Recheado mackerel
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Whole mackerel slit and stuffed with a hot, tangy red recheado masala, then shallow-fried, a classic of Goan homes and beach shacks.
Region: GoaOccasion: Everyday meals and weekend lunchesTime: 40 minServes: 4Non-vegetarian
Ingredients
- 4 medium mackerels (bangde), cleaned and slit along the sides or down the back
- 12 dried Kashmiri red chillies
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp peppercorns, 4 cloves
- 8 cloves garlic and 2.5 cm ginger
- 1 small onion
- 1 tsp tamarind pulp
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ cup vinegar
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Oil for shallow frying
- Salt to taste
Method
- Soak the chillies in the vinegar for 20 minutes.
- Grind them with the cumin, pepper, cloves, garlic, ginger, onion, tamarind, sugar and turmeric to a thick paste. This is recheado masala.
- Rub salt over the fish and fill the slits and belly generously with the masala.
- Heat oil in a flat pan and fry the fish on medium heat for 4–5 minutes on each side until crisp and cooked through.
- Serve hot with rice, fish curry and a wedge of lime.
History
Recheado comes from the Portuguese word for ‘stuffed’. The masala uses Goan vinegar and chillies and keeps well in a jar.
Significance
Mackerel is the most common catch on Goa’s coast, and recheado mackerel is a favourite way to cook it at home and in seaside shacks.