If you don’t know what to eat today, we recommend you the flavorful mackerel cooked with lemongrass and chili, perfect for rice. What are you waiting for? Let’s go to the market with TasteVN to prepare the ingredients, into the kitchen, and cook this stewed dish right away!
1. Fresh mackerel cooked with lemongrass and chili
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Fresh Mackerel Cooked with Lemongrass and Chili For 4 people
Mackerel 2 fish Vietnamese coriander a little Lemongrass 3 stalks Chili 3 pieces Shallots 3 bulbs Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Common spices a little (Salt/ sugar/ seasoning/ ground pepper)
How to choose fresh and delicious mackerel
- Choose mackerel with clear eyes, bright red gills, and a closed mouth.
- It’s best to buy fish that feel firm to the touch and are not mushy when pressed.
- Fresh fish should have scales tightly attached to the body, shiny, without mucus, and no unpleasant odor.
- Do not buy mackerel if you see that the eyes are cloudy or if the gills have turned dark red.
See details: How to choose fresh and delicious mackerel
Tools needed
Clay pot, knife, cutting board, scissors, plate,..
How to cook Fresh mackerel with lemongrass and chili
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Prepare the ingredients
After buying the mackerel, clean the scales, remove all the internal organs, and wash the fish thoroughly. Then cut the fish into thick slices about 2 finger joints.
How to remove the fishy smell of mackerel:
- To clean and eliminate the fishy smell, you can use rice water to soak the fish for about 15 – 20 minutes, then take it out, rinse with clean water and proceed to cook.
- You can also use a mixture of salt and alcohol to soak the fish for about 10 minutes and then rinse with water.
- Alternatively, use ginger to clean the fishy smell; soak the fish in water with a smashed piece of ginger added for about 5 minutes, then take it out and let it drain before cooking.
See details: How to remove the fishy smell of mackerel
Wash the lemongrass and chili and chop them finely. Peel the shallots and slice them thinly. Pick the leaves of the Vietnamese coriander, wash them thoroughly, and chop them small.
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Marinate the mackerel
Put the fish in a pot, then add all the shallots, lemongrass, and chili. Season with 2 teaspoons of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
Mix well and marinate the fish for about 15 minutes.
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Fish Stew
Put the fish pot on the stove, simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the fish meat firms up.
Then add 1 cup of hot water (rice bowl), cover the pot, and stew on low heat for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens.
After 10 minutes of stewing, remember to flip the fish to ensure it cooks evenly on both sides.
Finally, adjust the seasoning to suit your family’s taste. Add all the prepared rice paddy herb, turn off the heat, and enjoy.
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Final Product
Now you have a delicious and attractive dish of fresh mackerel stew with lemongrass and chili. The strong aroma of rice paddy herb, lemongrass, and chili will immediately make you feel hungry.
Prepare a portion of hot rice and serve it with the fish. Slowly savor the salty, sweet, and spicy flavors that the dish brings. I assure you, this fish stew will make your rice pot empty.
2. Sun-dried mackerel with lemongrass and chili
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking time
45 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Sun-dried mackerel with lemongrass and chili For 2 people
Sun-dried mackerel 4 fish (about 500g) Bird’s eye chili 2 pieces Lemongrass 3 stalks Ginger 2 rhizomes (medium-sized) Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Fish sauce 1/2 cup (rice bowl) Sugar/ seasoning powder a little
How to Choose Delicious Dried Mackerel
- You should choose dried mackerel that has a white skin with dark red stripes.
- Delicious dried mackerel will have a flattened body; when pressed, it feels firm, and when held, it feels heavy.
- The fish has been dried in the sun, so its surface will be slightly dry; if there is no blood, then it is good fish.
- Do not choose dried mackerel that has a strong fishy smell; when pressed, if the flesh feels soft, it is because this is mackerel dried from spoiled fish.
- Avoid buying fish that is slimy or has pale flesh, as this indicates the fish is spoiled and should not be eaten.
Tools Required
How to Prepare Dried Mackerel Cooked with Lemongrass and Chili
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Prepare the Fish
After purchasing dried mackerel, rinse it briefly and let it drain. Use a knife to make a few cuts on the fish’s body, then cut the fish in half lengthwise, and lightly fry both sides of the fish.
Tip: You can either lightly fry the fish or skip frying altogether.
Peel the galangal, then wash the galangal and lemongrass thoroughly. Next, blend the galangal, chili, and lemongrass separately. Remove the stems from the chili and chop it into small pieces.
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Marinate the fish
Place the fish in a pot, add half of the galangal and half of the lemongrass that has been prepared. Season with 1/4 cup of fish sauce (rice bowl), 1 chopped chili, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder. Mix well and marinate the fish for about 15 – 20 minutes.
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Fish Braised
Put 4 teaspoons of sugar into the pan, cook over medium heat until the sugar melts completely and turns a brown color. Add the remaining lemongrass and ginger, stir well.
Add 1/4 cup of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, 1 sliced chili, and 1.5 cups of cold water to the pan, cook over medium heat until boiling, then pour all the liquid into the pot of marinated fish.
Cover and braise on low heat until the fish thickens. After about 30 – 40 minutes of braising, uncover, adjust the seasoning to taste, and turn off the heat.
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Final Product
Thus, the dish of mackerel braised with lemongrass and chili is complete, the fish is golden, fragrant with the smell of ginger, lemongrass, and chili. This fish dish will make your whole family feel hungry whenever they smell its aroma.
Try a piece of fish and start to feel the addictive aroma of lemongrass spreading. The fish is seasoned just right, savory and sweet, with a hint of spiciness from the chili. Eating this fish dish with hot rice is simply delicious.
See more:
Above is a detailed guide on 2 ways to make mackerel cooked with lemongrass and chili that is delicious and rich for the family meal. TasteVN hopes that the delicious cooking suggestions we share will be helpful to you. We wish you success!
