“Sukkale Raja Kismuri (Sun- Dried Mackerel/ Bangude Salad)” … this is a salad type of side dish delicacy for fish lovers during monsoon season when fresh catches are not easily available … I came across preparing of kismuri with dry fish using oil frying method by Goa'n community for the first time as we usually roasted them on flame of wood/ charcoal … tastes great though roasted one still stands out as it gives that smoky flavor which is missing in fried ones … still, it was quite tasty served with dal-chawal … Yummilicious …
** Kismuri from GSB Konkani Saraswat Cuisine is a salad sort of a dish often relished during meals along with other dishes. While the same can be prepared with ground masala or just with addition of spices, it is also prepared with addition of deep fried veggies/ pappad or roasted on flame sun-dried fish in dry salad way. I had come across a few Goa'n recipes that mentioned deep frying of sun dried fish for preparation of kismuri as roasting is difficult in flats, tried tava frying the same with dry raja/ mackerels and it turned out great though the roasted method still stands out the best.
** I have shared many recipes of kismuri both with veggies, dried fish, with ground masala and salad way too. I am sharing a common link at the bottom of this recipe for easy access where in you will find them all. For veggies you can either follow the deep frying method or microwave/ air fried method for dry type of salad that tastes best served with pejja/ gangi/ rice porridge. Sun- Dried items be it veg. or otherwise are a part of monsoon items as they come in handy when the same are not available fresh for use. So try it and enjoy with your family as we are nearing monsoon.
** Here is my recipe for “Sukkale Raja Kismuri (Sun- Dried Mackerel/ Bangude Salad)” … my style … I have included step by step picture collage of preparation of kismuri which will help in understanding the method, please do check it out …
** Ingredients :
Sukkale Raja (Sun- Dried Mackerel/ Bangude) : 2-3 large sized
Onions (Piyavu/ Kanda) : 2-3 large sized finely chopped
Coconut (Soyi/ Nariyal) : ½ cup freshly grated
Green Chilly (Tarni Mirsanga/ Hari Mirchi) : 4-5 finely chopped
Coriander Leaves (Kottambari Pallo/ Dhania) : 2 tblsp finely chopped (Optional)
Hing/ Asafoetida Powder : ¼ tsp
Salt/ Namak/ Meeta : to taste (only if required)
Coconut Oil/ Nariyal Tel/ Narlel Tela : 2-3 tblsp
** To prepare the Sukkale Raja/ Sun- Dried Mackerel/ Bangude for the Kismuri : Wash dried mackerels gently under running water and then soak in hot water for an hour. This will help in softening the fish as well as removing excess salt and other dirt if any.
** Note : Do NOT add Boiling water to the dried fish for soaking, the water should be just hot, just a little bit more than lukewarm, that’s all.
** After soaking period gently wash the fish in plenty of water. Trim off the head, tail, fins and slightly remove the upper skin portion (optional) which will easily come off on soaking. Place the fishe on an tissue paper or napkin and remove excess water.
** Heat coconut oil in a non- stick pan or any other pan and fry the fish until done on both sides. Do not fry it too crisp, say about 5-8 minutes maximum. Remove and keep it aside to cool down to room temperature. Keep the pan aside to be used again later.
** When the fish is just warm shred them to pieces of desired size discarding the inner thorn/ kanto and keep them ready aside. Now heat the pan in which the fish was fried and add hing, fry for a second, remove and mix along with oil to the shredded fish.
** Note : Usually when we roast the sun- dried fish we later cut them into small sized slivers, here as I tava fried I have kept them slightly bigger, It’s individual choice.
** To prepare the kismuri : In a wide bowl add green chillies, coconut, onions, coriander leaves, shredded fried dried fish pieces. Mix well adding salt only if necessary. Be careful on salt and check out to taste before adding the same as sun- dried items always contain salt and extra added on may turn the dish too salt.
** Note : You can add in a little bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice to bring in a tangy taste if desired, though traditionally it’s not added, I have not added. Lastly, garnishing with coriander leaves too is optional, as again, traditionally for kismuri we do not add the same, however, this time I have added it for a change.
** “Sukkale Raja Kismuri (Sun- Dried Mackerel Salad)” is done and ready to be served as a side dish along with other dishes as an accompaniment. Tastes awesome served with dalitoy (spiced tuvar dal) and sheetHa (rice) though the best combination is always with rice porridge/ peja/ ganji. If you are a non- vegetarian and like dried fish dishes, try this one out for a change during this monsoon, it tastes great.
** IMPORTANT NOTE : I must mention here that traditionally sun- dried fish was roasted on low heat of wooden flame or charcoal for kismuri. In olden days, it was common to use wood for heating of water and for cooking purposes too. Our ancestors just threw some sun-dried fish pieces, flip them frequently while going about their work and the slow fire would do the needful very well. The charred taste of pieces are truly wonderful to relish which lacks on gas flame or tava frying, so if you have access to wooden/ charcoal fire then use it for roasting the fish, rest method remains same.
** Note : The mixing of all Ingredients for kismuri should be done just before serving. If done prior and left to rest it turns limp and loses the crisp texture. In all, the kismuri taste is lost in the process, which is not at all appealing. So remember to mix it just before serving, while rest of the process can be done and kept ready separately to save time.
** Note : Always add freshly grated top white part of the coconut only, it gives best taste unlike if used that which has been stored or frozen. The quantity can be varied by using less of coconut if desired, however I suggest that the ratio of onion and coconut should be 3:1 to get best result. That is for 3 parts of finely chopped onions add in 1 part of the freshly grated coconut and again adding only 1 part of deep fried/ roasted of that ingredient which is used. That’s my standard mixing ratio with almost all of the dry kismuri/ salad, however you can make changes to suit taste.
** Note : While you can add on any edible oil to the Kismuri, I suggest you use coconut oil if possible to bring out the best taste in kismuri. We Konkani Saraswats are partial towards coconut oil and use it in many of our dishes as our ancestors always endorsed it healthy. Unfortunately it was shunned before without any strong basis and it is only now that it is being recognized worldwide for it various health benefits. However, for any reason if you do not want to use coconut oil, you may chose any you want add or if you want to limit the quantity you can air-fry or use microwave method for frying with minimum addition of the same, I have shared a post of the same too.
** Note : The addition on the number of green chillies is as per individual choice and you can increase or decrease as per your preferences or your family requirement. If you have young children at home, it is advisable not to add in much of the green chillies or you can remove and keep some aside and then add on more if necessary while serving, that way it is safer to serve each one as per their requirement. Again, if you do not want to add green chillies, you can add red chilly powder too, just add them into the tava with hing powder, stir for a few seconds and add on that’s all.
** Given below is the common link to "Kismuri" both with and without (dry) masala, please check the same and go through the recipes and learn about this dish before you try it out. It will not only help you in understanding this Konkani dish that is loved in our community, but will also give you options and an idea as to the various ingredients that can be use.
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