Sobji Diye Macher Jhol | Bengali Fish Curry with Vegetables
No onion-garlic recipe, light on the palette, nourishing and satisfying
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: bengali
Keyword: Alu diye macher jhol, Bengali FIsh Curry with Vegetables, Kachkola diye macher jhol, Sobji Diye Macher Jhol
Servings: 4people
Author: Samrat Roy Chowdhuri
Cost: ₹ 100
Equipment
Knife
Mixie
Preparation Bowls
Wok
Spatula
Serving Bowls
Ingredients
For Marinading and Frying the Fish
300gFishcut into 75g fillets, yields 4 pieces
6tspmustard oil
1tspturmeric powder
1tspsalt
For the Bengali Fish Curry with the Vegetables (sobji)
2pcred chilly
1pcbayleaf
2tspwhole cumin seeds
2pcmedium-sized potato
1pcraw banana
2cupswaterpreferably hot water
salt to taste
2tspsugar
Spice Mix (to be prepared fresh)
2inchginger
1pcred chilly
2tbspwhole cumin seeds
1pckashmiri red chillyoptional, used to give a nice red color
Instructions
Preparation for the Sobji Diye Macher Jhol (fish curry with vegetables bengali style)
In bowl of warm water, add the spices mentioned under "For the Spice Mix" - red chilly, whole cumin seeds and Kashmiri red chilies. Let it soak for 15-20 minutes
Peel and chop the ginger
Marinade the fish with turmeric powder and salt
Peel the potato and dice it length-wise
Peel the raw bananas and cut it length-wise, in thick strips
In a mixie, add the ginger along with red chilly, whole cumin seeds, Kashmiri red chilies that you had soaked previously. Add a tea spoon of water and grind it into a smooth paste. Keep aside
Cooking the Alu Kachkola Sobji Diye Macher Jhol
Heat a wok and add the mustard oil mentioned under "For Marinading and Frying the Fish"
Once the oil starts smoking, reduce the flame
Fry the marinaded fishes in batches and keep aside
In the same oil, add the bayleaf, red chilly and whole cumin seeds
Once the spices sizzle, add the potatoes and raw bananas
Stir for a couple of minutes and add the spice mix prepared previously
Stir and cook covered for around 10 minutes. Checked every 3-4 minutes to ensure that the spices do not stick to the pan and burn. If needed add a splash of water
Add salt, sugar and water and bring to a rolling boil
Check for seasonings and adjust if needed
Add the fried fish fillets and reduce the flame on low. Cover and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes
Put off the flame and allow to rest for another 5 minutes
Serve hot with rice and a dollop of ghee
Notes
If you want a slight tang in the gravy, you can add tomato while cooking the vegetables
You can skip the Kashmiri red chilly, I have used it to impart a reddish color to the gravy
You can skip the sugar as well. However, Bengalis have a soft corner for adding a tea spoon of it in most curries that we prepare