RAG Demo

Tag: Main Course

  • Naga Smoked Pork with Bamboo Shoot

    Smoked pork with bamboo shoot is the dish most associated with Nagaland. Naga households traditionally hang strips of pork over the kitchen hearth for days or weeks, where the smoke dries and preserves the meat. Fermented bamboo shoot, prepared at home in every village, is the other pillar of the cuisine.

    The cooking is simple and the flavours bold. Pork is boiled with ginger, garlic and raja mircha, the king chilli, and the sour, pungent bamboo shoot is added to cut through the fat. There are no masala powders, and often no oil, since the pork releases its own. The result is smoky, sour and very hot, with tender meat and a little thick gravy.

    At a glance

    RegionNagaland
    CuisineNaga
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time70 minutes
    Total time90 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientssmoked pork / fermented bamboo shoot / king chilli / ginger

    Ingredients

    • 750 g smoked pork with fat, cut into 4 cm pieces
    • 1 cup fermented bamboo shoot, shredded
    • 2 tbsp ginger, crushed
    • 8 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 1 raja mircha (king chilli), slit, or 4-5 dried red chillies
    • 4 green chillies, slit
    • 2 tomatoes, chopped (optional)
    • 2 tbsp axone (fermented soybean) paste (optional)
    • 3 cups water
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 spring onions, chopped

    Method

    1. Wash the smoked pork in warm water to remove soot and excess salt.
    2. Put the pork in a heavy pot with ginger, garlic, the king chilli and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes (or pressure cook for 4 whistles) until the pork is almost tender.
    3. Add the fermented bamboo shoot, green chillies, tomatoes and axone if using. Add salt carefully – smoked pork can already be salty.
    4. Simmer uncovered on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pork is very tender and the fat has rendered into the gravy.
    5. Keep cooking until most of the water evaporates and the gravy is thick and glossy, clinging to the meat.
    6. Taste, adjust salt, scatter spring onion and serve hot.

    Tips

    • Raja mircha is among the hottest chillies in the world – use half of one first and remove it once the dish is hot enough.
    • Without smoked pork, use pork belly and add a little smoked paprika, though it will not be the same.
    • Fermented bamboo shoot is sour and strong; rinse it once if you want a milder flavour.

    Serve with

    Sticky or plain steamed rice and boiled greens.

  • Hanh Kumura (Duck with Ash Gourd)

    Duck is festive meat in Assam, especially during Magh Bihu in January and among the state's many communities who rear ducks in paddy fields and ponds. Hanh kumura pairs the rich, gamey bird with kumura, ash gourd, which soaks up the fat and spices and softens the strong flavour of the meat.

    The curry is hearty rather than fiery. Duck pieces are browned well in mustard oil with onion, ginger, garlic and whole spices, then simmered slowly until tender; the ash gourd goes in towards the end and turns soft and translucent. Black pepper and a little garam masala give warmth. It is a long, slow cook, ideal for a winter lunch.

    At a glance

    RegionAssam
    CuisineAssamese
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time90 minutes
    Total time120 minutes
    Serves5
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsduck / ash gourd / onion / ginger / garlic

    Ingredients

    For the duck

    • 1.2 kg duck, skin on, cut into medium pieces
    • 1 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp salt

    For the curry

    • 500 g ash gourd (kumura), peeled, deseeded and cut into 4 cm pieces
    • 4 tbsp mustard oil
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 3 green cardamoms
    • 1 inch cinnamon
    • 3 medium onions, finely chopped
    • 2 tbsp ginger paste
    • 2 tbsp garlic paste
    • 2 tomatoes, chopped
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • 2 tsp coriander powder
    • 1 tsp cumin powder
    • 1 tsp freshly crushed black pepper
    • 4 green chillies, slit
    • 1 tsp garam masala
    • 3 cups hot water
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander

