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Grilled Mackerel with Spicy Dahl
Grilled Mackerel with Spicy Dahl is a modern South African recipe for a dish of grilled (broiled) mackerel served with curried red lentils. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic South African version of: Grilled Mackerel with Spicy Dahl.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
45 minutes
Total Time:
65 minutes
Serves:
4
Rating: 
Tags : CurrySpice RecipesSouth-africa Recipes
I love mackerel, which I used to fish for as a child. My wife also loves this oily fish and we try to source it as often as we can. It’s not so easy in South Africa, though we get horse mackerel from time to time.
This recipe marries mackerel with a Durban-inspired accompaniment of spicy dahl flavoured with tamarind and accompanied with a roti-style flatbread.
Ingredients:
For the Lentils:
1 cup red lentils
1l (4 cups) water
2 tbsp sunflower oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
4 dried red chillies, crumbled
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
½ tsp green cardamom seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp sugar
4 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
For the Fish:
4 mackerel, cleaned and scaled
2 red chillies, sliced thinly
4 rotis, to accompany
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped, to accompany
Method:
Rinse the lentils, drain in a sieve then turn into a pan and pour in the 1l water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, partially cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 35 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
At this point heat the sunflower oil in a wok or shallow pan. Add the mustard seeds and cook for about 1 minute, or until the seeds pop. Now add the remaining seeds along with the chilli pieces and the turmeric. Stir to combine and cook for a few seconds.
Immediately take off the heat and stir into the lentils. Season with salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste. Bring the mixture back to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until thick.
Take the mackerel and score six deep slashes in both sides (this will help them cook evenly) and season liberally inside and out. Place either on a very hot griddle pan or under a hot grill (broiler) and cook for about 6 minutes per side, or until the fish is cooked through and the skin is crisp.
When ready to serve stir half the coriander leaves into the lentils. Plate out the lentils and tomatoes and lay the fish on top. Garnish with the remaining coriander and the sliced chillies. Accompany with a roti and serve.
