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We abstain from fish and meat during lent......until Easter. I made this fish pickle a few days ago and could not post it right away. Fish pickle is something which amma used to make right from as long as I can remember. She used to send it to my hostel, and I remember my friends used to devour it right from the old Horlicks bottle and they used to spread it on bread slices.....one bottle will be over by 10 min...
Fish pickle can be made with sardine, butter fish (moda), seer fish, prawns, anchovies, promphret....except mackerel. Fish has to be marinated with red chilly powder, salt, and pepper powder; then deep fried preferably in gingelly oil; why the frying???..well it is to remove any moisture in the fish....so we need to fry the fish till it is very crispy....I love adding lots of garlic in my pickle, someone once told me that garlic is good for cholesterol so I add a bit too much, if you are not that garlicy you can reduce it by half, and oh! let me remind you again that I use Kashmiri red chilly powder, it has very little heat but very vibrant colour. I do not buy red chilly powder from store....I buy whole red chilly and and sun dry it for one day and give it to the local mill to powder it.If you are using ordinary red chilly powder, reduce by half of the given measurement.
A roasted spice mix makes this fish pickle very unique, flavourfull, and aromatic.....amma's secret tip.
Ingredients:
To marinate the fish
Fish: 1/2 kg, cut into small pieces.
Chilly powder: 1 tsp.
Pepper powder: 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Salt.
Gingelly oil to fry.
To roast and grind:
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Jeera: 1/4 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp.
Salt: 1 tsp.
For the pickle gravy:
Gingelly oil: 1/4 cup.
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Ginger: 1 inch piece, thinly sliced.
Garlic: 2 pods, thinly sliced.
Green chillies: 2, slit.(optional).
Sugar: 1 tsp.
Kashmiri chilly powder: 4 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp.
Pepper powder: 1/2 tsp.
Vinegar: 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
You need about half kg of fish cut into cubes, I used sardines this time...but you can use any of the fish mentioned above.
Remove garlic skin...
And slice them....
Now heat little oil and lets fry the fish......the fried fish should be crisp...this is to remove the moisture in the fish, so that the pickle will keep for long.
In another hot kadai, put in 1/4 cup of gingelly oil, add mustard seeds, and fenugreek seeds allow it to crack, if you have curry leaves you can use them....
Add the garlic and ginger...and curry leaves if you have them. Allow them to brown a little with the gas on low flame.
Add 4 tsp of chilly powder, 1/2 tsp of pepper powder, 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder, and salt.
Fry this lightly on low flame till the raw smell goes.....taking care not to burn it.
Add 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 tsp of salt....if you feel you need more sourness you can just boil vinegar allow it cool and add to the pickle.
Add in the crispy fried fish...mix well.
Now the roast masala....for that extra spicy aromatic flavor....ammas tip!!....roast 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp jeera seeds, and 1/4 tsp of fenugreek seeds.
Pound on them.....they should be coarse.
Sprinkle them over the pickle.....and mix them well.....bottle them....this should keep for more than a week at room temp....or you can put them in the fridge to be on the safer side.....and it will keep for months....no worries.
Enjoy!!!