    Method

    1. Singe off any remaining feathers over a flame, wash the duck well and rub with turmeric and salt. Rest for 20 minutes.
    2. Heat a dry heavy pot and add the duck pieces skin-side down. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, turning, until the fat renders and the skin browns. Pour off excess fat, keeping 1 tbsp.
    3. Add the mustard oil to the pot and heat until it smokes, then lower to medium. Add bay leaves, cardamom and cinnamon, then the onions. Fry for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
    4. Add ginger and garlic pastes and fry for 2 minutes until the raw smell is gone. Add the tomatoes and powdered spices and cook for 5 minutes until the oil separates.
    5. Return the duck to the pot and bhuno on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until the masala darkens and coats the meat.
    6. Pour in 3 cups hot water, add green chillies, cover and simmer on low heat for 45-50 minutes (or pressure cook for 6-7 whistles) until the duck is tender.
    7. Add the ash gourd and black pepper and simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes until the gourd turns translucent and soft.
    8. Finish with garam masala and coriander, and rest 10 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Duck is fatty – rendering the skin first gives better flavour and a less greasy curry.
    • Do not add the ash gourd early; it releases water and turns to pulp if overcooked.
    • If you can find it, a pinch of crushed Assamese bhut jolokia gives the curry its fiery local version.

    Serve with

    Steamed joha rice or plain rice.

  • Masor Tenga

    Masor tenga means sour fish, and it is the curry Assamese families eat most often, especially in the hot, humid months. Sour food is believed to cool the body, and the souring agent changes with the season: ripe tomato, outenga (elephant apple), thekera (dried mangosteen), lemon, or kaji nemu, the long fragrant Assamese lemon.

    Compared with most Indian fish curries it is thin, bright and simple. Rohu or another freshwater fish is fried lightly in mustard oil, then simmered in a tomato broth tempered with fenugreek seeds. There is no coconut, no heavy masala, only turmeric, green chillies and coriander. The soup is meant to be poured over rice.

    At a glance

    RegionAssam
    CuisineAssamese
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrohu fish / tomato / lemon / mustard oil

    Ingredients

    • 500 g rohu steaks
    • 1 tsp turmeric powder, divided
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
    • 4 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)
    • 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
    • 3 green chillies, slit
    • 2 cups water
    • Juice of 1 lemon (or 1/2 Assamese kaji nemu)
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander

    Method

    1. Rub the fish steaks with 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
    2. Heat the mustard oil in a kadhai until smoking, then lower to medium. Fry the fish for 2 minutes per side until lightly golden; they need not be fully cooked. Remove.
    3. In the same oil add the fenugreek seeds and fry for 10-15 seconds until they turn reddish brown; do not let them blacken.
    4. Add the tomatoes, remaining turmeric and salt. Cook on medium heat for 6-7 minutes, mashing with the spatula, until the tomatoes turn soft and pulpy.
    5. Pour in 2 cups water and add the green chillies. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes.
    6. Slide in the fried fish and simmer on low heat for 6-7 minutes until the fish is cooked through.
    7. Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and coriander, and serve hot.

    Tips

    • Add the lemon only after switching off the heat; boiling makes it bitter.
    • For outengar tenga, add a few pieces of elephant apple with the tomatoes and skip the lemon.
    • Fried fenugreek should smell nutty – burnt seeds make the whole curry bitter.

    Serve with

    Plain steamed rice, with aloo pitika on the side.

  • Champaran Mutton

    Champaran mutton, also called ahuna or handi meat, comes from the Champaran region of north-west Bihar, near the Nepal border. It was cooked by farmers and at roadside dhabas in clay pots sealed with dough and set over wood or charcoal, and in the last decade it has become a craze, with 'Champaran meat house' signboards appearing far from Bihar.

    Everything goes into the pot raw: mutton, whole garlic bulbs, sliced onions, mustard oil and a generous amount of whole and ground spices. The handi is sealed and gently shaken now and then instead of stirred. The meat cooks in its own juices, absorbing the smoky, earthy flavour of the clay, and the whole garlic turns soft and sweet.

    At a glance

    RegionBihar
    CuisineBihari
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time90 minutes
    Total time120 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmutton / garlic / onion / mustard oil

    Ingredients

    For the mutton

    • 1 kg mutton, curry cut with bone and some fat
    • 4 whole garlic bulbs, top sliced off, outer papery skin removed
    • 4 medium onions, thickly sliced
    • 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 1/2 cup mustard oil
    • 1/4 cup curd (optional)
    • Salt to taste

    Whole spices

    • 2 bay leaves
    • 6 green cardamoms
    • 2 black cardamoms
    • 6 cloves
    • 2 inch cinnamon
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 4 dry red chillies
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds

    Ground spices

    • 1 tsp turmeric powder
    • 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 2 tsp coriander powder
    • 1 tsp cumin powder
    • 1 1/2 tsp meat masala or garam masala

