Taute Puli Munchi & Baked Mackerel... Mangalorean Cuisine

350 g yellow cucumber , cut into cubes
200 g chopped onion
100 g chopped tomato
20 ml cooking oil
50 g Kashmiri chilli
20 g whole coriander
10 g jeers ( cumin ) seeds
20 g tamarind or 1 tamarind paste
10 g mustard seeds
1 spring curry leaves
1 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoon chilli powder
10 g jaggery

In a very little oil , saute chilli , whole coriander and jeera until they are crisp.

Soak tamarind in water and mash to a pulp, remove the seeds or dilute tamarind paste with 1/4 cup water.

Mash the roasted masala along with tamarind into a smooth paste.

In a pan, heat the rest of the oil; add the mustard seeds and curry leaves , and cook until they pop.

Add the chopped onion and tomato and saute well ; add taute ( yellow cucumber ) , turmeric powder and red chilli powder.

Add water and cover the pan; simmer until the taute is cooked.

Add ground masala and cook until the oil separates.

Stir in jaggery and salt to taste.

Recipe credit - Jetwings

1, 12 mackerels ,wash and cleaned
2, 25 - 30 red chillies
3, 2 tablespoon coriander seeds
4, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds ( jeera )
5, 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds ( methi )
6, 1 pinch oama ( ajwain ) ( optional )
7, 2 teaspoon peppercorns
8, 2 teaspoon turmeric powder
9, 6-8 flakes garlic
10, 2 tablespoon tamarind paste or 1/4 cup tamarind extract
11, Salt to taste
12, 1 pinch hing ( asafoetida ) ( optional )

13, 10 -12 green chillies , chopped
14, 1 full pod garlic , crushed
15, 2 - inch piece ginger
16, 4 teaspoon coconut oil

Fry masala ingredients from 2 to 7 and then grind with ingredients from 2 to 11 to a fine paste with just enough water to grind. You can add 1/2 teaspoon hing powder if desired while grinding. Remove the masala and keep aside.

Take chopped green chillies , ginger , garlic and mix in coconut oil. Then add this mixture to the masala.

Clean the mackerels and make 4 to 5 slits in each. Coat the mackerels with the masala and keep them in a flat , greased baking dish and bake at 200 * C for 20 to 25 minutes until dry or you can cook in a greased thick kadai / earthen pot on a low heat . Decorate with onion rings and lemon wedges.