First, bring water to a boil and add the mackerel. Boil until the water becomes cloudy and the fish starts to soften. This will take about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the fish, and let it cool. To save time, you can use a fan to cool it down. Then, separate the fish meat and set it aside. Keep the broth for later steps. You can add the fermented fish sauce to the boiling water if you like, but be careful as the aroma will fill the house 😅. Alternatively, you can add it in the final step without boiling.

While waiting for the water to boil in the first step, prepare the shallots, garlic, and fresh chilies. Adjust the amount to your taste. If you like it very spicy, add more chilies. If it's not spicy enough, you can add chili powder after it's done. The taste won't change much, but roasted or grilled fresh chilies taste better. This time, I used an air fryer for convenience. Set the time and check frequently until the herbs are almost charred like when roasting in a pan. If you don't have an air fryer, use the traditional method of roasting in a pan.

Next, chop the green onions and cilantro. The amount is up to you. I like to add a lot for the fiber and aroma.