About The Author
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!
Looking forward to read and hear your feedback.
Machher matha diye moong dal evokes wonder and intrigue in equal measures to the general population. But to a Bengali it triggers mouthgasm and happy memories.
As a Bengali, the fish head is an important part of our cuisine.
The flavors in a cooked fish head (called as machher matha in Bengali) is so intense that it magically transforms the main ingredient, in this case the lentils (dal).
For this dish, traditionally moong dal is used which is one of the first lentils that grew in India and is considered as one of the most important lentils in ayurveda.
Intriguingly subtle, delicious, comforting, with umami flavors – macher matha diye mug dal is a ‘onushthan bari‘ (feast) favorite.
The Economics of Fish Head
Bengal has witnessed famine and our food habits have evolved through scarcity brought by famines and abundance, thanks to the lush green fields and fertile soil of the Hooghly river and many ponds dotting the region.
In a traditional Bengali kitchen, nothing goes to waste. So when a fish is brought from the market, every part of it has to be used.
The fish head is used in vegetable preparation (curries) and dals. For example, the machher matha diye chorchori is a classic and traditional Bengali dish where fish head is cooked with vegetables and greens like malabar spinach.
You may use a fish head along with rice and cook a murighonto.
And not to forget the very flavorful and umami like machher matha diye moong dal.
The dish serves two purpose –
- It prevents waste by using the head of a fish
- It makes a boring dal extremely flavorful without digging a hole in the pocket
In a Bengali feast, fish is very commonly used.
While the fillets are cooked in a gravy or paturi (cooked wrapped in a leaf along with spices, mostly mustard and poppy seed paste), the fish head and tail is used up to whip up delicious curries and dals.
The fish head can be cooked in a curry or dal, the tail and fins are cooked in curries.
And that’s how the dish may have evolved over the years.
Remember, in a Bengali kitchen food is considered as a gift from God and hence nothing goes to waste. Nothing! This recipe is a prime example of this very philosophy.
Getting the Basics Right for Machher Matha Diye Moong Dal
The dish has two important ingredients – the fish head and the dal.
For a flavorful dal fish curry cooked with fish head and dal, it is important to get these ingredients and their cooking correct.
The Right Fish Head
In a Bengali market, the fish head is mostly fresh. Of course there can be scenarios where the fish head is from the previous days.
So the first thing to consider would be to get your hand on a fish head that is fresh.
You can be sure just by looking at the eyes – if the eyes appear cloudy or dusky, you must avoid buying it and move to the next fish seller.
What Fish to Consider for the Head?
We do not have many choices here, though!
Traditionally, the following fish is considered for the purpose.
- Rui or Rohu
- Katla or Catla
- Bhetki or Bekti
- Ilish or Hilsa
How Many Fish Head is Sufficient for Your Machher Matha Diye Moong Dal?
For a family of 4, 1 large fish head is sufficient. 1 large fish head may weigh around 500 grams or one pound. Or 2 small fish head would do (weighing around 250 grams each).
Getting the Fish Head Prepped from Market
Fortunately, in Bengal the folks selling fish are adept in cutting fish head based on your requirement.
However, if you are not too sure of the expertise, you can just have them cut in halves.
The rest of the preparation can be done at home. You would need to fry the head and once they cool down break them using the ladle or spatula. Or just get your hands dirty!
Expert cooks can also break them with the spatula while cooking the dal with fish head.
Cooking the Moong Dal
Traditionally moong dal is used, and till date I have not seen or never experienced the dish cooked with any other dal.
If you are adventurous enough and want to experiment, feel free to do so. And do not forget to share the results with me over email or in the comment section.
Whole moong dal is not used. Split moong dal without the cover is used.
Before cooking the dal, it has to be roasted over a light flame for a few minutes. When you experience the nutty aroma, the dal is cooked.
Of course, keep stirring the dal with the ladle to prevent the dal from burning.
Some hard work always pays!
Cooking the Dal for Machher Matha Diye Moong Dal
You have a choice to make here – do you want to cook the dal in a pot or in a pressure cooker.
The choice is yours!
The health benefits of cooking in a pressure cooker is always low (not popular opinion!).
The dal should be cooked well enough. It should not turn into a mash, but must hold its shape after cooking.
In this recipe, I have cooked in a wok with sufficient water.
Of course it takes longer to cook dal in a wok. So what! Good food takes patience and this recipe may be another of your favorites!
The dal is boiled in water along with turmeric and salt till it is cooked. Then using a spatula/ladle, it is mashed against the sides of the wok to make it creamier and more uniform.
