Pabda Maacher Jhol (pabda fish curry)

Posted by: Mala D

It's a very popular fish preparation which is very easy to cook & at the same time tastes so good!

Ingredients:
Pabda fish: 500gms
Dal bodis: 10-12
Mustard oil: 4-5 tbsp
Red chilli powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric powder: 2 tsp
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Green chillies: 5-6nos
Corriander leaves: 1/4 bunch
Nigella seeds: 1/2 tsp

Method:
Wash the fish properly, apply salt & 1 tsp turmeric powder & keep aside.
Heat oil to smoking point & then lower the flame & gently put the fish in the pan. Make sure the pan is really hot or this fish tends to stick & break.
Fry lightly on both sides & take out.
Fry bodis in the same oil & keep aside. In a small bowl mix salt & spices together with 3 tbsp water.
Temper oil with nigella seeds & sliced green chillies & add the masala paste. Quickly mix & add 1/2cup water. Now add the fish & gently toss it all. Put 1 glass of water & bring to boil. Add the bodis, lower flame. Cover & cook for about 5-7 minutes. Add chopped dhania patti & close flame. Serve hot with rice.


Note: this recipe tastes best with fresh fish, if it's kept in the freezer for long, then maacher jhal will be a better idea.

Chingri Tomator Jhol (Prawn tomato curry)

Posted by: Mala D

This recipe is an example of my Father-inlaw's experimental cooking & how they often turned out delicious! A'grade prawns (golda chingri) are frightfully expensive in India, but paying  in different currencies, we tend to forget that. Understandably, my mom-inlaw was upset:she wanted to make the classic Chingri Bhapa...but none of us regretted dad's experiment, rather we all, including the venerable Guruji here, loved this recipe. Surprisingly it's so simple,having such few ingredients that one would wonder what's all the fuss about! My reply to that is just try this:-))



Ingredients:
Prawns: 450 gms
Tomato: 400 gms
Redchilli powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1-1/2 tsp
Salt: to taste
Sugar: 1 tsp
Green chillies: 4-5
Mustard oil: 4-5 tbsp
Fresh cream: 2 tbsp(optional)
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Method:
Peel & devein the prawns & wash thoroughly. Apply 1/2 tsp haldi & 1 tsp red chilli powder & a little salt & keep aside.
Chop a few tomatoes into small pieces & puree the rest of them. My father-inlaw, being a bangaal, uses only chopped tomato which gives a somewhat watery jhol,while i coming from a ghoti family, prefer it a bit thick.
Heat oil in a wok/deep pan & toss the prawns in it for about a minute. Quickly take them out.
Temper the same oil with mustard seeds & sliced green chillies. When they crackle, add the chopped tomatoes. Fry till they are a bit soft then add the pureed tomato. Add salt, sugar & the spices. Mix well. When the oil leaves side of the masala, add 2 glass of water. Cover with lid & put on simmer. When the gravy looks almost ready (3-5 minutes), add the prawns. Bring to a boil then lower the flame & cook for about two minutes. Close the heat. You can add fresh cream to jazz up this dish/to soften the spiciness.

Garnish with a swirl of fresh cream. Serve hot with rice.

Aar Maacher Jhol (Aiyer fish curry)

Posted by: Mala D

The purists may look down upon Aar maach as a fish fit only for kids but it has many takers, including my husband & my son. True, it's really easy to feed it to children as it has less bones still adult supervision is always necessary when feeding fish to little children.

Ingredients:
Aar fish: 5-6 pieces,about 750gms
Potato: 2 medium-sized
Tomato: 1 medium
Onion: 1 large
Ginger: 2 inches
Green chillies: 2-3 sliced
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Bayleaf: 2 nos
Mustard oil: 4-5 tbsp
Salt: to taste
Turmeric powder: 2 tsp
Red chilli powder: 2 tsp
Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp

Method:
Wash fish pieces properly, apply salt & turmeric & keep aside.
Peel & chop potatoes into small cubes. Roughly chop onion & ginger & grind them into a paste. Finely chop tomato.
Heat oil in a deep & wide pan & when it smokes, lower flame & fry the fish pieces well. Take out with a slotted spoon & keep aside. In the same oil fry the potato pieces well & take them out. Now add jeera & bay leaves to the oil & when they splutter, add the onion-ginger paste. Add a little salt & keep mixing & turning from time to time, so they don't stick to the pan. Add tomato & fry well. Now mix in the potato cubes & saute for a while. Add more salt & the spices & keep stirring. Add about 2 glass of water,mix well & now add the fish. Bring to a boil , then lower flame, cover & cook till done. Garnish with chopped corriander leaves.

