Mathi/Sardine Pollichathu

Ingredients

Mathi/Sardine: 6

Onion: 1 small

Green Chilli: 2 or according to your taste

Garlic cloves: 2

Ginger: 1” piece

Pepper corns: 1tsp

Salt: needed

Turmeric powder: 1tsp

Curry leaves: few

Coconut Oil/any refined oil: 2tbsp

Lemon Juice: 1tbsp

Method Of Preparation

Clean, wash and drain the sardines and keep aside.

In a blender blend onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, pepper corns and salt.

Blend it well.

Transfer this to a bowl add turmeric powder, curry leaves, oil and lemon juice.

Mix well with hand.

Marinate the cleaned sardines with this masala. Keep aside for at least 15 minutes.

Take an aluminum foil and place the sardines on it and fold it so that it is air tightly sealed.

Place it on a baking tray and bake to about 25-30 minutes (I baked this in my gas cooking range, kept the knob at the maximum flame) so that it is well cooked and all the gravy is absorbed by the sardines and masala is well coated on it.

Serve hot with rice.

Note: Actually the sardines are wrapped in banana leaf which gives nice aroma to the fish but I couldn’t get banana leaf so I tried this way.