Raja Gobboru

Diwali is the only festival where G.S.B’ s are allowed to eat fish after the oil bath or ‘Ganga Snaan’ on the day of Dhanteras that is on day 1 of Diwali . So I thought of sharing this recipe of ‘Raja Gobboru’ which I had tried sometime back. Amma had visited this relative of ours named Shyamala akka . She is a very good cook and her seafood preparations are simply fantastic. She was kind enough to pack the dish for Amma and Amma was generous enough to give it to me since I’m a seafood lover . I liked it so much that I requested her for the recipe the next day and she shared the recipe with me without any second thoughts. And I tried it the same day . This recipe is a keeper. I prepared this recipe with eyeball measurements .

Ingredients:

Baby Mackerels/ Raja/Raju /Bangude – 8

Coconut oil – 3-4 tbsp approz

Mustard seeds – 2 tsp

Curry leaves – handful

Onion – 1 , sliced ,to garnish(optional)

To be ground:

Short red chillies –  5, roasted in a tsp of oil

Long red chillies – 8 , roasted in a tsp of oil

Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Tamarind – 2 marble sized

Salt – to taste

Asafoetida – 2 pinches

Method:

1. Clean the baby mackerels and make gashes.
2. Grind the ingredients mentioned to be ground to a smooth paste with water.
3. Apply the ground paste to the fish and marinate it for 15 minutes or an hour .
4. Heat oil in a broad pan, splutter mustard seeds.
5. Add curry leaves and arrange fish .
6. Wait for sometime and turn over the fish.
7. Cook it until done and well roasted.
8. Add the onion rings .
9. Switch off the flame and close with the lid for sometime.
10. Serve it hot.
11. You may squeeze lime for extra punch.

My notes:

• Baby mackerels tastes good.
• You may increase the ingredients for more masala.
• Mackerels cook very fast.
• Keep an eye while cooking .
• Flip the fish delicately.
• You may sprinkle little masala water if the masala is too dry.
• Masala water is the water added in the blender.