AI-generated image
Gaad te mujj
Fish with radish in fennel gravy
گاڑ تہٕ مٕج: Kashmiri Pandit fish with white radish in a fennel and chilli gravy
For Kashmiri Pandits, Herath, their name for Mahashivratri, is a feast rather than a fast, and many homes cook fish, often paired with white radish in this deep red curry called gaad te mujj. The fish is fried in pungent mustard oil, the radish is browned until sweet, and both simmer in a thin gravy coloured with Kashmiri chilli and scented with fennel, dry ginger and asafoetida, with no onion, garlic or tomato, in true Pandit style. Expect a hot, aromatic broth, soft radish and flaky fish; serve with plain rice. Use firm steaks such as carp or trout. Common mistake: boiling the fish hard in the gravy, which breaks it up; simmer gently and stop as soon as the flesh is opaque all the way through and flakes when pressed with a fork. Chef's tip: heat the mustard oil until it just smokes, then let it cool for a minute before frying; this takes away its raw bite.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish and radish
- 1 ⅓ lb firm fish steaks (carp or trout)bone-in, 3 cm thick
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 10 ½ oz white radish (mooli)peeled, in thick rounds
- ¼ cup mustard oil
For the gravy
- 3 cloves
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 tsp ground fennel
- 2 cups hot water
- ½ tsp Kashmiri garam masala (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rub 1 ⅓ lb firm fish steaks (carp or trout) with ½ tsp ground turmeric and half the ¾ tsp salt. Keep it in the fridge while you prepare the radish.
10 minStep 2: Heat ¼ cup mustard oil in a wide pan until it just smokes, then take it off the heat for a minute. Return to a medium heat and fry the fish for 2 minutes a side until lightly golden. It does not need to cook through. Lift out.
5 minStep 3: Fry 10 ½ oz white radish (mooli) in the same oil for 5–6 minutes, turning, until browned in patches. Lift out.
6 minStep 4: Lower the heat. Add ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing) and 3 cloves, then the 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder mixed with 3 tbsp water. Stir for 1 minute until the oil turns deep red.
1 minStep 5: Add 2 tsp ground fennel, 1 tsp dry ginger powder (sonth), 2 cups hot water and the rest of the ¾ tsp salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 6: Add the radish and simmer for 10 minutes until it is tender.
10 minStep 7: Slide in the fish and spoon the gravy over. Simmer gently, without stirring, for 8–10 minutes until the fish is opaque all the way through to the bone and flakes easily with a fork.
10 minStep 8: Sprinkle over ½ tsp Kashmiri garam masala, rest for 5 minutes and serve with plain rice.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gaad te mujj take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of gluten-free asafoetida (hing)?
- A pinch each of garlic powder and onion powder (asafoetida stands in for onion and garlic).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
SakarpadaSweet fried dough diamonds
Sakarpada (shakarpara) are little sweet diamonds of a rich dough made with ghee, milk and sugar, fried until golden and crunchy. They are a Diwali favourite with tea, and the cubes go into bhusu too. They keep for weeks in an air-tight tin.
Moreton Bay bugsSlipper lobster with garlic butter
Moreton Bay bugs are the flat, shovel-nosed slipper lobsters caught off the Queensland coast around Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, and for Queenslanders they are a summer treat, split and grilled at the beach house. The tail meat is sweet and rich, somewhere between lobster and prawn. Buy them raw, frozen or fresh, from a fishmonger and ask them to halve them if you like. A common mistake is overcooking, which makes the meat rubbery; it is ready the moment it turns white. Chef's tip: grill flesh side down first to mark it, then turn and baste in the shell.
Australian
Paneer biryaniRice and moong dal in coconut milk
A mild, creamy biryani: rice and husked green gram roasted in ghee, then cooked in coconut milk with peas, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and cashews, and finished with soft fried paneer and a fresh coriander yogurt. Serve hot, garnished with more fried cashews and paneer.