Note: you can also make this curry without onion using tomato-ginger paste, if you cook the fish the same day as it's bought otherwise always make it with onion & other masala as stated in the recipe.

Illish Maach aar kaanch kaular jhol (hilsa fish with green bananas)

Posted by: Mala D

As a rule of thumb, vegetables are added to fish dishes when the fish is a small-sized one because large, oily fishes don't require veggi sidekicks! Vegetables such as brinjal, broad/flat beans, cauliflower & raw bananas increase the volume of the dish & also enhance it's visual appeal.

This jhol is a Bangaal (bongs from east Bengal) version,which,despite minimal spices & almost watery broth, scores high on taste because of it's insistence on using absolutely fresh ingredients (read that as fresh catch of fish!).


Ingredients:
Illish(hilsa fish): 500 gms, about 5-6 pieces
Raw banana: 3 nos, medium-sized
Mustard oil: 4 tbsp
Green chillies: 3-4
Nigella(kalonji): 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1-1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder: 1-1/2 tsp
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Wheat flour: 2 tsp


Method:
Wash the fish thoroughly (only once, or hilsa will lose it's flavour). Apply 1/2 tsp turmeric & some salt & marinate for about 15 minutes.
Peel & cut the bananas into two inch pieces,apply wheat flour on them & rub vigorously. This removes their sticky feel & also doesn't let them turn black. Wash them properly after some time. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, let it smoke, then lower the flame & fry the fish pieces till lightly done. Remove.
Temper the same oil with nigella seeds & sliced green chillies & add the banana pieces. Toss them for some time. Mix all the spices with a little water & add to the pan. Stir & fry it till well mixed. Now add about 2 glass of water & bring to a boil. When the banana is half-done, add the fish. Cover & cook for another 5 minutes. Close the flame. Serve hot with rice.

Rui Machher Kalia

Posted by: Pratima D


Rui Machher kalia is a very popular bengali dish. Rohu/Rui is a big fish and has fewer bones, so it is easy to handle for kids and occasional fish eaters. If you don't have Rui, you can use grass carp/big head carp steaks. We have also made this with halibut or cod steaks.


You can have the fish, just fried with hot rice and dal, if you do, fry the fish a bit a longer to make the outside crispier.


Ingredients:
Rui/Rohu Fish: 1 kg from a big steak, cut into pieces about 1 inch thick
Onion: 1 medium

Tomato: 1 medium

Ginger: 2 inches
Garlic: 3 cloves
Dhania powder: 1 1/2 tsp
Jeera powder: 1 tsp
Chilli powder: 1 - 2 tsp
Haldi powder: 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala ground: elaichi (4), cloves (4), cinnamon (2 in) crushed in a mortar/pestle

Jeera whole: 1/4 tsp for tempering

Bay leaf: 1

Oil: 3 tbsp for just the curry


Method:

1. Wash the fish in cold water and baste it with salt (1 tsp) and haldi (1 tsp).  Keep aside for 5 minutes.

2. Make a paste of the ginger, garlic, tomato, and half of the onion.
3. Chop the other half of onion finely.
4. Fry the fish pieces until the surface is brown. Keep aside.
4. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a saucepan, add the bay leaf and whole jeera and wait for it to splutter. You can also add some gol morich and whole cloves at this time.
5. Add the cut onions and fry lightly till it is translucent.
6. Mix the jeera, dhania, haldi,  and chili powders with the ginger, garlic paste prepared earlier. Add this paste to the frying pan slowly and fry until the oil separates.
7. Add 3 to 4 cups of water,  depending on how thick you want the gravy.
8. Add salt to taste. Let the gravy come to a boil.
9. Now add the fish pieces one by one and let the whole thing boil for 5 to 10 minutes.
10. Add the garam masala, cover it and remove from flame


Enjoy with hot rice.