Ilish mach bhaja is a pure Bengali delicacy and one of the most popular and beloved hilsa fish recipe which is frequently prepared in every Bengali house. Bengalis love mach bhaja and ilish maach bhaja always takes a special place in every Bengali’s heart. In this preparation, fresh hilsa fish slices are marinated with salt and turmeric powder and fried in mustard oil till crispy. The pleasure of having a plate of hot steamed rice with a drizzle of fish fried oil, along with ilish mach bhaja, a pinch of salt and green chilli can’t be expressed through words. Ilish mach bhaja is a signature dish which has been filling immense pleasure and comfort in every Bengali’s life since ages.
Table of Contents
About the recipe
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Ilish mach Bhaja (step wise photos)
Recipe Card
About the recipe
Sometimes simplest recipes uplift the best taste and ilish mach bhaja is the perfect example of it. Ilish mach itself has a unique flavour and it’s a fatty fish. When the hilsa fish pieces are fried in smoky hot mustard oil, it releases some fat and flavour up the pungent mustard oil with the mighty flavour of hilsa. Few people prefer to fry some red chillies in this oil and take it as a side with rice instead of green chillies.
Ilish mach bhaja is such a simple recipe. Honestly, it does not require any recipe. Though it is an easy recipe but needs the knowledge to get the perfect result for a novice. Many Bengalis – bachelors, newly married couples, and students who stay away from the home have an urge to have easy to make delicious comfort food. Today, I am dedicating this recipe to all those people and ilish mach lovers.
What is hilsa fish?
Hilsa is known as the “Queen of fishes”. Ilish(Hilsa fish) is very popular in South Asia, especially among Bengalis and Odiyas. It is the National fish of Bangladesh. It is also known as Elish mas in Bangladesh. It is also popular in Andhra Pradesh (India) and is called Pulasa in Telegu. It is popular among Sindhis as well. According to most of the Bengalis and Odiyas, including me, Hilsa is the tastiest fish in the world. The reason for its popularity is its unique taste, texture and flavour.
How to eat ilish mach responsibly without hampering the species
Nowadays the hilsa fishes are having risk of extinction due to heavy demand and illegal fishing. There are a few policies which have been started by the government between India and Bangladesh to resist the worrying situation. They are trying their best but we need to take a few further steps too to save the species or else our next generation won’t be able to taste hilsa fish. Be a responsible eater and stop buying khoka ilish aka baby ilish.
We all know Hilsa fish is undoubtedly a special fish for every Bengali and every Bengali urge to have it. But hilsa fish has a different life cycle as compared to other fishes because it goes through both salted water and fresh water. Catching hilsa before spawn harms the progress of the next generation. So, it is very important to stop buying hilsa during its breeding season. Just restrict yourself to buying hilsa which weighs less than 500 grams. It is essential to be more concerned to conserve Bengali’s most celebrated fish Hilsa.
Recipe of Hilsa Fish
Many traditional and authentic Bengali fish curry recipe are prepared with Ilish mach(Hilsa fish). Each recipe is a masterpiece, and they are frequently served in almost every reputed Bengali restaurant and on special ceremonies like marriage, annaprasan etc.
Ilish mach(Hilsa fish) can be prepared in many ways like frying, steaming, roasting or baking and every preparation tastes amazing. Ilish mach bhaja, Shorshe Ilish, Ilish Bhapa, Ilish macher jhol, Doi Ilish, Ilish Macher Tok, Ilish Macher Paturi, Barishali Ilish etc. are the finest examples of Hilsa fish recipe.
Hilsa fish aka ilish mach is a monsoon fish which is not easily available throughout the year. So, every Bengali waits for the monsoon to bring her highness to home. Though the price of hilsa fish is sky high but still each Bengali manages to buy it every year to satisfy their craving. Even Hilsa is often bought in pairs in many Bengali houses. Bringing hilsa fish at home is always an event of tremendous joy which converts a regular meal into a feast.
Ilish mach aka hilsa fish has always been the centre of attraction in Bengali culinary whether it is epar bangla (West bengal) or opar bangla (Bangladesh). In fact, there is still a humorous conflict between Ghoti and Bangal claiming the hilsa fish as their part of culinary. When it comes to Ilish (Hilsa fish), my nostalgia keeps bounding me to talk more and more about this supreme fish.
I still remember my childhood days when my dad used to walk to the fish market with his bag during rainy days and used to buy hilsa fish along with roe (Ilish macher dim). Ilish mach bhaja tastes best with fresh ilish mach. So, on the first day my mom always used to prepare either ilish mach bhaja or ilish macher tel jhol recipe with half of the hilsa pieces and used to keep the rest of the fish pieces in the freezer for a different recipe like shorshe ilish or ilish bhapa etc. On those days, after taking bath, sitting across the dining table for lunch was a matter of joy. A plate of rice along with a large hilsa piece a along with a drizzle of fried fish oil and salt tastes heavenly and nothing can beat its taste.
