4.6 from 15 votes
Goan Para Fish - Marinated Fish Pickle
Mackerel para is a marinated fish pickle from Goa, India. It's a traditional side dish pickle cured for weeks, cooked briefly, and served with cooked rice and masoor dal.
Prep Time
50 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Drying fish + Marination
30 d
Total Time
33 d 1 hr
Servings:
24
marinated para
Calories:
758 kcal
Course:
Others
Cuisine:
Indian
Ingredients
Prepare the parra fish
- 24 salted dried mackerel
- 1 ½ Quart coconut vinegar or White Vinegar
- 40 red chili pepper dried
- 20 Piece garlic large, cloves
- 4 Inch ginger fresh
- 1 Teaspoon black peppercorns whole
- 40 clove whole
- 4 Inch cinnamon stick
- 1 Teaspoon mustard seeds brown variety
Cook the parra fish
- 2-3 Tablespoon neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
Instructions
Prepare the para fish
- 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.
- A few days later, just before you intend to blend the marination, twist the stem off the dried red chili and discard the stem.
- 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.
- 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.
- Place 12 fish in each of the 2 glass jars. Keep aside.
- After soaking the spices, mix the whole content and place a batch first into a blender jar with some of the vinegar.
- 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.
- Add all the paste into a cooking pot and keep over slow to medium heat.
- 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.
- 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.
Cup of Yum
Cook the para fish
- 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.
- Serve with cooked plain rice and masoor dal.
Nutrition Information
Calories
758kcal
(38%)
Carbohydrates
8g
(3%)
Protein
92g
(184%)
Fat
37g
(57%)
Saturated Fat
10g
(50%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Cholesterol
212mg
(71%)
Sodium
395mg
(16%)
Potassium
2091mg
(44%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
4g
(8%)
Vitamin A
995IU
(20%)
Vitamin C
118mg
(131%)
Calcium
124mg
(12%)
Iron
6mg
(33%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 24 marinated para
Amount Per Serving
Calories 758
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 758kcal | 38% |
| Carbohydrates | 8g | 3% |
| Protein | 92g | 184% |
| Fat | 37g | 57% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 212mg | 71% |
| Sodium | 395mg | 16% |
| Potassium | 2091mg | 44% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 995IU | 20% |
| Vitamin C | 118mg | 131% |
| Calcium | 124mg | 12% |
| Iron | 6mg | 33% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.