sugar, ginger-garlic, 1 chopped onion, cumin seeds, pepper corn, cinnamon, tamarind, cardamom, turmeric.
- Grind all of them into a processor until smooth paste is formed. Add oil in a pan. Once hot the rest of chopped onion. Saute on low flame for 2 to 3 mins.
- Now add the paste into the curry also add water as consistency required. Do add chopped tomatoes as well.
- Let this cook for 3 mins on low flame.
- Add fish + salt. Be careful while adding salt as the fish already consisting salt. Be gentle while stirring the curry as the fish might break.
- Finally add Triphala Spice.
- Let this cook for a minute more.
- Now cover the curry with a lid. allow it to cook for 5 to 7 mins on medium heat.
- Check the curry add seasoning if required.
- Your Goan Fish Ambotik is ready. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice.
If tamarind is not available you can use 5 to 6 Kokams Or ½ Raw Mango chopped as alternative.
Triphala gives a unique flavor to this Ambotik. If its not available just skip it.
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Zita says
Hi Maria,
In the ingredients list you have mentioned 1table spoon (Tbsp) each of haldi as well as cumin seeds. Is that a typo error? cause in the picture of the plate it does not appear to 1Tbsp plus I think 1Tbsp is too much perhaps you meant 1teaspoon (tsp) cause I know for both those ingredients specially too much may make the curry bitter.
Also wanted to ask you in some of the recipes you have mentioned 1.5 does 1.5 means 1 and a half or it just means half.
Thanks,
Zita
maria says
Zita thankyou for highlighting the recipe. This as one of my starting post when I started cooking and blogging. Have modified and changed the ingredient. Also 1.5 means one and half of it. Hope this helps you keep highlighting my mistakes and share your feedback that’s how I would grow….cheers
valentino says
hi …i wanted to know if you have the recipe for sting ray fish …. i hail from goa and i am fond of this fish ,,……………….cheers
maria says
Valentino I have never eaten them since child but will get a good recipe for you give me some time…
Lallie Pillay says
The Goan recipes is so devine-I am definitely trying these recipes-thecurries look so red and yummy
what is Triphala/kokam jauitri -will I get this in South Africa- or is there an english name
Regards
lallie Pillay
maria says
Thanks Lallie for coming here Triphala is also known as Teppal check here for http://www.flavorsofmumbai.com/teppal-spice-sichuan-pepper/ more information. Kokam is known as Garcinia Indica if it’s not available substitute with tamarind. Hope this helps you 🙂
maria says
Thanks Lallie for coming here Triphala is also known as Teppal check here http://www.flavorsofmumbai.com/teppal-spice-sichuan-pepper/ for more information. Kokam is known as Garcinia Indica if it’s not available substitute with tamarind. Hope this helps you 🙂
foodie says
Nice. But I would make the ambotik without the cardamom and cinnamon, and perhaps add a tomato or two more.
maria says
Sure you can do variations to it do lemme know how was it?
Caesar G says
Hey Maria,
I tried with mackerals. Added little home made fish curry masala as kashmiri chilies were not available n used few strands of fresh coriander, curry leaves to the paste.
Turned out ekdum zhakas. Thanks once again.
Caesar
maria says
Great Caesar you have become a cook now congrats 🙂 🙂
Sera says
I dont have triphala Spice…. what is the substitute for it. Also which ambotik you will recommend of the two versions prepared by you.
Sera
maria says
Hi,
If you don’t have triphala it’s fine just skip it. You could try both as I like both of them.
Regards,
Maria
Tiffany says
I can almost smell these spices through my computer screen!
maria says
Hi Tiffany,
Hmmm shall I parcel you the real stuff lol :)) Thanks a ton
Cheers!
Maria