Chital macher kofta curry | Chital macher recipe | Macher kofta curry

Chital macher kofta curry aka macher kofta curry is a pure Bengali delicacy and one of the authentic Bengali fish curry recipes. It is a spicy, flavoured and slobbering chital macher recipe where chital fish nuggets are cooked in spicy onion-tomato gravy. It is hugely popular in West Bengal and Bangladesh. It is mostly relished with plain rice and sometimes even with basanti pulao too.

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Chital macher kofta is an exemplary old Bengali recipe of fish, the name itself gives some idea about the recipe. Chital mach means clown knife fish and kofta means nuggets. In this preparation, boneless chital mach fillet is shaped with the help of fists and fingers and then fried before cooking into the spicy onion-tomato gravy.

Chital fish is quite different from other fishes which are regularly used in Bengali culinary. It is a big sized carnivorous freshwater fish that generally eats small fishes, snails, shrimps etc. They normally live in clean water rivers or ponds. It is mostly available in India, Bangladesh and some other Asian countries. Chital fish is known by many other names too, like clown knife fish in English other than chitol fish, chitala fish, chittal fish etc.

Chital macher kofta curry aka macher kofta curry is a kind of scrumptious Bengali fish curry which requires an ample amount of time and effort to prepare it. So, Bengalis always consider it as a special dish which is mostly prepared on special occasions and on holidays.

Though fishes are an integral part of Bengali culinary and any occasion or celebration is incomplete without a fish curry, still, Bengalis love to include different types of macher jhol recipes in their daily food menu. Honestly, for Bengalis fishes are much more than an edible component.

Both Bengal and Bangladesh are surrounded by numerous rivers. They have been a superb source of freshwater fishes for ages. The availability of these fishes is the main reason behind the vogue of Fish Curries in these regions. This is the secret behind the huge variations of Fish curries in Bengali cuisine.

The difficulty level of cooking chital macher kofta curry is moderate. You would need a little bit of preparation to cook this authentic Bengali fish curry. But I must say this recipe is not preferable for a novice. All the ingredients required for the recipe can be easily found in any Bengali kitchen pantry.

Chital macher kofta curry recipe step by step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. But before jumping into the recipe, let me share a few interesting facts about Chital fish and the chitol macher kofta curry.

• Don’t skip onion paste, ginger-garlic paste and spices during the time of preparing the kofta mixture. It induces a nice flavour to them.
• Fry the koftas carefully till golden to golden brown but not more than that or else the koftas will turn more rubbery.
• Use onion paste and tomato paste for the gravy. It gives a better texture to the curry.
• Don’t skip to add bengali garam masala at the final stage of the gravy. It makes a huge difference in flavour and tastes both.

To make chital macher kofta curry, a few preparations are required. First, make a smooth paste of onion and keep it aside. Then make a smooth paste of tomatoes and keep it aside. I have used readymade ginger-garlic paste for the chital macher recipe. You can prepare the paste at home as well.

I have used readymade chital fish fillet from the market to prepare the recipe. If you don’t get it, no need to worry. You can scoop out the flesh of the fish from gada pieces with the help of a sharp-edged spoon. The bones will remain stuck to the skin of the fish pieces.

Take the fish fillet into a large mixing bowl and add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, Bengali garam masala powder, some onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chillies and chopped coriander leaves, one by one into the bowl. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and cover it. Keep it aside for at least 30 minutes to absorb all the flavours. After the resting time, mix the kofta mixture once more. Take small portions of the mixture and make small sphere shapes with the help of your fist and fingers. Repeat the process and make kofta with the rest of the mixture.

Now put a pan on flame and add enough mustard oil to fry the koftas. Once the oil is hot, add the koftas into the oil and fry them till golden brown from each side. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Also, don’t over fry the koftas or else they will turn hard. Strain the fried pieces and keep them aside on a separate plate.

Now in the same pan, add onion paste and cook them over medium flame for 7-8 minutes until the oil gets released. Add ginger-garlic paste and give a nice mix. Cook it in low flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell goes away. Then add the tomato paste and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 5-6 minutes. Stir in between.

