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    Mackerel Fish Fry

    Yum

    Updated on January 29, 2021 By Shalini 17 Comments - This post contains affiliate links which means if you use them to make a purchase, I'll earn enough money to maybe buy me a lil' something - an ingredient, probably.

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    Mackerel Fish Fry or Ayala Fry is prepared by marinating the fish pieces with spices and then shallow frying them. Quick and easy to prepare, the spice mix enhances its flavor.

    Mackerel is a beautiful fish. It's my favorite too. And I guess many fish lovers would share the same sentiment. It is a firm-fleshed flavorful fish that is high in nutrients and low in fat.

    And Mackerel Fish Fry? Oh, Gosh! Don't get me started.

    Mackerel is known as Ayala in Malayalam and Bangda in Hindi.

    This fish is available in abundance across the coastal belts of the Arabian sea - especially Kerala, Mumbai, and Goa.

    Ha! That reminds me of the popular Mollywood song 'Ayala porichathundu karimeen varuthathundu', where the heroine sings and asks her husband to have lunch with her, for she has prepared Mackerel Fish Fry and Fried Pearl Spots. Oh yeah!

    I did hum this song when I made lunch today for it has been so long since we've had the luxury of having this fish. 😛

    Mackerel Fish Fry is prepared by marinating the fish pieces with spices and then shallow frying them. Quick and easy to prepare, the spice mix enhances its flavor.

    Cooking with Mackerel is easy peasy. Fry it or make a curry with it, it tastes equally good. You should check out the beautiful Kerala Style Mackerel Fish Curry and other fish recipes as well.

    Recipe for Kerala Style Mackerel Fish Fry

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    Mackerel Fish Fry


    ★★★★

    3.2 from 9 reviews

    • Total Time: 15 minutes
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    Description

    Mackerel Fish Fry is a popular side-dish for lunch in most of the Kerala households.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 5 black peppercorns
    • 1 tsp chilli powder
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tsp coriander seeds
    • ½ tsp turmeric
    • salt to taste
    • 1 lemon
    • 3cm piece ginger, crushed
    • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
    • 2 whole mackerel
    • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

    Instructions

    1. Wash and clean the fish. Make gashes so that when it is marinated, the spices would get into the flesh.
    2. Crush the pepper, cumin, and coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle and place it into a bowl. You may also grind in a blender.
    3. Crush the ginger and garlic and add to the bowl as well.
    4. Mix in the chili and turmeric powder, salt, and juice from a lemon to make a paste.
    5. Marinate the fish with this paste/marinade and set aside for about half an hour.
    6. Shallow fry the fish in a frying pan on medium-low heat for about 4-5 mins on each side.
    7. Serve with onion slices and lemon wedges.

    Notes

    You can use whole fishes or fillets.
    Make gashes/slits on both sides of the fish, else there will be a bit of difficulty getting the masala paste adhering to the shiny skin.

    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15 minutes
    • Category: Fish, Kerala, Sea Food
    • Cuisine: Kerala/ South Indian

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 2

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    About Shalini

    Namaste! I'm Shalini, the blogger behind Something's Cooking(since 2014). I share only our best, family approved recipes with YOU because I've tried and tested every recipe published on this blog. You can find easy Keto, low-carb recipes, and authentic Indian recipes including South Indian (Kerala) foods. You can rest assured that Indian cooking will be made easy. Thanks for stopping by! I'm so happy you're here.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ruchi Verma says

      January 13, 2017 at 11:23 am

      I'm big fish lover !!! need to give it a try 🙂

      Reply
      • Shalini says

        January 14, 2017 at 2:47 pm

        Thanks, Ruchi.
        You should definitely try.

        Reply
    2. Cattie says

      December 15, 2016 at 2:59 pm

      I Love Fried Fish. We also use the same spices.
      But Mackerel is quite a bony fish, so we avoid it. We prefer pomfrets

      Reply
    3. Menaka Bharathi says

      December 13, 2016 at 5:53 pm

      You make me crave for fish Shalz. Here in Chhattisgarh we do not have much options especially no sea food. I miss all those great fish and crabs we used to have back home.

      Reply
    4. Awkward Earthling says

      December 08, 2016 at 10:29 pm

      I miss amma's ayala fry 🙂
      One of my fav :))

      And I tried once to cook; but did not get that homely taste .. 😀

      Reply
    5. Pratikshya Mishra says

      December 08, 2016 at 8:09 am

      Looks yummy... My mom is reading this right now.. 😀 I urged her to !! 😀

      Reply
      • Shalini says

        December 08, 2016 at 5:17 pm

        Yay. Thanks, Pratikshya 🙂 I hope you get to eat too soon!

        Reply
    6. Parul Thakur says

      December 07, 2016 at 7:44 pm

      How yum that looks, Shalini. Perfectly fried and simple to make 🙂 Let me give it a try.

      Reply
      • Shalini says

        December 08, 2016 at 5:16 pm

        Thanks, Parul. You definitely should! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Nabanita Dhar says

      December 07, 2016 at 1:09 pm

      I will definitely try this because I love fish. Shouldn't have seen this now during Lunch time! Sigh!

      Reply
      • Shalini says

        December 08, 2016 at 5:15 pm

        Hee 😀 Thanks for dropping by, Naba. I hope you try this one soon!

        Reply
    8. Rajlakshmi says

      December 07, 2016 at 2:32 am

      I love it... I totally love it... Let me see if we find this variety here. I am very bad with recognizing fishes... The only one I prepare and eat it is Salmon. Will try this.

      Reply
      • Shalini says

        December 08, 2016 at 5:13 pm

        Thanks, Raj. I hope you try this one soon!

        Reply
    9. Alice Gerard says

      December 07, 2016 at 12:17 am

      Oh, that looks completely delicious. Thank you for the recipe. I may try it one of these days.

      Reply
      • Shalini says

        December 08, 2016 at 5:12 pm

        Thanks much, Alice 🙂 Welcome to my space!

        Reply
    10. Healthwealthbridge by Dr.Amrita Basu says

      December 06, 2016 at 9:36 pm

      This is a delicious recipe.Loved how quick it is.Pomfret is another fish that tastes yummy when prepared this way.

      Reply
      • Shalini says

        December 08, 2016 at 5:11 pm

        Definitely! Thanks, Amrita 🙂

        Reply

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