Aar macher shorshe bata aka aar macher shorshe jhal is a pure Bengali delicacy and one of the most beloved Bengali fish curry that is frequently prepared in every Bengali house. This shorshe bata recipe is a signature dish where fried Aar fish is cooked in mustard seeds paste with some onion, green chillies, and a drizzle of mustard oil. This comforting delight is always accompanied by hot steamed rice.
Table of Contents
About the recipe
Health Benefits of Aar mach
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Shorshe Aar (step wise photos)
Recipe Card
About the recipe
There is an eternal bond between fish and Bengalis and as a Bong, I completely agree with it. For Bengalis, fishes are much more than a food ingredient. According to our old ancestors, fishes are auspicious and it’s a significant part of any celebration. Whether it’s an Annaprasan, a Marriage ceremony, or a Matshamukhi (after-death ceremony), fish curries are the salient part of any of these.
Other than occasions or celebrations, Bengali’s meal is incomplete without fish curries. In this case, Rui, Katla, Aar, Talapia, Mrigal, etc. play the most important role in completing any Bong’s regular meal. Macher jhol and bhaat are the most desired food that a Bengali can have almost daily without a single complaint. So, they are also called ‘Mache Bhate Bangali’.
Cooking fish curry with mustard paste is an art of traditional Bengali food. Normally, two types of mustard seeds are used in cooking, yellow and black. Black mustards come with husk which has a strong pungent flavour. On the other hand, yellow mustard seeds are husk-free and have a lesser pungent flavour as compared to black mustard seeds.
Whenever I talk about Aar macher recipe, it always makes me nostalgic. I have grown up eating this delight. Aar mach is one of the most favorite fish of my Mom. Hence, my dad frequently buys fresh Aar maach whenever it’s available in the fish market. My mom prepares different types of fish curry with this fleshy fish like aar macher jhol, aar macher kalia, aar macher shorshe jhal, aar macher muitha, and many more.
Aar maacher shorshe jhal aka shorshe aar is a very simple and easy recipe that requires minimal effort and minimal ingredients to get prepared. The best part of the recipe is that it gets prepared within half an hour. Though it gets ready very easily, but it tastes divine with steamed rice.
Aar maacher shorshe jhal with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. I have shared all the tips and tricks below to prepare a perfect shorshe maach recipe. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share a few interesting facts about Aar Mach (long-whiskered catfish) and the recipe.
Health benefits of Aar mach
- The Omega 3 contained in the fish helps to make our hearts healthy.
- Aar mach is high in protein and low in fat which makes it beneficial for growing kids to adults.
- They are a very good source of Vitamin D which is important for our bones.
Tips to prepare perfect Aar macher Shorshe jhal
- Always marinate the fish slices with salt and turmeric powder for at least ten minutes.
- Always use Mustard oil for cooking this fish recipe. It will give amazing flavour to the fish.
- Fry the fish moderately before adding to the gravy. Over-frying can make the fish chewy.
- A combination of both black and yellow mustard seeds give a better taste to the gravy.
- Don’t skip green chillies from the recipe. If you like less heaty food, then add whole green chillies. It makes the gravy aromatic.
How to make Shorshe Aar?
For the Bengali fish curry, first cut and clean the fish pieces and wash them gently. Then marinate them with salt, turmeric powder, and some mustard oil for at least ten minutes.
On the other hand, soak yellow mustard seeds and black mustard seeds in water for 15 minutes. Then drain the excess water and transfer it to a jar of a grinder. Add some green chillies, water and grind it to a smooth paste, and keep it aside.
Chop a small onion and keep it aside.
Then take yogurt into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour to it. Whisk the yogurt thoroughly with a fork and keep it aside.
Take a pan and add mustard oil to fry the marinated fish pieces. Once the oil is hot, add the fish pieces and fry them moderately from both sides. Strain the fish pieces and keep them aside on a plate.
Then into the same pan, add nigella seeds aka kalo jeere, and let them crackle. Add the chopped onion into the pan and fry them over medium flame for 5-6 minutes till translucent.
Add the mustard seeds paste into the pan and cook it on a medium flame for another 4-5 minutes until the masala releases oil.
Then add the yogurt mixture into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes.
Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, green chillies and give a nice mix. Cook the masala in low flame for another couple of minutes until it releases oil.
Then add water into the pan for gravy and mix it well. Put the flame on high and cover the pan. Cook it until the gravy starts boiling. Then turn the flame to low and add the fried fish pieces into the pan very carefully and close the lid. Cook the shorshe aar on low flame for 3-4 minutes. Now, flip the pieces and add some green chillies. Cook it for another 4 more minutes. Then switch off the flame. Drizzle some mustard oil on the top and cover the pan once again for 10 minutes. Now the aar macher shorshe bata is ready to serve.
Many aar macher recipe have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check a few of them like
Aar macher kalia
Aar macher jhol
Macher jhuri bhaja
..And Many more…
Ingredients:
To marinate the fish
- 3 large Aar fish pieces
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
- 2 teaspoons Mustard oil
For the Mustard Paste
- ½ tablespoon yellow Mustard seeds (Shorshe)
- ½ tablespoon black Mustard seeds (Kalo shorshe)
- 1-2 green Chillies
- 4 tablespoons Water to make a smooth paste
Other ingredients for the Gravy
- 1 small Onion, finely chopped
- 2-3 green Chillies
- 2 tablespoons Yogurt
- ½ teaspoon Maida aka all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon Nigella seeds (Kalojeere)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
- ¾ teaspoon red Chilli powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons Mustard oil for cooking
- 1 teaspoon Mustard oil for drizzling at the final stage
- ¾ cup of Water for gravy (quantity can vary as per desired consistency)
Instructions:
- Cut and clean the fish pieces and wash gently with water.