In the meantime, take a bowl and add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and some water into it. Make a paste of the spices and add it into the pan. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes. Add the fried koftas into the masala and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 1-2 minutes.

Add water into the pan and give a nice stir. Add salt, green chillies and chopped coriander leaves, one by one into the pan and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and put the flame in high until the gravy starts boiling. Then put the flame in low and cook it for another 5-6 minutes.

Add Bengali garam masala powder, sugar into the gravy and give a nice mix. Check the salt of the curry and add if required. Simmer the gravy for 10-15 more seconds and then switch off the flame.

Many recipe for Bengali Fish Curry have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check a few of them like

Rui macher kalia
Barishali Ilish
Shorshe Tangrar Jhal
Pabda bhuna

..And Many more…

1 cup = 250 ml

• 500 grams Chital fish fillet
• ½ tablespoon Onion paste
• 1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic paste
• 1 green Chilli, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves, chopped
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ¾ teaspoon Chilli powder
• ¾ teaspoon Cumin powder
• ¾ teaspoon Coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala powder
• ¾ teaspoon Salt

• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• 2 tablespoons Water

• 2 Onions, diced for the paste
• 2 inches Ginger for the paste
• 6 cloves of Garlic for the paste
• 1 large Tomato, diced for the paste
• 3-4 whole green Chillies, for the gravy
• 2-3 tablespoons Coriander leaves, chopped
• ½ teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala powder
• 1-2 teaspoons Sugar
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup Mustard oil
• 2 cups hot Water for the gravy

1. First add 2 onion chunks into a jar of a mixer grinder and close the lid. Pulse it to a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
2. Add 2 inches diced ginger, 6 large cloves of garlic into the small jar of grinder and pulse it to a smooth paste. Add 1-2 teaspoons of water if required.
3. Again, into a jar of a mixer grinder, add tomato chunks and run the mixer grinder and make a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
4. Take the 500 grams chital fish fillet into a large mixing bowl.
5. Add ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¾ teaspoon red chilli powder, ¾ teaspoon coriander powder, ¾ teaspoon cumin powder and ½ teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder, one by one into the bowl.
6. Add ½ tablespoon onion paste, 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, 1 chopped green chillies and 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves, one by one into the bowl.
7. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and cover it. Keep it aside for at least 30 minutes to absorb all the flavours.
8. After the resting time, mix the kofta mixture once more. Take small portions of the mixture and make small sphere shapes with the help of your fist and fingers. Repeat the process and make kofta with rest of the mixture.
9. Now put a pan on flame and add mustard oil into it to deep fry the koftas.
10. Once the oil is hot, add the koftas into the oil and fry them over medium flame for 2 minutes till evenly golden brown from all the sides. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Also, don’t over fry the koftas or else they will turn hard. Strain the fried koftas and keep it aside on a separate plate.
11. Now remove the excess oil and keep ¼ cup oil into it. Or else you can take another pan and add ¼ cup kofta fried oil into it.
12. Once the oil is hot, add onion paste (Step 1) and cook them over medium flame for 7-8 minutes until the oil gets released.
13. Add ginger-garlic paste (Step 2) and give a nice mix. Cook it in low flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
14. Add the tomato paste (Step 3) and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and cook it in low flame for another 5-6 minutes. Stir in between.
15. In the meantime, take a bowl and add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder and 2 tablespoons of water into it. Mix it thoroughly and make a paste of the spices.
16. Add the spice paste into the pan and mix it well. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes.
17. Add the fried koftas (Step 8) into the masala and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and cook it in low flame for another 1-2 minutes.
18. Add 2 cups hot water into the pan and give a nice stir.
19. Add salt, 3-4 green chillies and 2-3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves, one by one into the pan and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and put the flame in high until the gravy starts boiling. Then put the flame in low and cook it for another 5-6 minutes.
20. Add ½ teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder, 1-2 teaspoons sugar into the gravy and give a nice mix.
21. Check the salt of the curry and add if required. Simmer the gravy for 10-15 more seconds and then switch off the flame.

