Recheado Paste Recipe & Mackerel Recheado

It's an undeniable fact— we Goans love everything lavish! And, true to that, we fancy grand spreads at our dining table and also enjoy the exuberance of the colours of our delicacies that are absolutely eye-catching!

One dish that is recommended to all who enter the boundaries of our beautiful state is the sensational 'Recheado'— fiery red to the eyes, bold in flavor upon the tongue, warm and tingling to the throat and completely satisfying to the belly— this word is of Portuguese origin and translates to 'stuffed'. So, Fish Recheado literally means 'stuffed fish'. It just happens to be so that this particular, and very popular, red paste has become synonymous with the name. 

This recheado paste is versatile in terms of use and can be used in many vegetarian preparations as well. When used with fish, the common choices include Mackerel, Pomfret, Squids among many others. 

Few Tips:

• Roast the onions for a more dense flavor and to eliminate the raw taste of an uncooked onion. I halve the onion and peel away the outer most layer (tunic), pierce a fork/knife into each half and roast them upon the flame of the stove burner. The stem disc holds the scales together and prevents them from falling apart while roasting. When they've cooled, chop the ends off. 
• Caution: The prongs/blades are darkened in this process but this can be reversed by scrubbing.
• The paste can be prepared and refrigerated for weeks for later use.
• Clean the fish well; clean the insides and rinse it; slit the sides for the pocket with a sharp knife. Apply salt and let it rest for 20-30 minutes and then rinse again.
• Stuff the fish with the paste and allow it to rest for a while before frying.
• Don't panic if bits of the stuffing ooze out onto the pan- the little of the charring adds a lot of goodness to the final result!

Ingredients:

For the Red Recheado Paste:

• 1 medium-sized roasted Onion
• 6 Dried Kashmiri Chilies
• 6 Dried Bedki Chilies
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 20 Peppercorns
• 6-8 Garlic cloves
• 1" piece of Ginger
• Tamarind (small lemon-size) soaked in warm water
• 4-5 Tablespoons of White Vinegar
• 1 heaped teaspoon Salt
• 2 heaped teaspoons Sugar

For the Fish-fry:

Fish of your choice (eg. Mackerel)

Salt

Semolina (rava)

Oil

Method:

1. Grind the ingredients for the Recheado paste to achieve a thick, coarse, almost chutney-like, consistency. Adjust the vinegar, salt and sugar as per your taste buds; it must be spicy, with slight sweetness and sourness to balance the heat.

2. Clean the fish, outside and inside, and rinse. With a sharp knife cut a slit along the length of the fish forming a pocket; repeat on the other side. Rinse, apply salt and set aside for 20-30 minutes and then, rinse again.

3. Stuff and sandwich the Recheado paste in the created pockets and then coat the outer surfaces with semolina.

4. Heat some oil in a pan, and when sufficiently hot, place the fish in and fry each side for 3-4 minutes on a medium flame. (This time could be altered as per the thickness of the fish).

5. Fry the slit side for a couple of minutes and then it's done!

Serve it hot with rice and curry, or as a whole meal with some salad on the side :)

हिंदी में

सामग्री:

रेशादो पेस्ट के लिए:

• 1 मध्यम आकार का भुना हुआ प्याज
• 6 सूखी हुई कश्मीरी मिर्च
• 6 सूखे बेदकी मिर्च
• 1 चम्मच जीरा
• 1/4 चम्मच हल्दी पाउडर
• 20 काली मिर्च
• 6-8 लहसुन 
• 1" अदरक का टुकड़ा
• इमली (छोटे नींबू के बराबर) को गर्म पानी में भिगोया हुआ 
• 4-5 चम्मच सफेद सिरका
• 1 चम्मच नमक
• 2 बड़ी चम्मच चीनी

तलना के लिए:

• अपनी पसंद की मछली (जैसे बांगड़ा)
• नमक
• सूजी (रवा)
• तेल

तरीका:

1. रेशादो पेस्ट के लिए सामग्री को पीस लें और एक मोटी, लगभग चटनी की तरह, स्थिरता प्राप्त करें। अपने स्वाद के अनुसार सिरका, नमक और चीनी समायोजित करें; यह मसालेदार होना चाहिए, गर्मी को संतुलित करने के लिए थोड़ी मिठास और खटास के साथ।

2. मछली को बाहर और अंदर साफ करें और कुल्ला करें। एक तेज चाकू से मछली की लंबाई के साथ एक भट्ठा काट लें; दूसरी तरफ दोहराएं। कुल्ला करें, नमक लागाए करें और 20-30 मिनट के लिए रखें और फिर से धोलें।

3. तैयार किए गए मछली में रेशादो पेस्ट को भरलें और फिर सूजी के साथ बाहरी सतहों को कोट करें।

4. एक पैन में थोड़ा तेल गरम करें, और पर्याप्त गर्म होने पर, मछली को मध्यम आंच पर प्रत्येक पक्ष को 3-4 मिनट के लिए भूनें। (यह समय मछली की मोटाई के अनुसार बदला जा सकता है)।

5. कुछ मिनट के लिए भट्ठा पक्ष भूनें और फिर यह तैयार है।

Dev Borem Korum | Thank You and God bless