Mangalore is a coastal city where you get fish in plenty and is cooked very often, nearly everyday. My mother in law is a great cook, very fond of fish and has different recipes for different fish. I got this recipe from her. Mackerels is the most common fish, easily available in Mangalore fish markets. The gravy usually made for mackerels is sour and spicy or called ‘amshi thikshi’ curry in konkani language. This recipe is used to cook certain fish to give it a spicy, pungent taste. Amshi Thikshi means sour and spicy. Try out this and let me know if you liked it.
½ kg mackerels
7 long dried red chillies
2 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp cumin or jeera
¼ tsp methi seeds
¼ tp mustard seeds
1 big onion
5 cloves garlic
1” ginger
Dry roast all the above ingredients and grind along with :
¼ tsp turmeric
2 tsp grated coconut
1 ball of tamarind
Cut, clean and wash the mackerels and keep aside. Grind all the above to a fine paste. Transfer it to a vessel and add half cup of the masala water. Add 3 garlic cloves and ½ small onion sliced. Stir it, close the lid and bring it to a boil. Then add the mackerels and swirl so that the masala covers the fish. Keep the gravy semi thick, let it boil well once and put off the fire. You can season with 2tsp oil and a small onion.
Lyn's Kitchen 