Keyword: Alu diye macher jhol, bengali fish curry, comfort food, fish curry with nigella seeds, kalo jeere diye macher jhol, macher jhol
Servings: 4people
Author: Samrat Roy Chowdhuri
Cost: ₹ 70
Equipment
1 Knife & Chopping Board
1 Wok & Spatula
Preparation & serving bowls
Ingredients
For Frying the Fish
4pcrui (rohu) fish, cutaround 250 g
1/3tspturmeric powder
1/4tspsalt
4tspmustard oil
For the Kalo Jeere Diye Macher Jhol
2pcgreen chili
1tspnigella seeds (kalo jeere)
1tspginger paste
1/3tspturmeric powder
1pcpotatooptional
2pcmedium-sized tomato
2cupwater
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