Transfer the Chital macher kofta curry into a serving bowl or on a serving plate. Serve hot or warm to enjoy its best taste. Pair up the dish with steamed Basmati rice and enjoy the Bengali delicacy with your family and friends.

Chital macher kofta curry | Chital macher recipe | Macher kofta curry

Serves: 25 Kofta Pieces Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 50 Minutes 50 Minutes

Nutrition facts: NA calories NA fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

1 cup = 250 ml For the Kofta

• 500 grams Chital fish fillet
• ½ tablespoon Onion paste
• 1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic paste
• 1 green Chilli, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves, chopped
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ¾ teaspoon Chilli powder
• ¾ teaspoon Cumin powder
• ¾ teaspoon Coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala powder
• ¾ teaspoon Salt

For the spice paste

• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• 2 tablespoons Water

Other ingredients for Chital macher kofta curry

• 2 Onions, diced for the paste
• 2 inches Ginger for the paste
• 6 cloves of Garlic for the paste
• 1 large Tomato, diced for the paste
• 3-4 whole green Chillies, for the gravy
• 2-3 tablespoons Coriander leaves, chopped
• ½ teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala powder
• 1-2 teaspoons Sugar
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup Mustard oil
• 2 cups hot Water for the gravy

Instructions

1. First add 2 onion chunks into a jar of a mixer grinder and close the lid. Pulse it to a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
2. Add 2 inches diced ginger, 6 large cloves of garlic into the small jar of grinder and pulse it to a smooth paste. Add 1-2 teaspoons of water if required.
3. Again, into a jar of a mixer grinder, add tomato chunks and run the mixer grinder and make a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
4. Take the 500 grams chital fish fillet into a large mixing bowl.
5. Add ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¾ teaspoon red chilli powder, ¾ teaspoon coriander powder, ¾ teaspoon cumin powder and ½ teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder, one by one into the bowl.
6. Add ½ tablespoon onion paste, 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, 1 chopped green chillies and 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves, one by one into the bowl.
7. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and cover it. Keep it aside for at least 30 minutes to absorb all the flavours.
8. After the resting time, mix the kofta mixture once more. Take small portions of the mixture and make small sphere shapes with the help of your fist and fingers. Repeat the process and make kofta with rest of the mixture.
9. Now put a pan on flame and add mustard oil into it to deep fry the koftas.
10. Once the oil is hot, add the koftas into the oil and fry them over medium flame for 2 minutes till evenly golden brown from all the sides. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Also, don’t over fry the koftas or else they will turn hard. Strain the fried koftas and keep it aside on a separate plate.
11. Now remove the excess oil and keep ¼ cup oil into it. Or else you can take another pan and add ¼ cup kofta fried oil into it.
12. Once the oil is hot, add onion paste (Step 1) and cook them over medium flame for 7-8 minutes until the oil gets released.
13. Add ginger-garlic paste (Step 2) and give a nice mix. Cook it in low flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
14. Add the tomato paste (Step 3) and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and cook it in low flame for another 5-6 minutes. Stir in between.
15. In the meantime, take a bowl and add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder and 2 tablespoons of water into it. Mix it thoroughly and make a paste of the spices.
16. Add the spice paste into the pan and mix it well. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes.
17. Add the fried koftas (Step 8) into the masala and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and cook it in low flame for another 1-2 minutes.
18. Add 2 cups hot water into the pan and give a nice stir.
19. Add salt, 3-4 green chillies and 2-3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves, one by one into the pan and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and put the flame in high until the gravy starts boiling. Then put the flame in low and cook it for another 5-6 minutes.
20. Add ½ teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder, 1-2 teaspoons sugar into the gravy and give a nice mix.
21. Check the salt of the curry and add if required. Simmer the gravy for 10-15 more seconds and then switch off the flame.

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