    For sealing

    • 1 cup atta kneaded into a stiff dough

    Method

    1. Put the mutton, onions, ginger-garlic paste, all the whole and ground spices, salt, curd and half the mustard oil in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands and marinate for at least 1 hour.
    2. Heat the remaining mustard oil in a small pan until it smokes, then let it cool slightly. This removes its raw pungency.
    3. Put the marinated mutton in a clay handi (or a heavy-bottomed pot), push the garlic bulbs into the meat and pour the cooked oil over the top.
    4. Cover with the lid and seal the edges all round with the atta dough so no steam escapes.
    5. Place the handi on a low charcoal fire or on the lowest gas flame over a tawa. Cook for 75-90 minutes.
    6. Every 15 minutes, lift the handi with a cloth and shake it in a circular motion to move the meat around. Do not open it.
    7. Break the seal after 75 minutes and check: the mutton should come off the bone easily and the oil should float on a thick, dark masala. If not, reseal and cook another 15 minutes.
    8. Serve straight from the handi, with a whole garlic bulb on each plate to squeeze over the meat.

    Tips

    • Season a new clay handi by soaking it in water overnight and rubbing it with mustard oil before use.
    • In a pressure cooker, cook on medium for 1 whistle then on lowest heat for 30 minutes; it lacks the smokiness but is close.
    • Choose meat with fat and bone – the dish depends on the meat's own juices.

    Serve with

    Plain rice or thick rotis, with sliced onion and green chillies.

  • Machha Besara

    Besara is the Odia word for a mustard paste, and machha besara is one of the most common fish preparations along the Mahanadi delta and the coast around Puri and Cuttack. Rohu, katla and other freshwater fish are typical, cut into steaks and fried in mustard oil before they meet the gravy.

    Where Bengali shorshe dishes stay pure mustard, Odia besara usually grinds garlic into the paste and adds tomato for tang, and some families add a few slices of brinjal or potato to stretch the curry. The result is a pungent, sour and gently hot gravy that coats the fish, best eaten with rice or even with pakhala on a summer afternoon.

    At a glance

    RegionOdisha
    CuisineOdia
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrohu fish / mustard seeds / garlic / tomato

    Ingredients

    For the fish

    • 500 g rohu or katla steaks
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 4 tbsp mustard oil

    For the besara paste

    • 2 tbsp yellow or black mustard seeds
    • 6 garlic cloves
    • 2 green chillies
    • 1/4 tsp salt

    For the gravy

    • 1/2 tsp panch phoron
    • 1 dry red chilli
    • 1 medium tomato, chopped
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 small brinjal, cut into wedges (optional)
    • 3 green chillies, slit
    • 1 cup water
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander

    Method

    1. Rub the fish steaks with turmeric and salt and rest for 15 minutes.
    2. Soak the mustard seeds for 15 minutes, then grind with garlic, green chillies and salt into a smooth paste using a little water.
    3. Heat the mustard oil in a kadhai until smoking, then lower to medium. Fry the fish 2-3 minutes per side until golden and firm. Remove and keep aside.
    4. In the same oil add panch phoron and the dry red chilli. When they crackle, add the brinjal if using and fry for 3 minutes.
    5. Add the tomato, turmeric and chilli powder and cook for 4-5 minutes until the tomato breaks down.
    6. Add the besara paste and cook on low heat for 2 minutes, stirring, then pour in 1 cup water with salt and slit green chillies. Bring to a gentle simmer.
    7. Slide in the fried fish and simmer on low heat for 6-8 minutes, spooning gravy over it, until the gravy thickens slightly and the oil floats on top.
    8. Sprinkle coriander, cover, and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Once the mustard paste is in, keep the heat low – a hard boil makes it bitter.
    • Add a teaspoon of mango kasundi or a few pieces of raw mango in summer for the classic tangy variation.
    • Shake the pan rather than stirring after the fish goes in so the steaks do not break.

    Serve with

    Steamed rice or pakhala bhata.

  • Dalma

    Dalma is the everyday dal-and-vegetable stew of Odisha and a fixture of the Jagannath temple's mahaprasad, where it is cooked without onion, garlic, tomato or chillies. In homes it is eaten almost daily with rice and is considered wholesome enough to be a full meal on its own. Odia restaurants now serve it as the anchor of a thali.

