Ayala Thoran / Mackerel sauted with coconut and spices

  

              Fishes are yummy. Life without fish is unimaginable. If they were bone less they would have been all the more desirable. I always muse about bone less fish variations when I watch Mr.KB meticulously eat his fish. If they are smaller fishes like sardines and mackerels he spend hours eating his fish, painfully fishing out each and every fish bone and delicately arranging them over the circumference of his plate. As for him, he may be able to swallow a needle, but not a fish bone (no matter how minute it is). I try to trick him sometimes, explaining about the loads of Calcium in fish bones and the virtue it is going to do for his bones but nay.. he never budges. He toss the ball back with a classic comment of his own."My bones are already overloaded with Calcium. So may be, I could spare some for you" Nope! Fishes and him- they binds easily. But as for fish bone- He avoids it like plague!

               When I got this recipe of 'Ayala thoran' I had thought, "Well, Mr.KB loves mackerels and when it is boneless he is gonna love it even more". And I was right when the thoran was devoured in haste and much relish. As for a Keralite, any dish can be made yummy with the addition of coconut to it. Hence there are as many varieties of 'thoran' in Kerala as there are coconut trees in it. So it is not a surprise that you can find thorans made with fish, meet and eggs other than vegan thorans. I tried this Ayalathoran, keeping my fish loving (fish bone hating) hubby in mind and it was helped into both father's and son's belly faster than I imagined. My son called it "scrambled fish" and he enjoyed it like his favourite scrambled eggs. Spicy and piquant, it sure is a yummy side dish for lunch or dinner, though it takes a bit of your time to remove the bones of fish prior to mixing everything up.

Ayalathoran Recipe

Things you need:

3 large mackerels( ayala)
2 pieces of gambodge( kudam puli)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
Salt to taste

For the coconut paste:

1,1/2 cup grated coconut
1 green chilli
2 cloves of garlic
1 small piece of ginger
1/2 tsp  whole black pepper
5 shallots / pearl onions/ kunjulli

For tempering:

1 medium sized onion, diced to small pieces
2 tbsp veg.oil
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 or 2 dried red chillies
1 tsp black grams/uzhunnu parippu
2 sprigs of curry leaves

How to:

Clean and wash the mackerels well and drain.Cut them into big pieces and cook in a vessel adding turmeric powder, chilli powder, gambouge ,salt and adequate water. Remove the bones,smash them up and keep aside.
  Pulse the second ingredients in a mixer until, coarse powder.
   Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and splutter mustard seeds, red chillies, black grams and curry leaves.Add the diced onion and saute until golden brown. Add turmeric and chilli powders to it and saute. Then add the pulsed coconut mixture and saute for a few minutes. Finally add the cooked fish and mix every thing well. Adjust the salt and remove from heat. Serve hot with rice.

Recipe courtesy: Lakshmi Nair

Sending this to Kerala Kitchen Event hosted by Prathibha of COOK EZEE started by Kerala Kitchen