- Marinate the fish pieces with ¾ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder, and 2 teaspoons mustard oil for at least ten minutes.
- Take a bowl and add ½ tablespoon black mustard seeds and ½ tablespoon yellow mustard seeds. Add water and soak the mustard seeds for 15 minutes.
- Drain the excess water and transfer it to a jar of a grinder. Add 1-2 green chillies, 4 tablespoons water, and close the lid of the jar. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
- Chop a small onion and keep it aside.
- Take 2 tablespoons of yogurt into a bowl and add ½ teaspoon of all-purpose flour into it. Whisk the yogurt thoroughly with a fork and keep it aside.
- Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Add 2 tablespoons mustard oil to the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
- Once the oil is hot, add the marinated fish pieces and fry them over medium flame for 2-3 minutes on each side. Once the bottom side is done, turn the fish pieces very gently and fry the other side.
- Keep them aside on a separate plate.
- Into the same pan, add ¼ teaspoon nigella seeds aka kalo jeere, and let them crackle.
- Add the chopped onion into the pan and fry them over medium flame for 5-6 minutes till translucent.
- Add the mustard seeds paste into the pan and cook it on a medium flame for another 4-5 minutes until the masala releases oil.
- Add the yogurt mixture into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes.
- Add salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¾ teaspoon red chilli powder, 2 green chillies and give a nice mix. Cook the masala on low flame for 2-3 minutes until it releases oil.
- Add ¾ cup water into the pan for gravy and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it over a high flame until the gravy starts boiling.
- Turn the flame to low and add the fried fish pieces into the pan very carefully and cover the pan. Cook the shorshe aar on low flame for 3-4 minutes.
- Flip the pieces and add 1-2 green chillies. Cover the pan and cook it for another 4 minutes.
- Switch off the flame. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of mustard oil on the top and cover the pan once again for 10 minutes.
- Now the aar macher shorshe bata is ready to serve now.
Serving Instruction
Transfer the aar maacher shorshe jhal into a serving bowl or on a serving plate. Serve hot or warm to enjoy the best taste. Pair up the dish with steamed Basmati rice and enjoy the authenticity of Bengal.
Ingredients
To marinate the fish
- 3 large Aar fish pieces
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
- 2 teaspoons Mustard oil
For the Mustard Paste
- ½ tablespoon yellow Mustard seeds (Shorshe)
- ½ tablespoon black Mustard seeds (Kalo shorshe)
- 1-2 green Chillies
- 4 tablespoons Water to make a smooth paste
Other ingredients for the Gravy
- 1 small Onion, finely chopped
- 2-3 green Chillies
- 2 tablespoons Yogurt
- ½ teaspoon Maida aka all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon Nigella seeds (Kalojeere)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
- ¾ teaspoon red Chilli powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons Mustard oil for cooking
- 1 teaspoon Mustard oil for drizzling at the final stage
- ¾ cup of Water for gravy (quantity can vary as per desired consistency)
Instructions
- Cut and clean the fish pieces and wash gently with water.
- Marinate the fish pieces with ¾ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder, and 2 teaspoons mustard oil for at least ten minutes.
- Take a bowl and add ½ tablespoon black mustard seeds and ½ tablespoon yellow mustard seeds. Add water and soak the mustard seeds for 15 minutes.
- Drain the excess water and transfer it to a jar of a grinder. Add 1-2 green chillies, 4 tablespoons water, and close the lid of the jar. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
- Chop a small onion and keep it aside.
- Take 2 tablespoons of yogurt into a bowl and add ½ teaspoon of all-purpose flour into it. Whisk the yogurt thoroughly with a fork and keep it aside.
- Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Add 2 tablespoons mustard oil to the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
- Once the oil is hot, add the marinated fish pieces and fry them over medium flame for 2-3 minutes on each side. Once the bottom side is done, turn the fish pieces very gently and fry the other side.
- Keep them aside on a separate plate.
- Into the same pan, add ¼ teaspoon nigella seeds aka kalo jeere, and let them crackle.
- Add the chopped onion into the pan and fry them over medium flame for 5-6 minutes till translucent.
- Add the mustard seeds paste into the pan and cook it on a medium flame for another 4-5 minutes until the masala releases oil.
- Add the yogurt mixture into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes.
- Add salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¾ teaspoon red chilli powder, 2 green chillies and give a nice mix. Cook the masala on low flame for 2-3 minutes until it releases oil.
- Add ¾ cup water into the pan for gravy and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it over a high flame until the gravy starts boiling.
- Turn the flame to low and add the fried fish pieces into the pan very carefully and cover the pan. Cook the shorshe aar on low flame for 3-4 minutes.
- Flip the pieces and add 1-2 green chillies. Cover the pan and cook it for another 4 minutes.
- Switch off the flame. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of mustard oil on the top and cover the pan once again for 10 minutes.
- Now the aar macher shorshe bata is ready to serve now.