    Toor dal, or sometimes chana dal, is boiled with chunks of vegetables until both are soft but the vegetables still hold their shape. The dal is mildly sweet from pumpkin and raw papaya, earthy from raw banana and yam. The defining touch is a dry-roasted powder of cumin and dried red chillies sprinkled at the end, and a panch phoron tempering in ghee.

    At a glance

    RegionOdisha
    CuisineOdia
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientstoor dal / pumpkin / raw papaya / raw banana / brinjal

    Ingredients

    For the dal

    • 3/4 cup toor dal, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes
    • 1 cup pumpkin, cut into 3 cm cubes
    • 1 cup raw papaya, cut into cubes
    • 1 raw banana, peeled and cut into cubes
    • 1 small brinjal, cubed
    • 1/2 cup elephant foot yam (optional), cubed
    • 1 inch ginger, grated
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 3 cups water
    • Salt to taste

    For the tempering and finish

    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp panch phoron
    • 2 dry red chillies
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 2 tbsp grated coconut
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds and 2 dry red chillies, dry-roasted and ground (bhaja masala)

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the soaked toor dal with turmeric and 2 cups water for 2 whistles on medium heat. Let the pressure release naturally.
    2. If using yam, boil it separately for 5 minutes in salted water and drain; this reduces its itchiness.
    3. Open the cooker, add the pumpkin, papaya, raw banana, brinjal, yam, ginger, salt and 1 cup water.
    4. Simmer uncovered on medium heat for 12-15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are tender and the pumpkin starts to break into the dal.
    5. In a small pan heat the ghee. Add panch phoron, dry red chillies and bay leaves and let them crackle for 15-20 seconds.
    6. Pour the tempering over the dal. Stir in the grated coconut and half the roasted cumin-chilli powder and simmer for 2 minutes.
    7. Serve hot, sprinkled with the rest of the roasted powder and a little more ghee.

    Tips

    • Do not cook the vegetables in the cooker with the dal – they turn to mush; simmering them in the open pot keeps the texture.
    • For the temple-style version, skip the red chillies in the tempering and use only ginger and ghee.
    • Dalma thickens as it stands; loosen with hot water when reheating.

    Serve with

    Steamed rice with a fry such as aloo bhaja or saga bhaja.

  • Chingri Malai Curry

    Chingri malai curry is the Bengali dish of choice for a son-in-law on jamai sasthi or for any guest worth impressing. The 'malai' refers to coconut cream rather than dairy, and some food historians link the name to Malay traders who brought coconut-based cooking to the eastern coast. Golda chingri, the big freshwater scampi with blue-orange heads, are the traditional prawn.

    The curry is mild, rich and faintly sweet. The prawn heads are left on because the fat inside them colours and flavours the gravy, and whole garam masala in ghee gives the warm aroma Bengalis expect. Unlike southern coconut curries it uses no curry leaves or tamarind; the balance is between sweetness, gentle heat from green chillies and the richness of coconut milk.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsprawns / coconut milk / onion / ghee

    Ingredients

    For the prawns

    • 8 large golda prawns or 500 g tiger prawns, shelled, deveined, heads and tails on
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp mustard oil

    For the gravy

    • 1 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1 tbsp ghee
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 3 green cardamoms, lightly crushed
    • 3 cloves
    • 1 inch cinnamon stick
    • 1 large onion, ground to a paste
    • 1 tsp ginger paste
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 1 1/2 cups thick coconut milk
    • 3 green chillies, slit
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Rub the cleaned prawns with turmeric and salt and keep aside for 10 minutes.
    2. Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a kadhai until smoking, then lower to medium. Fry the prawns for 1 minute per side until they just turn pink and curl. Remove; they will finish cooking in the gravy.
    3. In the same pan add the remaining mustard oil and ghee. Add bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and let them sizzle for 20 seconds.
    4. Add the onion paste and cook on medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring, until the raw smell is gone and it turns light golden.
    5. Add ginger paste, turmeric and chilli powder with a splash of water. Cook for 2 minutes until the oil starts separating.
    6. Lower the heat and pour in the coconut milk, stirring continuously so it does not split. Add salt, sugar and the slit green chillies and simmer gently for 4-5 minutes.
    7. Return the prawns to the pan. Simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes, spooning gravy over them, until the prawns are cooked through and the gravy coats the back of a spoon.
    8. Sprinkle garam masala and add a final teaspoon of ghee. Cover and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Keep the heads on and press them gently while cooking – the orange fat inside is what gives the gravy its colour.
    • Never boil hard once the coconut milk is in, or it will curdle and turn grainy.
    • Overcooked prawns turn rubbery; take them off the heat as soon as they are opaque in the centre.

