Ilish Curry

[Anju]

Since you are all keen on Ilish, thought I should share some of my wisdom here... andhon mein kana raja after all. But seriously, I am happy that someone has read my post - my aim was to write for students/ young people who miss their home food, but dont know much cooking.

Now, me, I dont like Ilish as it has too much kanta. I love tengra, rui, katla, pabda, chingri.. But Ilish will taste great with sorshe bata, you know. Now, sorshe bata is not easy, as grinding it in improper way will make it bitter.

The trick is, soak sorshe for few min. Then put it on shil, add a little salt, and 1-2 green chillies. Now you have to grind it into a fine paste in one go. So no double-grinding. Maane, ek baare i chaap diye baat te hobe, ek-bata tei jeno mihi hoye jaaye.

Also, as a beginner, it helps that make the paste thin with a little extra water, and strain it. Add the paste/ strained paste at the end, dont boil it for long.

Now here is one microwave recipe I took from net (I have never used a microwave, so please optimize using your own experience):

1. Wash well the fish pieces or fillets. Apply salt (a little on the lesser side, as the mustard paste has salt too, and extra salt can be added later, but excess salt cannot be eaten), 1.5 tsf lemon juice and turmeric. keep aside for 15 minutes.
2. Arrange the pieces in a microwave safe casserole dish in a single layer.
3. Add `shorshe bata' (ground mustard paste), a little `posto bata' (ground poppyseed paste), mustard oil, and coat the fish well. Can add some green chillies.
4. Microwave at `high-power' for 10 mins and then at `medium-power' for another 10 mins or until cooked. (Note: This is for an 800watt microwave oven).


Now, simple onion jhol using pots and pans will be like this:


1-- Clean and cut fish fillet, wash well, remove excess water and then marinate with limejuice, turmeric powder and salt.
2-- Keep aside for 15 minutes.
3-- Heat up a pan, mix in 1 tblsp oil, shallow fry marinated fish from both sides until slightly browned.
4-- Take off and keep aside.
5-- Heat up remaining oil, mix in paanch phoron, whole dry red chillies and bay leaf. As seeds crackle, mix in ginger, garlic paste and stir fry for a moment.
6-- Mix in cut onion and stir fry until slightly brown in colour.
At this step, can add few tsf of dahi also (phetaano).
7-- Mix in turmeric powder, coriander powder, stir fry masala nicely until oil starts separating.
8-- Add water, red chilli powder and salt, bring to boil and then mix in fried fish, put green chilli slits on top.
9-- Cook on a slow flame until fish get cooked.
10-- decorate with cut green coriander leaves.



If making shorshe bata jhaal, then :

1-- Clean and cut fish fillet, wash well, remove excess water and then marinate with limejuice, turmeric powder and salt.
2-- Keep aside for 15 minutes.
3-- Heat up a pan, mix in 1 tblsp oil, shallow fry marinated fish from both sides until slightly browned.
4-- In this only add little water, a pinch of turmeric, green chillies (slit), little red chilli powder, cover and cook for sometime.
5-- Add the mustard paste, taste the salt and optimize it, or err on the side of caution. Add the coriander leaves and cover and cook for 2 minutes or so.

[Anju]

What about "mustard paste" that you must be getting there- readymade one... does it taste the same? It must be having some preservative, which might make the taste different?

[Sourav]

Thanks Anju. The mustard paste that we get here (unless I have missed something) is very different. To get the "gharwala" taste, we'll have to buy row mustard (if we get) and then paste that ourselves probably ...
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[bablubhai]

Thanks ANJU .; thats really usefull .. cheers ...

[naresh]

Anju i am feeling homesick now.... mom and her food

[Anju]

Thank you Bablu.
Naresh, really, the best way to beat homesickness is to pamper oneself with some home made food - that tastes of childhood days!!!