Ilish macher matha diye Lau ghonto aka macher matha diye Lau ghonto is a Bengali delicacy and one of the most popular traditional Bengali food. It is known for its subtle taste, texture and unbeatable flavour. It is a pure comfort dish which is frequently prepared in almost every Bengali house. In this preparation, bottle gourd aka Lau is cooked with fried fish heads with minimal spices. It is mostly relished as a side with hot steamed rice.
Table of Contents
About the recipe
Health Benefits of bottle Gourd
How to make Macher Matha diye Lau Ghonto (step wise photos)
Recipe Card
What is Lau ghonto?
Lau ghonto is a pure Bengali delicacy and the name of the recipe itself explains the dish. The word ‘Lau’ stands for bottle gourd and ‘Ghonto’ means mushy curry. Basically, ghonto is a Bengali speciality in which vegetables are cut into small-length thin strips and cooked as a dry curry aka mishmash.
Lau er ghonto is prepared in two ways – vegetarian and non-vegetarian.
As a purely vegetarian dish, niramish Lau ghonto is prepared in different ways, like using Daler bori or moong dal or sometimes only using peas.
As a non-vegetarian dish, Amish Lau ghonto, normally prawns, fish heads or small fishes are added to it.
Today, I am going to share the popular ilish macher matha diye Lau ghonto with you. It is also a Bengali name where Ilish macher matha means hilsa fish head. Macher matha is also referred to as macher muro in Bengali.
Bengalis are renowned for eating fish. Normally, in Bengali houses, they purchase whole fish and prepare different types of fish curries. They don’t even waste the fish head. In fact, fish head recipe is also as tasty as the fish if you know the correct recipes for it.
Fish head recipe
In Bengali recipes, fish head recipes play a vital role. On every occasion or celebration, Bangalis always make sure to prepare fish curry with the body and a separate side with the fish heads. Muri Ghonto, Macher matha diye Lau ghonto, Macher Matha diye Kochu Shak, Macher Matha Diye Moong Dal, Macher Matha Diye Begun, Macher Matha Diye Bandhakopi, Macher matha diye fulkopi and many more dishes are prepared with fish head in Bengali Cuisine.
A bowl of macher matha diye Lau ghonto with plain rice, dal and jhuri aloo bhaja is just like a bliss which only a bong can imagine. I am pretty sure many people are in the same side with me. If you have never tried it then I recommend you try it at least once.
Macher matha diye ghonto is a very light and healthy recipe where you would require minimal spices to prepare it. This recipe is suitable for everyone and it could be a healthy and delectable addition to your regular diet. This amish aka non-vegetarian Lau ghonto is a pure Bengali delicacy and you will get the essence of Bengal in it.
I am a huge fan of fish head recipes and ilish macher matha diye Lau ghonto is one of my favourites. I have grown up eating this delight and never feel bored of it. I still remember how my dad used to bring whole hilsa fish from the market and my mom used to separate the fish head and keep it in the freezer to prepare a separate side dish on next day. I have learnt all the fish head recipes from her.
Macher matha diye ghonto is a very simple and easy recipe. The difficulty level of cooking the dish is low. It requires very limited ingredients which are easily available in any Bengali kitchen pantry. Other than a regular meal, it could be a perfect side for any occasion like a marriage ceremony, annaprasan or family get-together.
Macher matha diye Lau ghonto with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. If you follow my recipe precisely then you will get the perfect Lau ghonto recipe on your plate. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share a few interesting facts about the primary ingredient of the recipe ‘Lau’ aka ‘Bottle gourd’ and the recipe.
Health benefits of bottle gourd
- Bottle gourd is very low in fat and cholesterol which is good for weight loss.
- Bottle gourd is full of dietary fibre which is good for the digestive system and helps to get rid of piles, constipation etc.
- It is full of nutrients and vitamins which are good for nourishing the body.
- It is full of potassium and sodium which helps to regulate blood pressure and is good for heart health as well.
- It is a good source of iron and is full of antioxidants.
- Bottle gourd is full of water (approximately 96%) which helps the body to cool down.
How to cut bottle gourd for Lau ghonto?
Bengalis are very particular about cutting vegetables for different types of dishes. For chorchori, dalna, ghonto preparations, they cut the vegetables differently in a specific way for each of them.
For any ghonto preparation, Bengalis cut the vegetables into small and thin strips like match sticks.
First, take a large bowl of water and then peel the bottle gourd and cut them into halves, both in vertical and horizontal directions. Cut each portion into thin slices like semi-circles. Then gather a few semi-circular pieces and cut them into thin strips in vertical direction. Gather the strips and put them into the large bowl of water. Repeat the process and cut the complete bottle gourd and wash the pieces nicely.
How to cook big fish head for the Bengali recipe fish?
- Make sure scaling, cleaning and washing of the fish head are done properly.
- Always cut the fish head at least into four pieces. It is very tough to cook the whole fish head. Either it may not get cooked from the inside or you need to pour a huge amount of oil to cook it properly.
- Always marinate the fish head with Turmeric powder, red Chilli powder and Salt at least for 10 minutes for the best result.
- Deep fry the fish head separately before adding to the curry.
The secret behind the taste of Bengali Fish Head Curry
In Bengali recipes, Mustard Oil is always used to fry fish, and fish heads or to cook any fish preparation. This is the ancient secret behind the outstanding taste of Bengali fish preparations. You can never get the same taste with any other Oil other than Mustard Oil.
