3 Ways to Make Delicious Mackerel Stewed with Tomatoes – A Perfect Savory Dish with Hot Rice

Prepare the mackerel to avoid fishy smell

To prepare the mackerel without the fishy smell, first cut off the fins, gills, clean the intestines, rinse the fish, place the fish into a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, and 2 cups of water (equivalent to 500ml) into the bowl, and soak for about 10 minutes.

Remove the fish and rinse it clean with water, then place it on a plate, add 1 tablespoon of salt and marinate for 10 minutes.

Prepare other ingredients

Peel the shallots, use a knife to crush 2 bulbs flat, chop them finely, and just crush the remaining 5 bulbs to fry the fish.

Wash the chili peppers, remove the stems. For the green onions, wash them and cut the white part and the green leaves separately, and chop the green leaves finely.

Wash the tomatoes and let them drain, use a fork to poke the top of the tomatoes, turn on high heat to char the tomatoes, after about 5 minutes until the skin of the tomatoes cracks, turn off the stove and peel them.

Then use a knife to cut the tomatoes into small slices, then chop them finely.

Sauté the tomatoes

Put a pan on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of pork fat, shallots, and tomatoes to the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes.

Next, add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Stir well for 3 minutes, then turn off the heat.

Fry the fish

Add 3 tablespoons of lard, crispy pork fat, and smashed shallots into the pan and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes.

When the shallots are fragrant, add the mackerel and fry it lightly for about 5 minutes until the fish meat firms up.

Cook fish with tomato

Add 4 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate into the pan for cooking the fish. At this point, you should keep the heat low while cooking for about 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes, 10 chili peppers, and 500ml of fresh coconut water into the pan and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Then add 1 teaspoon of color sauce, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, and chopped green onion, cover the lid and cook for another 5 minutes on low heat.

Final Product

The dish of braised mackerel with tomatoes is delicious, with firm and tender fish meat, rich and fatty with a rich tomato sauce that makes a wonderful combination that is sure to go well with rice.

Braised mackerel with tomatoes served with hot white rice is the best!

Prepare and marinate the fish

To reduce the fishy smell of mackerel, soak the fish in diluted saltwater for about 15 minutes, then rinse with clean water and let it drain.

Marinate the fish with sliced shallots, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of seasoning. Let it sit for about 30 minutes for the fish to absorb the seasoning.

Prepare other ingredients

Wash the tomatoes and cut them into wedges. Wash the green onions and chop them finely. Remove the stems from the chili, wash, and slice.

Stewed mackerel with tomatoes

Place a pot on the stove, add 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil into the pot. When the oil is hot, add in the tomatoes and stir well over medium heat for about 2 minutes.

Add 200ml of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the marinated fish along with sliced chili, gently press the fish to submerge in the water. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.

When you see the sauce has reduced a bit, taste and season to your liking, add chopped green onions and turn off the heat.

Finished product

The stewed mackerel with tomatoes after completion has an eye-catching color and a fragrant aroma.

The fish meat is firm, and the stewed sauce is a perfect blend of salty and sweet, making it very appetizing.

Prepare the ingredients

First, with 1kg of mackerel purchased, you take a little salt and rub it all over the surface of the meat for 2 – 3 minutes, while also removing any remaining intestines and blood inside the fish’s belly, then rinse it several times with water until clean, and let it drain.

Tomatoes should have their stems removed, washed directly under clean running water, drained, and then cut into wedges. At the same time, you should separate all the seeds through a sieve to filter the juice for cooking the fish.

Finally, you peel the shallots, wash them clean, let them drain, and then chop 4 bulbs finely.

Marinate the mackerel

You sequentially add into a bowl the ingredients including 3 finely chopped shallots, 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, using a spoon to mix well.

Then, you add all the drained mackerel into the bowl, mix it all up again, and let the mackerel absorb the spices for about 30 minutes.

Blend the tomato mixture

At the same time, take a blender and add 1kg of deseeded tomatoes, cover the lid and blend until smooth for about 3 – 5 minutes.

Next, add 3 shallots and blend again for about 2 minutes until the mixture becomes smooth and fine, then turn off the machine.

Making mackerel braised with tomatoes

Once you have prepared the ingredients, take a pressure cooker and add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and the remaining 4 minced shallots to sauté until fragrant using the cooking mode.

Next, add all the blended tomatoes, the strained tomato juice, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt, then stir well with a spoon.

After that, gradually add all the drained mackerel, close the pot lid, and cook for 15 – 20 minutes until the fish is tender. Then, season to taste and turn off the pot, and serve the fish in a bowl to enjoy!

Finished Product

Stewed mackerel with tomatoes, featuring an eye-catching red color from the tomatoes and a faint aroma from shallots, is truly delightful.

When enjoying, everyone will immediately feel each tender, fatty, firm, and flavorful bite of the mackerel, perfectly blended with the thick tomato sauce, a wonderful sweet and sour taste.