Steamed Mackerel

Ayala or 'Indian mackerel' is a common fish in Kerala and it often cooked this way in our homes.The recipe calls for steaming the fish pieces along with the masala before shallow frying it. The fish absorbs the flavour of the masala while being steamed and this adds a unique taste to the dish.

Ingredients:
1/2 kg (1 lb) indian mackrel ('ayala' in Malayalam)

4 green chillies, cut lengthwise

1" ginger, cut lengthwise
2 meen puli (kudampuli), cut into 4 pieces
2 red chillies, crushed
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
A handful of curry leaves
Salt to taste.

Method:
Clean and slice each fish into three pieces. Marinate the fish with the above ingredients and keep aside for 15 minutes. Sprinkle 2 tbsp water to the fish and steam for 10 minutes. Remove fish pieces from masala and fry in hot oil on low flame till light brown. To make it more spicy, fry the marinade (except the kudampuli ) in the remaining oil and serve along the fish.