As with most mackerels this one doesn't have a lot of scales and what it does have are small and scrape off easily. The Indian mackerel fillets rather easily, if you ignore the skirt which has practically no meat on it anyway. A fish weigning 4-1/2 ounces uncleaned will yield 2 oz of fillet. Don't bother trying to skin it, it'll break up. Pan fried skin-on, started skin side up, fillets do not curl, but filleting a bunch of these fish is rather a hassle.

So how do we eat so small and bony a fish efficiently and enjoyably? Here's how:

1. First scale and clean the fish the normal way. The method is on our page Cleaning & Filleting Round Fish (even though it's a bit flat).
2. Make a cut to the bone behind the collar on both sides.
3. Use your kitchen shears to cut through the spine.
4. Use your kitchen shears to cut off the skirts diagonally (there's no meat on them anyway).
5. find all the rib bones with your fingernail and pull them out - they pull easily.
6. lightly powder with flour and fry. Deep frying is easiest but you can pan fry them in about 1/8 inch of oil. To finish brown them stand them on their body cavity, it'll have spread out so they'll stand up just fine. Drain on paper towling.
7. Pull the fins from both top and bottom. This removes all the most pesky tiny bones.
8. Serve whole if desired. It's easy to eat the flesh off the main bones.
9. Optionally, you can remove the fillets. They'll come of intact, very easily and be entirely bone free.
10. Warn your guests to watch for bones anyway, just to be safe.