Goan Para Fish - Marinated Fish Pickle

Prepare the para fish

1. A few days before you make the marination prepare the dried fish by cutting of the head and tails and take out the innards. Keep the dried fish for 2-3 days in the hot sun to dry a bit further.
2. A few days later, just before you intend to blend the marination, twist the stem off the dried red chili and discard the stem.
3. Wash your chili in 2 cup of vinegar before adding them into a mixing bowl with all the other spices and all the remaining vinegar, which include, garlic, ginger, peppercorn, cloves, cinnamon stick and brown mustard seeds. Leave to soak for 2-3 hours.
4. Wash the dried mackerels in the 2 cups of Vinegar which you used previously to wash the chilis, so to get rid of any impurities. Discard the 2 cups of vinegar once finished.
5. Place 12 fish in each of the 2 glass jars. Keep aside.
6. After soaking the spices, mix the whole content and place a batch first into a blender jar with some of the vinegar.
7. Blend to a smooth paste. You will have to add more vinegar while it blends to a smooth paste and once you are done with one batch blend the remaining spices to a smooth paste. You will require all the remaining vinegar for this.
8. Add all the paste into a cooking pot and keep over slow to medium heat.
9. Allow it to bubble and stir frequently, then take it from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes before filling your fish jars with the paste. Fill the glass jars until the fish is covered completely to the glass border.
10. Store in a dark, dry and cool place and only use after 1 month, when the fish is well marinated. I like to leave it untouched for 2 months before I attack it.

Cook the para fish

1. You can fry the fish once it's marinated. To do so add 2-3 Tablespoons of cooking oil to a frying pan and heat up. Once the oil is hot, take 1-2 fish per serving carefully out with a spoon and place into the hot pan. Fry first on one side for 2 minutes and then on the other side for another 2 minutes. Some oil always jumps out so you might want to cover the pan while it's frying so to save you some cleaning time.
2. Serve with cooked plain rice and masoor dal.