Ilish mach bhaja is a signature dish and in every house, it is prepared in the same way. The main ingredients have always remained the same. I have learnt this traditional Bengali recipe from my mother.
Ilish mach bhaja is a super easy hilsa fish recipe. It requires minimal ingredients to get prepared. Bengali spices can create magic and make any fish fry taste outstanding. But this ilish mach recipe is an exception. No other spices are used in this recipe, other than turmeric powder. The best part of the recipe is that it gets prepared very quickly without investing much time and effort. So, it can be a great option for quick weekday lunch or dinner.
Ilish mach bhaja with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. I have included tips and tricks below to make the recipe easier for you. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share a few interesting facts about the recipe.
Tips to prepare perfect ilish mach bhaja
- Many people believe if the hilsa fish is washed then the smell fades away. I recommend washing the hilsa pieces once but not more than that. After all, hilsa is a fatty fish and too many washes reduce the oil from the fish pieces. As an end result, you will get a lesser tasty fish fry.
- Always marinate the fish slices with salt and turmeric powder for at least ten minutes.
- Always use Mustard oil for frying this fish. It will give amazing flavour and taste to the ilish mach bhaja.
- Ilish mach gets cooked very quickly. If you want crispy fish fry then fry those over medium flame for 2 minutes on each side.
- After frying one side, turn the fish pieces very carefully because hilsa fish is very soft in texture.
- Always prepare the ilish mach bhaja just before having it. Cold mach bhaja tastes woeful and reheating the mach bhaja reduces its taste.
How to make ilish mach bhaja?
For the ilish mach bhaja, first cut and clean the hilsa fish pieces and wash them once gently. Then marinate the fish pieces with salt and turmeric powder for at least 10 minutes.
Now put a pan on flame and let it become completely dry. Add mustard oil into the pan and allow it to become hot.
Once the oil is hot, turn the flame low and add the marinated hilsa fish pieces carefully into the oil. Fry them evenly till crispy. First fry them for 2 minutes over medium flame. Then flip the pieces very carefully. Fry the other side over medium flame for another 2 minutes. Then transfer the pieces carefully to a separate plate and serve immediately to enjoy its best taste.
Many ilish macher recipe have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check a few of them like
Shorshe ilish
Doi Ilish
Barishali Ilish
Ilish Pulao
..And Many more…
Ingredients:
- 2 large Hilsa fish pieces
- ¾ teaspoon Salt, Adjust according to your taste
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
Instructions:
- Cut and clean the hilsa fish pieces and wash gently once with water. Don’t over-wash the pieces. Transfer the hilsa fish pieces to a plate.
- Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder on the fish pieces and rub them nicely so that the fish pieces can get coated evenly. Allow them to get marinated for at least 10 minutes.
- Now put a pan on flame and let it become completely dry. Add 3-4 tablespoons of mustard oil into the pan and allow it to become completely hot to the smoking point.
- Once the oil is hot, turn the flame low and add the marinated hilsa fish pieces carefully into the oil. Fry them evenly till crispy. First, fry them over medium flame for 2 minutes till crispy. The frying time may vary due to the thickness of the fish pieces.
- Flip the pieces very carefully and fry the other side over medium flame for another 2 minutes.
- Transfer the pieces very carefully to a separate plate and serve immediately to enjoy its best taste.
- Serve the ilish mach bhaja with steamed rice and ilish macher tel, salt and green chilli.
Serving Instruction
Transfer the ilish mach bhaja on a serving plate. Serve hot or warm to enjoy the best taste. Pair up the dish with hot steamed Basmati rice with a drizzle of fish fried oil, salt and green chilli and enjoy the authenticity of Bengal.
Ingredients
- 2 large Hilsa fish pieces
- ¾ teaspoon Salt, Adjust according to your taste
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
Instructions
- Cut and clean the hilsa fish pieces and wash gently once with water. Don’t over-wash the pieces. Transfer the hilsa fish pieces to a plate.
- Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder on the fish pieces and rub them nicely so that the fish pieces can get coated evenly. Allow them to get marinated for at least 10 minutes.
- Now put a pan on flame and let it become completely dry. Add 3-4 tablespoons of mustard oil into the pan and allow it to become completely hot to the smoking point.
- Once the oil is hot, turn the flame low and add the marinated hilsa fish pieces carefully into the oil. Fry them evenly till crispy. First, fry them over medium flame for 2 minutes till crispy. The frying time may vary due to the thickness of the fish pieces.
- Flip the pieces very carefully and fry the other side over medium flame for another 2 minutes.
- Transfer the pieces very carefully to a separate plate and serve immediately to enjoy its best taste.
- Serve the ilish mach bhaja with steamed rice and ilish macher tel, salt and green chilli.
