Ingredients

• 4 mackerels, medium sized. Get fishmonger to gut and clean them for you.

• 1 tsp. salt

• For the filling

• 2 green or very firm red tomatoes, chopped

• 2-3 cloves garlic, more if very small, peeled

• 4 tsp. coarsely ground fennel seeds (saunf)

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 green chillies

• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder (optional)

• 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Garnish

• A few sprigs of rosemary

• 8 bay laves, I use fresh ones

• 1 lemon/lime, sliced

• Oil for drizzling

• Aluminium foil

Instructions

1. Wash and pat dry mackerel. Remove the head and fins, but keep tails. Apply a little salt to the cavity and keep aside.

2. De-seed tomatoes and grind coarsely with garlic, fennel, green chillies, black pepper and lemon lemon juice. Do not add water, it should be like a thick paste. Taste and adjust spices/seasoning. Fish has already been salted, so add very little salt to the filling.

3. Divide filling into 4 parts and fill the cavity of each fish, putting a little of it on top of each fish. Insert a couple of bay leaves in each fish and top with fresh rosemary sprigs.

4. Place a couple of lemon slices on top of the filling.

5. Place the each fish separately in the centre of a foil, drizzle about a teaspoon oil on each fish and wrap it in foil. If you do not have a aluminium foil, tie each fish with a thread.

6. Cook in a hot oven at 180C or 350F or on a barbecue (BBQ) for 15 minutes or so. If cooking on a barbecue, you will need to turn it over half way through. If you do not have an oven or a barbecue, cook it in a frying pan, turning over gently a couple of times.

7. Serve hot with salad or as part of a main Indian meal.