Recheado Masala Fish

Ingredients

• 4mackerel, whole, cleaned and slit from the center
• 18dried red Kashmiri chilies
• fresh ginger, 1 inch piece
• 8 clovesgarlic
• 1 1/2 tspblack pepper
• 1 tspcumin
• 1/2 tspturmeric
• cinnamon stick, optional, 1 small stick
• 4cloves, whole
• 2cardamom, pods
• 1 tbspsugar
• 2tamarind, marble-sized balls of tamarind pulp
• 2 1/2 tbspwhite vinegar, or coconut vinegar; plus extra if needed for consistency
• oil, for shallow frying
• salt

Method

1. 1

   Soak all the paste ingredients (spices, ginger, garlic, tamarind, Kashmiri chilies) except the oil in the vinegar. Add the sugar, salt and turmeric. Mix well and marinate for 35–40 minutes.

2. 2

   Grind the soaked mixture until smooth and thick. Add more vinegar only if needed to help grinding — the paste must be thick enough to adhere to the fish.

3. 3

   Rinse the fish and slit open from the center. Make a few incisions on the top of the fish.

4. 4

   Stuff the recheado paste into the cavity and incisions, then coat the entire outside of each fish with paste. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

5. 5

   Heat about ¼ inch of oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Fry the stuffed mackerel for 4 to 5 minutes a side, until golden brown and the flesh at the thickest part is opaque and flakes from the bone.

6. 6

   Serve hot with rice, curry, a fresh salad and lime wedges.

Nutrition per serving