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Bengali Fish Curry
What kind of Mustard seeds to be used in this recipe?
How to cut and clean the Puti Mach (Small fish)?
How to make the Puti Macher recipe?
Ingredients:
To marinate the fish
For the Mustard Paste
Other ingredients for the Gravy
Instructions:
Serving Instruction
There is an eternal bonding 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 Annaprasan or Marriage ceremony or a Matshamukhi (after death ceremony), fish curries are the salient part of any of these.
Since my childhood, I love eating small fishes and Puti mach is one of my favourites. I have prepared many Puti Macher recipe with this delectable fish like Puti Macher Jhal, Puti Macher Jhol, Puti Macher Tok, Puti Macher Chorchori and many more. When I was in Kolkata, I used to get fresh puti mach from fish market. But in London, I get these small fish in frozen blocks.
Puti Macher jhal is a very simple and easy recipe which 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.
Bengali Fish Curry
West Bengal and Bangladesh are both surrounded by many rivers. They have been a great source of fresh river fishes from ages. The availability of fishes is the key reason behind the popularity of Fish Curries in these regions. This is the secret of huge variation of Fish curries in Bengali cuisine.
Our old ancestors have left behind many supreme and simple varieties of fish curry recipe with large fishes and small fishes both for us. Bengali spices can create magic and make any fish curry taste WOW. Puti Macher jhal is one of the finest examples of Bengali recipe fish with small fishes.
Fish Curry recipes has exceptional contribution to the Bengali cuisine. The huge varieties of fishes and the fish preparations make this cuisine rich and unique from others.
Other than occasions or celebrations, Bengali people’s meal is incomplete without fish curries. In this case, Rui, Katla, Talapia, Mrigal, Shorputi, Puti play the most important role to complete any Bong’s regular meal. Macher patla jhol and bhaat is the most desired food that a Bengali can have almost daily without a single complaint. So, they are are also called ‘Mache Bhate Bangali’.
Puti Macher recipe with 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 few interesting facts about Rui Mach (Rohu Fish) and the recipe.
What kind of Mustard seeds to be used in this recipe?
Cooking fishes in Mustard sauce is an art of traditional Bengali food. Normally, two types of Mustard seeds are used in cooking, yellow and black. Black mustards have strong pungent flavour as compared to yellow mustard seeds. Yellow seeds have mild flavour.
Note: Sometimes few black mustard seeds have bitter taste.
In this recipe, I have used yellow mustard seeds for paste. Most of the people use yellow mustard seeds for this fish preparation.
How to cut and clean the Puti Mach (Small fish)?
- The basic and important part before cooking Puti mach (Small Fish) is to cut and clean the tummy of each of fishes properly, otherwise the fishes will stink.
- To scale Puti mach (Small Fish), rub them on rough surface first and then rub with salt for some time and wash them thoroughly.
- Wash them gently for couple of times.
How to make the Puti Macher recipe?
For the perfect taste of the Puti Macher recipe few things need to be done.
- Always marinate the Puti Mach (Small Fish) with Salt and Turmeric powder for at least ten minutes.
- Always use Mustard oil for frying these fishes. It will give amazing flavour to the fish.
- Fry the fishes moderately before adding into the gravy. Over frying make the fish chewy.
For the small fish curry, I have used yellow mustard seeds for paste. Most of the people use yellow mustard seeds for this fish preparation. For the gravy, I have soaked yellow Mustard seeds in water for 10 minutes. Then I have drained the excess water and grinded it to a smooth paste.
In this Bengali recipe fish, I have used Onions and Tomatoes with green Chillies. I have not used any ground spice other than Turmeric powder. The main source of flavour of this dish lies in the combination of Mustard paste, green Chillies and Mustard oil. Pure Mustard seeds paste goes awesome with Puti mach (Small Fish) and smells divine. So, I have not added Poppy seeds or Coconut in this paste to this.
Many recipe for Bengali Fish Curry have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check few of them like
..And Many more…
Ingredients:
To marinate the fish
- Puti Mach (Small Fish), 250 grams
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
For the Mustard Paste
- 2 ½ tablespoons yellow Mustard seeds
- 1-2 green Chillies
- Water to make a smooth paste
Other ingredients for the Gravy
- 1 Onion, chopped
- 2 Tomatoes, deseeded and cut into 8 pieces
- 3 green Chillies
- 2-3 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
- Salt to taste
- Mustard oil for cooking
- ½ to ¾ cup Water for gravy (Quantity can be varied as per desire consistency)
Instructions:
- Cut and clean the Puti mach (Small Fish) and wash with water.
- Marinate the fishes with Salt, Turmeric powder and keep them aside for 10 minutes.
- Add Oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
- Put the flame in low and add the marinated fishes into the pan.
- Fry each side of the fishes for a minute in medium high flame.
- Once you have completed frying the fishes keep them aside on a plate.
Tip: Don’t overcook the fishes, otherwise the fishes will become chewy. During the time of frying don’t turn the fishes more than two times. The fishes may dismantle.
- On the other hand, soak Mustard seeds in water for 10 minutes.
- Put the Mustard seeds, green Chillies and a little water into a jar of mixer grinder.
- Grind them for a minute and make a smooth paste with them. Keep it aside.
- In the same pan, if required, add some more Oil and wait until the Oil become hot.
- Add Onions and give a nice mix.
- Cook them in medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add tomatoes, green chillies and give a nice mix.
- Cover the pan and cook them in low flame for a minute.
- Add Salt, Turmeric powder and mix them nicely.
- Cover the pan and cook them in low flame until the Tomatoes get tender.
- Add the Mustard paste (Step 9) and stir it thoroughly.
- Cover the pan and cook them in low flame for 2-3 minutes.
- Mix the masala thoroughly and add water.
- Cover the pan and put the flame in high until the gravy is simmered.
- Put the flame in low and add all the fried fishes (Step 6) into the pan.
- Dip all the fishes into the gravy with the help of a spatula.
- Sprinkle the chopped cilantros over the top and give a delicate stir.
- Cover the pan and let them cook in low flame for a couple of minutes.
- Switch off the flame and put the pan down.
Serving Instruction
Transfer the Puti Macher 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.
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