    Serve with

    Plain steamed rice or ghee bhaat, with a slice of lime.

  • Kosha Mangsho

    Kosha mangsho means mutton that has been 'koshano' – stirred and seared slowly in its own masala until the oil separates and the meat turns deep brown. Kolkata's Golbari, a small eatery in Shyambazar, made it famous, and in many Bengali homes it is still the centrepiece of a Sunday lunch or a festive meal after Durga Puja.

    The gravy is thick, almost dry, and dark from long bhuna rather than from food colour. Mustard oil, whole garam masala, a touch of sugar to caramelise the onions, and plenty of ginger and garlic give it a rich, slightly sweet and pungent character. Potatoes are often added for those who like them, and the dish tastes even better the next day.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time105 minutes
    Total time125 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmutton / onion / yogurt / mustard oil

    Ingredients

    For the marinade

    • 1 kg mutton (curry cut, with bone)
    • 1/2 cup thick curd
    • 1 tbsp ginger paste
    • 1 tbsp garlic paste
    • 1 tsp turmeric powder
    • 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 2 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1 tsp salt

    For cooking

    • 5 tbsp mustard oil
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 4 green cardamoms
    • 4 cloves
    • 2 inch cinnamon stick
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 4 large onions, finely sliced
    • 2 medium potatoes, halved (optional)
    • 1 tsp cumin powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 4 green chillies, slit
    • 1 tsp garam masala powder
    • 1 tbsp ghee
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Mix the mutton with all the marinade ingredients and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
    2. If using potatoes, rub them with salt and turmeric and fry in 1 tbsp mustard oil until golden on all sides. Set aside.
    3. Heat the remaining mustard oil in a heavy pot until smoking, then lower to medium. Add bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, then the sugar. Let the sugar melt and caramelise for 20-30 seconds.
    4. Add the sliced onions and fry on medium heat for 15-18 minutes, stirring often, until they are deep golden brown.
    5. Add the marinated mutton with all the marinade. Raise the heat to high for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, then lower to medium-low.
    6. Add cumin powder, coriander powder and green chillies. Cover and cook, opening every 5-7 minutes to stir and scrape the bottom, for about 45 minutes. The meat releases its own water; add 2-3 tbsp hot water only if it sticks.
    7. Once the masala turns dark brown and the oil floats at the edges, add the fried potatoes and 1/2 cup hot water. Cover and cook on low for another 30-40 minutes until the mutton is tender and the potatoes are cooked through.
    8. Uncover and keep stirring on medium heat for 5 minutes until the gravy is thick and clinging. Finish with garam masala and ghee, rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Use meat from the shoulder or a mix with some fat and bone – lean leg pieces turn dry in the long bhuna.
    • To save time, pressure cook after step 6 for 3-4 whistles, then open and dry off the gravy on high heat.
    • The colour should come from patient browning of onions and meat; resist adding more chilli powder to darken it.

    Serve with

    Luchi, basanti pulao or plain steamed rice, with sliced onion and green chilli.

  • Shorshe Ilish

    Shorshe ilish is the dish that marks the monsoon in Bengal, when hilsa swim up the Padma and the Ganga to spawn and the fish markets of Kolkata fill with silver. Bengalis argue endlessly over Padma versus Ganga hilsa, but agree that the fish needs very little help: freshly ground mustard, green chillies, turmeric and a generous slick of raw mustard oil.

