Ingredients:

• 5 big fresh mackerels
• 12 dry Red Chillies
• 8 Fenugreek seeds
• 50 flakes of Garlic
• 6 kokums washed and soaked in just a little water
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
• 3/4 cup oil
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Chop off the heads and the fins of the mackerels.
2. Scrape them and clean their insides thoroughly.
3. Wash in lots of water and keep them on layers of paper so that no water remains.
4. Smear them with a mixture of a little salt and turmeric powder and let stand for half an hour.
5. This lessens their strong smell.
6. Dry them with cloth.
7. Cut each mackerel into two breadth wise.
8. Grind chillies, garlic flakes, cumin and coriander seeds to a fine paste.
9. Mix enough salt in it.
10. Smear the ground paste all over the mackerel pieces.
11. Let them remain thus soaked in the paste for at least 15 minutes.
12. Heat oil in a broad, heavy-bottomed pan.
13. Season the oil with fenugreek seeds and put in the kokums and turmeric powder.
14. Stir lightly and arrange the prepared fish pieces in it.
15. Pour the left-over paste in which the fish pieces were soaked.
16. Pour 1/4 cup of warm water.
17. Cover the pan for a little while.
18. Then, take away the lid and turn each piece upside down very carefully with a flat spoon.
19. Let the pan be on fire till the watery part is almost evaporated.
20. Serve with plain rice or phulkas.
21. If kokums are not available, then thick tamarind pulp can be used but then no water should be added.

Recipe courtesy of Malini Bisen