Recheado Masala Fish

Ingredients

• 4mackerel, whole, cleaned and slit from the centre
• 18dried red kashmiri chillies
• fresh ginger, 1 inch piece
• 8 clovegarlic
• 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 chillies) 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 centre. 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 oil in a shallow pan until hot. Fry the stuffed mackerel until golden brown on both sides.

6. 6

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