Mackerel is a highly favored fish in family meals. Especially, stewed dishes with mackerel are even more appealing. Therefore, let’s go to the kitchen to see 2 ways to make delicious and flavorful mackerel stewed with tamarind and young jackfruit from TasteVN to treat the family.
1. Mackerel Stewed with Tamarind
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
35 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Mackerel Stewed with Tamarind Serves 8 people
Mackerel 3 kg Spring onions 6 stalks Vietnamese coriander 200 gr Minced shallots 2 tablespoons Chili 8 pieces Tamarind 1 cup (for rice) Fried onions 1 tablespoon Chili powder 1/2 tablespoon Soy sauce 4 tablespoons Fish sauce 4 tablespoons Coloring sauce 1/2 tablespoon Coconut water 300 ml Chicken broth 300 ml Fried onion oil 3 tablespoons Common spices a little (salt/ sugar/ pepper)
Ingredient Images
How to cook Mackerel with Tamarind
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Prepare the mackerel
After purchasing the mackerel, proceed to gut it, cut off the head, and wash the fish with diluted saltwater.
Then, rinse it one more time with cold water to clean it and let it drain.
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Prepare other ingredients
The Vietnamese coriander you bought should have its leaves plucked and washed thoroughly with cold water.
Chili and green onions should also be washed with water and then cut into bite-sized pieces.
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Braised Fish
You make the sauce for braised fish with ingredients including: 4 tablespoons of fish sauce, 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 300ml of coconut water, 300ml of chicken broth, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1/2 tablespoon of caramel color, 8 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of minced shallots, and 1 bowl (rice bowl size) of tamarind.
You stir everything together until the sauce mixture dissolves.
Place a frying pan on the stove, spread the Vietnamese coriander and green onions evenly in the pan, and then layer the fish on top. After that, pour the entire sauce mixture over the fish.
Start braising the fish over medium heat until the fish mixture starts to boil, then reduce the heat and add 1 tablespoon of fried shallots, 3 tablespoons of fried shallot oil, and the remaining chili, then simmer gently for 30 minutes.
When the fish mixture thickens to a syrupy consistency, add 1/2 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes until the water evaporates, then turn off the heat.
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Finished Product
Mackerel braised with tamarind is a dish that is incredibly “rice-consuming” due to its rich and delicious flavor.
The fish meat is fatty and tender, complemented by the sourness of tamarind and the spiciness of chili. Especially, the aroma of pepper and Vietnamese coriander is fragrant.
The fish is firm and absorbs spices, blending with all the ingredients to create an irresistible delicious dish.
2. Mackerel Braised with Young Jackfruit
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
25 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Mackerel Braised with Young Jackfruit Serves 4
Mackerel 3 fish Young jackfruit 200 gr Green onions 4 stalks Chili 3 fruits Color water 1 teaspoon Fish sauce 2 tablespoons Coconut water 2 tablespoons Common spices a little (sugar/ salt/ monosodium glutamate)
How to choose delicious young jackfruit
- Young jackfruit that is not ripe usually has a green outer skin, sharp spikes, and the distance between the spikes seems to be close together.
- When choosing jackfruit, if you tap on the fruit and hear a dull sound, it indicates that the fruit is good.
- You should choose jackfruit that is even, without any bumps or dents. Areas that are indented or have a waist are often more susceptible to pests and have more fibers or are tough.
Required tools
How to prepare Mackerel braised with young jackfruit
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Prepare the mackerel
After purchasing, clean the mackerel and gut it.
Use salt to scrub the inside and outside to eliminate the fishy smell.
Then, rinse the fish several times with clean water and cut each fish into 2 or 3 pieces.
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Prepare other ingredients
After buying the young jackfruit, peel off the tough green skin, then take the white flesh and cut off the core, slicing along the length of the jackfruit stem.
Continue to cut the jackfruit into small pieces and soak them in diluted salt water for 15 minutes to remove all the sap. Then rinse with water and let it drain.
Wash the green onions and chili with clean water.
For the green onions, cut off the ends and crush them to marinate the fish, while the green onion leaves should be chopped into pieces to add to the pot when the fish is cooked.
Slice the chili thinly.
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Marinate the fish
Place the chopped green onions and chili at the bottom of the pot, then layer the fish pieces on top.
Next, add 1 teaspoon of seasoning sauce, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, and 2 tablespoons of fish sauce into the pot, then mix well.
Marinate the fish for 15 – 20 minutes to allow the fish to absorb the flavors.
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Braised Fish
Place the pot of fish on the stove over medium heat. Then, add all the young jackfruit and pour in 2 tablespoons of coconut water to cook.
When the pot begins to boil, lower the heat and braise for 20 minutes.
Once the fish is cooked and the young jackfruit is soft, turn off the heat and sprinkle some chopped green onion on top, and it’s ready to enjoy.
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Final Product
The dish of mackerel braised with young jackfruit is fragrant with the smell of green onions, complemented by a bit of spiciness from the chili, combined with familiar and delicious spices.
The fish meat is tender and absorbs the flavors well, and the young jackfruit is chewy and creamy, making it a perfect accompaniment to rice!
How to choose fresh and delicious mackerel
- Fresh fish has a shiny, shimmering body, no mucus, and no foul smell.
- The anus of fresh fish is light white, deeply recessed, and the belly is flat. In contrast, spoiled fish has a protruding anus, which is pink or dark red, and the belly is swollen.
- Press your hand on the fish flesh; if it is elastic and does not leave an imprint, it is fresh. If it indents when pressed, do not buy it.
Effective ways to eliminate fishy odors
- You can use rice washing water to remove unpleasant odors. After cleaning, soak the fish in rice washing water for about 15 minutes. Then rinse with clean water.
- You can also dilute white wine to marinate the fish for about 2 minutes and then dry the fish. This can help reduce the fishy smell.
- Additionally, ginger is also effective in eliminating fishy odors and adding delicious flavor while removing toxins and allergens in fish. You crush the ginger and rub it on the fish, letting it sit for about 30 minutes before cooking.
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The above are 2 ways to make braised mackerel with tamarind and young jackfruit that are delicious and easy to make. Wishing you success with this recipe!
*Refer to the images and recipes from the YouTube channel Han dinh Grandmaphohoi19 and Dân Dã Miền Tây
