This mackerel recipe is Goa’s most famous dish. It works just as well on the barbecue as under the grill. Serve it with biryani-style rice or naan breads.
Ingredients
- 4 x 300-350g large mackerel, filleted and pin-boned, but still attached together at the tail (ask your fishmonger to do this)
- 4 heaped tsp Goan curry paste
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- Hot lime pickle to serve
For the sambal
- 300g vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 50g fresh coconut (available shelled or chopped in tubs in Waitrose), coarsely grated
- 1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sunflower oil
For the cucumber yogurt
- 250g full-fat yogurt
- ½ large cucumber, deseeded and finely diced
Method
- 1. Soak some raffia garden twine or kitchen string in cold water for an hour. Season the cut surface of each fish fillet lightly with salt. Spread the cut surface of one fillet with 1 heaped tsp of the curry paste. Put the fish back into shape and wrap with twine or string, tied in a bow. Repeat with the remaining mackerel.
- 2. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Make the sambal by mixing the tomato, onion, coconut, chilli and cumin in a bowl, then set aside. Mix the yogurt and cucumber together in another bowl and set aside.
- 3. Brush the fish and twine/string with a little oil, season lightly and grill 10cm away from the heat for about 6 minutes on each side until cooked through. Meanwhile, finish the tomato sambal by stirring in the mint, lemon juice, 1 tsp sunflower oil and sea salt, to taste. Serve with the fish, cucumber yogurt and some hot lime pickle.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 831kcals, 60.4g fat (15.7g saturated), 61.9g protein, 10.1g carbs, 9.4g sugar, 0.9g salt