    The flavour is bold and nose-tingling. Black and yellow mustard seeds are ground with a pinch of salt and a green chilli so the paste does not turn bitter, then the oily, delicate fish cooks gently in it. It is eaten with plain steamed rice, picking carefully around the fine bones, and the leftover gravy mixed into rice is often considered the best part.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientshilsa / mustard seeds / mustard oil / green chilli

    Ingredients

    For the fish

    • 6 hilsa steaks (about 600 g), cleaned
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp salt

    For the mustard gravy

    • 2 tbsp black mustard seeds
    • 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
    • 4-5 green chillies (2 for the paste, rest slit)
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 4 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1/2 tsp kalonji (nigella seeds)
    • 3/4 cup water
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Rub the hilsa steaks with turmeric and salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Do not wash the fish again after marinating.
    2. Soak both kinds of mustard seeds in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain and grind with 2 green chillies, a pinch of salt and 2-3 tbsp water to a smooth, thick paste. Grind in short bursts so the paste does not heat up and turn bitter.
    3. Loosen the paste with 1/2 cup water and the remaining turmeric, then pass it through a fine sieve if you want a very smooth gravy.
    4. Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a wide kadhai until it just begins to smoke, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the kalonji and let it crackle for a few seconds.
    5. Pour in the mustard mixture and the remaining 1/4 cup water. Add salt and bring to a gentle simmer on low-medium heat for 2 minutes; do not boil hard or the mustard turns bitter.
    6. Slide in the hilsa steaks in a single layer and spoon the gravy over them. Scatter the slit green chillies on top.
    7. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes, without stirring. Tilt and swirl the pan once halfway so the fish does not stick. The fish is done when the flesh near the bone turns opaque.
    8. Turn off the heat, drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp raw mustard oil over the top and keep covered for 5 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Do not fry the hilsa before adding it to the gravy if the fish is very fresh – steaming it raw keeps the flesh soft and the flavour clean.
    • If you cannot grind fresh mustard, use a good kasundi mixed with a little ground mustard, though the taste will be sharper and more vinegary.
    • For bhapa ilish, mix the same paste with the fish in a steel tiffin box, seal and steam over boiling water for 15 minutes.

    Serve with

    Hot steamed gobindobhog or sona masoori rice, with a wedge of lime on the side.

  • Machher Jhol

    Machher jhol is the everyday fish curry of Bengal, eaten across Kolkata and village homes alike, and the phrase maach-bhaat, fish and rice, sums up Bengali identity for many people. Jhol means a thin, light gravy, as opposed to the richer kalia or the mustard-heavy shorshe. It is typically made with rohu or katla, the freshwater carp of Bengal's ponds and rivers.

    The fish is rubbed with turmeric and salt, fried in mustard oil until golden, then simmered with potatoes and sometimes cauliflower or brinjal in a broth spiced with cumin, ginger and green chillies, tempered with kalo jeere (nigella). It is light, warming and fragrant, the sort of meal cooked for someone recovering from illness, and always eaten with steamed rice.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrohu fish / potato / mustard oil / turmeric / cumin

    Ingredients

    For the fish

    • 6 pieces rohu or katla (about 500 g), steaks with skin
    • 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 4 tbsp mustard oil

    For the jhol

    • 1/2 tsp kalo jeere (nigella seeds)
    • 2 green chillies, slit
    • 2 medium potatoes, cut into long wedges
    • 1 small tomato, chopped (optional)
    • 1 tbsp ginger paste
    • 1.5 tsp cumin powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
    • 1/2 tsp sugar
    • 2 cups hot water
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

    Method

    1. Rub the fish with turmeric and salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
    2. Heat the mustard oil in a kadai on high heat until it just begins to smoke, then lower the heat to medium. Fry the fish in batches for 2-3 minutes per side until golden. Do not overcook; it will cook more in the jhol. Remove.
    3. In the same oil fry the potato wedges with a pinch of turmeric and salt for 4-5 minutes until lightly golden on the edges. Remove.
    4. Add kalo jeere and green chillies to the oil and let them sizzle for 10 seconds.
    5. Mix ginger paste, cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder with 3 tbsp water to a paste and add to the kadai. Fry on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, adding a splash of water if it sticks, until oil separates. Add tomato if using and cook until soft.
    6. Return the potatoes, add salt, sugar and 2 cups hot water. Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
    7. Slide in the fried fish and simmer gently, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes so the fish absorbs the broth. The gravy should stay thin.
    8. Finish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

    Tips

    • Heat mustard oil to smoking point first to take away its raw pungency.
    • Add hot water, not cold, so the fish stays tender.
    • In summer, many Bengali homes add sliced patol (pointed gourd) or brinjal along with the potatoes.

    Serve with

    Steamed rice, a wedge of gondhoraj lebu (lime) and a green chilli.