You may use your pressure cooker as well. Two whistles on a medium flame should do the job.
Authentic Machher Matha diye Moong Dal – A No Onion, No Garlic Recipe
For many centuries now, fish has been considered as vegetarian (niramish) in a Bengali Hindu household. And until the start of the 20th century, it was mostly cooked without onion and garlic.
The rule was simple enough – if the fish is caught fresh and cooked, your fish jhol and jhal would not require onion and garlic.
However, there arrived a time when fish started being imported through Andhra. And people started cooking with ‘not so fresh fish’.
And this brought onions and garlic to the scene. Onions and garlic when sauteed helped to mask the smell from the not so fresh fish.
Slowly, yet steadily onions and garlic became a norm in any festival fish recipe, including times where there was a family festival or get together or just a special meal.
Unfortunately, the humble and frugal machher matha diye moong dal was also not left unscathed.
A simple search on Google or YouTube would show how chefs (both home and professionals) have used onions, garlic and even tomatoes to this dish (tears of sorrow!).
This recipe does not use onions, garlic or tomatoes. Not every dish requires them!
How to Serve the Machher Matha Diye Moong Dal?
The machher matha diye moong dal is best served with steaming hot rice.
Jhuri aloo bhaja (crispy fried shreds of potato) is an accompanying side dish that is everyone’s favorite. You may also try other vegetable batter fries like beguni – brinjal or eggplant cut thinly and batter fried.
Many also serve a wedge of gondhoraj lebu (an aromatic lime available only in Bengal) with this Bengali fish head recipe.
Let’s start whipping this awsomeness!
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 Wok and spatula
- 1 Knife and chopping board
Ingredients
For Cooking the Moong Dal
- 1 cup moong dal
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- water Enough to cover the dal
- 2 pc green chilis slit in half
For Frying the Fish Heads
- 1 pc big fish head or 2 small sized fish head
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- salt
- 4 tsp mustard oil
For Tempering the Machher Matha Diye Moong Dal
- 1 tsp ghee or mustard oil
- 1 pc bayleaf
- 2 pc whole red chili
- 1/2 tsp whole cumin seed
- 1 inch ginger finely chopped
Other Ingredients
- salt to taste
- 2 tsp sugar as per taste
- 2 cup water
- 3 pc green chili
Instructions
Cook the Dal (15-20 minutes)
- In a wok add water and switch on the flame
- Bring it to a boil and add the dal. Cook covered on a high flame
- After 5 minutes add turmeric powder and salt
- Cook covered till the dal is well cooked. This takes around 15-20 minutes.
Getting the Fish Head Ready (To be Done While the Dal is Cooking)
- Marinade the fish heads with little turmeric powder and salt and keep aside for 5-10 minutes
- In a wok, add mustard oil
- When the oil smokes, add in the fish head one at a time depending on the size of your wok
- Fry well on all sides. Take off the wok and keep aside
- Allow to cool and proceed to the next steps
Cooking the Machher Matha Diye Moong Dal
- Once the dal is cooked, use your spatula/ladle to mash the dal into finer consistency – this gives a creamier end-result
- Add water to the dal and give it a nice stir. Bring it to a boil. The dal should not be too light or too heavy, it should have a semi-thick consistency
- Break the fried fish head into smaller chunks and add to the dal
- Take a couple of green chilis, slit them through the middle and throw in the dal
- Add sugar
- Cook covered for 5-7 minutes on a medium flame
- Take off the cover, check for seasonings. Adjust if required
- At this point if you want to modify the consistency of your dal, you may do so. For lighter consistency, add water and adjust the seasonings. For thicker consistency, cook for more minutes and adjust the seasonings
Tempering the Machher Matha Diye Moong Dal
- In a small pan, add ghee or mustard oil
- Once the pan starts smoking, add in the bayleaf. Break the dried red chilis into two and throw them in carefully
- Add cumin seeds and finely chopped ginger
- Once the cumin seeds have spluttered and the dried red chilis turns brownish, add them to the dal
- Give the dal a nice stir and switch off the flame. Keep covered for 5-10 minutes
- Serve hot with rice, jhuro aloo bhaja and a wedge of lemon (preferably gondhoraj lebu)
Notes
- It is always a good practice to soak your lentils before cooking. It serves two purposes – makes the nutrients easily digestible to the body, and secondly, reduces the cooking time
- The dal should not be too light or too heavy, it should have a semi-thick consistency
- You can break the fish head using pestle if you own a set of mortar-pestle
- As already mentioned in the blog, this recipe does not use onions, garlic and tomatoes – to ensure that the soul of the dish as authentic as possible