How to make macher matha diye Lau ghonto?
For the macher matha diye Lau ghonto, first, clean the Hilsa fish head (Ilish macher matha). You can use other big fish heads too like Rohu or Katla fish heads for the recipe. Then marinate the fish head and keep it aside for at least 20-30 minutes.
On the other hand, cut the bottle gourd into thin small strips and wash them once. Then drain the water and keep them aside.
Take a pan and allow it to become completely dry. Then add mustard oil and wait until the oil is hot. The usage of mustard oil enhances the flavour and taste of the dish. Add the marinated fish head into the pan and fry them evenly. Strain the fish head pieces and keep them aside.
In the same pan, add oil if required and add dry red chilli, bay leaf and cumin seeds into the pan for tempering and let them crackle.
Then add the bottle gourd pieces into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium flame for 5 minutes.
After this, add salt, turmeric powder and mix them nicely. Add green chillies into the pan and mix it. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for approximately 20 minutes until the bottle gourd gets cooked completely in its own juice. Add green chillies in between after 10 minutes. Stir in between, once or twice. Lau ghonto is a slow cooking recipe and it tastes great when cooked on low flame.
Take off the lid of the pan and give it a stir. Then add cumin powder and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for another couple of minutes.
Add the fried fish head pieces at this stage and mix them well. Add sugar and give a nice stir. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 5 minutes and then switch off the flame.
Many fish head recipes have already been shared in my previous post. You can check a few of them like
Muri Ghonto
Macher matha diye bandhakopi
Aar macher matha diye begun
Ilish macher matha diye kochu shaak
..And Many more…
Ingredients:
1 cup = 250 ml
To marinate the fish head
- 1 Hilsa fish head (Ilish macher matha), cut into 4 pieces
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Other ingredients for Lau ghonto
- 500 grams Bottle Gourd (Lau), peeled and cut into thin strips
- 2-3 green Chillies
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1-2 dry red Chillies (shukno Lanka)
- 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Sugar (Adjust accordingly)
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons Mustard oil
Instructions:
- Wash the fish head thoroughly and cut them into four pieces.
- Marinate fish head with 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon turmeric powder. Keep it aside for at least 20-30 minutes.
- Peel the bottle gourd and cut them into four pieces. Then cut them into thin small strips.
- Wash them once and then strain them properly. Keep it aside.
- Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 3 tablespoons mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
- Deep fry the fish head over a medium flame from each side evenly until the fish head becomes crispy and golden brown in colour. It takes around 10-12 minutes to fry the fish head pieces. Tip: Fish heads have the tendency to splatter oil while frying. I would recommend using a splatter guard to avoid any accidents.
- Strain the fish head pieces on a separate plate. Break them into pieces and keep them aside.
- In the same pan, add 1-2 dry red chillies, 1 bay leaf and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds into the pan for tempering and let them crackle.
- Add the bottle gourd pieces (Step 4) into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium flame for 5 minutes.
- Add salt, ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder into the pan and mix it nicely.
- Add 2-3 green chillies into the pan and mix it. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for approximately 10 minutes.
- Take off the lid of the pan and give it a stir. Then add 1 teaspoon cumin powder and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another couple of minutes so the raw smell of the spices goes away.
- Add the fried fish head pieces (Step 7) at this stage and mix them well.
- Add 1 teaspoon sugar and give a nice stir. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 5 minutes.
- Switch off the flame and put the pan down.
Serving Instruction
Transfer the macher matha diye Lau ghonto into a serving bowl. Serve hot or warm with plain Rice and Dal and enjoy the comforting meal of Bengal.
Ingredients
1 cup = 250 ml
To marinate the fish head
- 1 Hilsa fish head (Ilish macher matha), cut into 4 pieces
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Other ingredients for Lau ghonto
- 500 grams Bottle Gourd (Lau), peeled and cut into thin strips
- 2-3 green Chillies
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1-2 dry red Chillies (shukno Lanka)
- 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Sugar (Adjust accordingly)
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons Mustard oil
Instructions
- Wash the fish head thoroughly and cut them into four pieces.
- Marinate fish head with 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon turmeric powder. Keep it aside for at least 20-30 minutes.
- Peel the bottle gourd and cut them into four pieces. Then cut them into thin small strips.
- Wash them once and then strain them properly. Keep it aside.
- Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 3 tablespoons mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
- Deep fry the fish head over a medium flame from each side evenly until the fish head becomes crispy and golden brown in colour. It takes around 10-12 minutes to fry the fish head pieces. Tip: Fish heads have the tendency to splatter oil while frying. I would recommend using a splatter guard to avoid any accidents.
- Strain the fish head pieces on a separate plate. Break them into pieces and keep them aside.
- In the same pan, add 1-2 dry red chillies, 1 bay leaf and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds into the pan for tempering and let them crackle.
- Add the bottle gourd pieces (Step 4) into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium flame for 5 minutes.
- Add salt, ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder into the pan and mix it nicely.
- Add 2-3 green chillies into the pan and mix it. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for approximately 10 minutes.
- Take off the lid of the pan and give it a stir. Then add 1 teaspoon cumin powder and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another couple of minutes so the raw smell of the spices goes away.
- Add the fried fish head pieces (Step 7) at this stage and mix them well.
- Add 1 teaspoon sugar and give a nice stir. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 5 minutes.
- Switch off the flame and put the pan down.
