Keyword: authentic bengali cuisine, authentic bengali fish curry, bengali fish curry, bengali macher jhal, chitol macher jhal, regional Bengali fish curry, rui macher jhal
Servings: 4people
Author: Samrat Roy Chowdhuri
Cost: ₹ 80
Equipment
1 Knife and chopping board
1 mixer grinder (mixie) or shil bata
1 Wok and spatula
Preparation and serving bowls
Ingredients
For Bengali Macher Jhal
300gfish, cut into 4 pieceschitol fish is used here, you may use rohu or rui as well
4tspmustard oil
1pcmedium-sized potatocut vertically into 6-8 pieces
4pcpointed gourd (potol)optional, you may use other vegetables like brinjal or eggplant, etc.
1/2tspwhole cumin seedsto be used for tempering
1/2tspnigella seeds or kalo jeereused for tempering
1pcbayleafto be used for tempering
2pcgreen chilislit into half vertically, used in tempering
1tspturmeric powder1/2 tsp for marinating the fish, the rest used for cooking the macher jhal
salt
1cupwater
1/2cupbig sized bori or sun-dried lentil dumplings
For Coriander Chili Paste
1tspwhole coriander seeds
2pcripe red chiliesor use 1/3 tsp red chili powder
For the Bata Jhal - also called Jeere Morich Bata in Bengali
1tspcumin seeds
1tspblack pepper corns
Pithali (To Thicken the Gravy) Or Slurry - Optional
1tsprice flour
1/2cupwarm wateror use the gravy from the dish itself
Instructions
Preparation for the Macher Jhal
Take coriander as mentioned in "For Coriander Chili Paste" and soak in water for 15 minutes. Alternatively, dry roast on medium flame for 15-20 seconds
In a grinder, make paste of the coriander and red ripe chilis. Keep aside
Soak cumin in water as mentioned in "For the Bata Jhal" for 15 minutes in water
Take clean, properly washed pieces of fish and marinate using turmeric and salt. For 4 pieces of fish (for a family of four), 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp of salt is enough
Slice the potatoes vertically (check the picture of the dish) and keep aside. Soak in water to prevent browning
Take the soaked cumin seeds and black pepper as mentioned in "For the Bata Jhal" and prepare a fine paste. For a smoother paste you may use a couple of tsp of water
Take rice flour, add it to warm water and mix thoroughly to prepare a slurry. Ensure that there are no lumps. This would be needed towards the end of the cooking process
How to Cook Bengali Macher Jhal
Take a wok and ensure the flame is on medium
Once hot, add mustard oil
When the oil smokes, add in the marinated fish pieces one by one. Fry on both sides for around 3 minutes and using the spatula flip over to fry the other side. Depending on the size of your wok, you may fry multiple pieces at the same time. Avoid overcrowding of the fish during this process, as it leads to temperature drop in the oil. Keep aside
Fry the bori for 30-45 seconds and keep aside
In the same wok, add oil if needed, otherwise we will proceed with the next steps
Add slit green chilis, nigella seeds (read notes), cumin seeds and bayleaf
Saute for 20-30 seconds, and add in the coriander chili paste prepared previously
Add the potatoes
Stir and saute until you can smell the aroma of the sauted coriander. This is an important step as coriander takes time to cook and you would know from the aroma signalling that the coriander has cooked. If you sense that the coriander is getting burnt, splash in some water to arrest the burn and resume cooking
Add turmeric powder, salt and water. Give it a nice stir
Bring to a boil and check for seasonings, adjust if required
Add the fish pieces and allow the jhal gravy to simmer for 10 minutes
Now add the cumin black pepper paste (bata jhal) and simmer for a minute
Slowly pour in the slurry prepared using rice flour. Switch off the heat
Serve with freshly cooked rice
Notes
The cost provided in this recipe belongs to the fish you use. While we have used chitol fish for this recipe, the cost provided is for rohu (rui) bought from a local Bengal market
The use of sun-dried lentil dumplings (or bori) is optional since many staying outside Bengal may not have access to it. In a traditional 20th century jhal, a bori was always mandatory
While frying the bori, keep a careful watch if it is your first time. Bori can go from fried to burnt in less than a few minutes. Hence keep the heat low, have an eye on the bori in the wok
Always prefer freshly prepared ingredients - spices lose flavor and aroma with time
Ginger, garlic and onion is not used in this recipe
Tomatoes are not used in this recipe, not even curd, please!
Sugar must not be added to sweeten the flavors
For fish that has good amount of fat, more nigella seeds are required while tempering; compared to fishes like rohu who has a lesser fat content