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Hello! From Chuchura (in Hooghly District) and a foodie, I created this blog with a mission to preserve the food of the land; with a message to encourage and promote clean and real food. I hope you enjoy and gain out of this blog, happy reading!
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A classic Bengali macher jhol is comforting to the soul and soothing to the palette. And this kalo jeere diye macher jhol ticks the right checkboxes.
The dish can be whipped up using ingredients that are common in every Bengali (Indian/Bangladesh) pantry, and does not require ingredients like onion and garlic. It is simple and minimalist.
Be it the chill of the winter or the beating down of the sun in the summer, a fish jhol using nigella seeds (kalo jeere) is a very common affair in the middle-class Bengali homes.
Can You Use Any Fish for This Recipe?
You can use a wide range of fish for this recipe. The recipe brings out the real flavors of the fish and because it does not use harsh spices, the flavors are complemented with the nutty, dusky aroma of the nigella seeds.
From medium sized fishes like rohu and catla to smaller ones like bata, charapona, feel free to use fishes locally available in the market.
How Long to Fry the Fish
In Bengal, there is a ritual of frying the fish before putting it in the gravy.
This serves two purpose – one it prevents the fish from disintegrating when you simmer it in the gravy, secondly, you can store a fried fish longer in case you don’t need to put all of your pieces in the gravy. Thirdly, a fried fish served along with rice and dal makes for a comfortable meal.
Many prefer frying the fish till it turns red, while many prefer frying it light or long enough till it starts changing the color from yellowish brown to reddish brown.
In Odisha and certain parts of Bengal, for example, the fish is lightly fried and I have noticed that this results in the flavors from the gravy or jhol seeping into the fish, resulting in a more juicier experience.
What Are the Major Ingredients in Kalo Jeere Diye Macher Jhol
Apart from the fish, the ingredients that give it the distinct flavor are ginger, nigella seeds and turmeric powder. Green chilies provide a fresh zing to the kalo jeere diye macher jhol.
You may drop in vegetables and tubers like potatoes and cauliflowers, however, it is not mandatory. The sobji diye macher jhol is another recipe that you may follow if you want to introduce veggies in your macher jhol.
What Not to Include?
Bengali cooking has always been less-strict and more welcoming to foreign ingredients. If potato was never a part of Bengali cooking till the 19th century, the 20th century saw potato turn into one of the most used vegetables. Just an example!
As someone who has learnt to appreciate the use of minimalist ingredients in cooking, I have not used cumin, coriander and red chili powder.
Onion and garlic is not used in this recipe, and you may follow the macher kalia recipe which uses onions and garlic.
Very few people can handle spice powders in a proper way, without burning them. Spice powders take longer to cook and must be added in a proper sequence to bring out their flavors. Importantly, a kalo jeere diye macher jhol is a comfort food that does not require the presence of strong spices like the ones mentioned.
Note
The equipment & ingredient quantity provided in this recipe is to assist you in cooking this dish. Feel free to experiment with your ingredients. Remember that we all have different set, size & shape of kitchen tools in our pantry.
Equipment
- 1 Knife & Chopping Board
- 1 Wok & Spatula
- Preparation & serving bowls
Ingredients
For Frying the Fish
- 4 pc rui (rohu) fish, cut around 250 g
- 1/3 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 tsp mustard oil
For the Kalo Jeere Diye Macher Jhol
- 2 pc green chili
- 1 tsp nigella seeds (kalo jeere)
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1/3 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 pc potato optional
- 2 pc medium-sized tomato
- 2 cup water
- salt to taste
Instructions
Preparation for the for Kalo Jeere Diye Macher Jhol (10 minutes)
- In a bowl take the fish, and add the turmeric powder and salt, as mentioned under "For Frying the Fish", Allow to rest for 10 minutes and proceed with the rest of the preparation
- Slice the green chilies and chop the tomatoes into cubes
- If you have fresh ginger at home, take 2 inch of the ginger and make it into a fine paste
- Peel the potatoes and slice the potatoes in bigger wedges
Frying the Fish (10 minutes)
- Put on the wok and turn on the flame. Ensure the flame is on medium
- Once the wok heats up, add in the mustard oil as mentioned under "For Frying the Fish"
- When the oil starts smoking, lower the flamer and add in the marinated pieces of fish
- Allow to fry for a couple of minutes on one side and then turn over and fry for 1-2 minutes
- Once the fish is fried, separate from oil and keep aside. Repeat for all the pieces
Cooking the Kalo Jeere Diye Macher Jhol (30-35 minutes)
- In the same wok, you may prepare the rest of the dish. No more oil is needed
- Ensure that the flame is low. Add in the sliced green chilies and nigella seeds
- Stir for a few seconds and add in the ginger paste. Saute this for a minute. If needed, splash in some water to avoid burning of the spices
- Drop in the potaotes and saute for 2-3 minutes along with the spices
- Add in the chopped tomato and turmeric powder. Cook on a low to medium flame till the tomatoes turn into a mash
- Add in the water. Once the water comes to a boil add in the salt and check for seasonings. Adjust if needed
- At this point, if you have fish head (macher muro), add it in the jhol (gravy) and cook covered for 10 minutes. The head has a lot of deliciousness and this enriches the flavor of the dish
- Drop in the fish pieces very carefully one by one and allow to simmer on a low flame for another 10 minutes
- Switch off the flame and allow it to rest. Serve hot with freshly prepared rice and a wedge of lemon
Notes
- You may also add slit green chilies when the fish is simmering in the gravy
- Red chili powder can be added if you want a red color to the gravy, however, I have not used it in the recipe. It is also not good for health
- You may tear up or chop a few sprigs of coriander leaves and throw in the kalo jeere diye macher jhol at the end and keep covered till it is time to serve. This is not a mandatory step
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