This is a a simple and easy recipe for fresh sardines cooked in the pressure cooker, known for its delicious flavour. Anyone who has never cooked before will find it easy to prepare this dish.
Some people love big fish like cod, halibut, salmon or sea bass filleted with no bones left in to negotiate. But Goan fish like mackerel and sardines are full of flavour yet so underrated. They contain the fatty acids called Omega-3 which are thought to protect the heart and help the working of our brains and immune system and also high in calcium. In Goa they are plentiful and cheap during the fish season. This recipe from my cook books has a very healthy option because I have used very little oil to cook. There is no waste when the sardines are cooked in the pressure cooker; even the tiny bones of the fish are softened with the flesh that the whole fish can be eaten. It is delicious when served with a little salad of tomatoes (seasoned with salt and vinegar to bring out their acidity) some lettuce leaves, black olives and plenty of chives. It can be left in the refrigerator for a couple days to be consumed later, if needed. Fresh sardines cooked in the pressure cooker Ingredients 12 Sardines 1 small onion 3 cloves of garlic crushed into paste 2 dried red chillies 1 tablespoon of olive oil 1 tbsp tamarind soaked in warm water salt to taste freshly milled black pepper 180 ml /6 oz of warm water Method 1.Clean and wash the sardines. Apply the salt and pepper and place it in the pressure cooker. 2.Cut the onion into slices. 3.Break the red chillies into half and remove the seeds. 4.Soak the tamarind in warm water and squeeze with your hand until all the pulp of the tamarind is thoroughly extracted. 5.Add all the ingredients to the pressure cooker. Cover the pressure cooker and cook until you can see the steam coming out from the top of the pressure cooker. Place the weight and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes. The sardines will be firm and deliciously juicy. Enjoy! -- Alda Figueiredo is the author of 'Delights of Goa', recently published and available in Goa at Broadway Book Centre and globally via email from Goa,1556 (email: [email protected]) The earlier edition 'The Goanese Fusion Flavours' is published in the UK only and available from Waterstones bookshops throughout the United Kingdom. ISBN 9780951901939 Order online: http://bit.ly/kxRUBC Cover pic: http://bit.ly/mPTguM
