For my first post, I will teach you how to make a Bengali fish curry. A Bengali lunch is never complete without fish.

This preparation of fish is very much a BONG dish. Every household in Bengal savors this fish mustard gravy with hot rice.

I made it with a freshwater fish. However, it can be also be cooked with sea fish, crab, and prawns.

Not much skill is required for making this dish and regardless of whether you are an experienced or novice cook, this dish will taste amazing.

It has a tangy taste of the mustard paste and a sharp tangy smell of the raw mustard oil which just matches and mixes well with hot rice.

Time taken is just 10 mins to cook this dish.

Ingredients

Fish – I will be making it with 8 fishes, which should be enough for 4 people.

Mustard paste – 1 tbsp heaped

Red Chilli powder – 1 tbsp. This gives the gravy a bright red color, but does not make it spicy.

Turmeric powder – 1 tbsp

Salt – 1 tbsp (or as needed)

Mustard Oil – 3 tbsp

Black Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Green Chillis – As needed

Steps

Step 1: Preparing the fish

First, marinate the fish for 5 to 10 minutes by adding 3/4 tsp turmeric powder and salt.

Use 3 tbsp of mustard oil to fry the fish (the oil should be smoking hot). Slide the fish in one by one to prevent the oil from popping and splattering. After 2 mins, flip it over to fry it for another 2 mins.

While you can definitely fry the fish more, I feel that this curry is best enjoyed if the fried fish is soft.

Step 2: Starting the curry

In this step, we will fry the ingredients needed to make the curry.

We will only be needing a tbsp of oil in this step. If you have any oil left then you can use that, or else you can add some more.

In that remaining oil add the black cumin seeds and 1 or 2 green chilies.

While that sizzles, add the fish along with the red chili powder and any remaining turmeric powder.

Step 3: Finishing the Curry

The previous step is done to release the flavours from the spices. Now, we can dilute the solution and let all the flavors mix.

Add half a cup of water and salt to the karahi (be careful as the oil might splatter). Let this boil for 2 mins.

Finally, dilute the mustard paste with little water add it into the fish and let it boil for some time.

Tip: If you are not in a hurry, you could cover the karahi and let the fish cook in a low flame. This will allow the flavors to mix better.

Step 4: Final Touches

You may now pour out the contents of the karahi into a bowl.

Tip: To thicken the gravy faster and to give it a richer taste, you can add a tbsp of milk mixed with 2 pinches of corn flour boil it for 30 seconds before pouring it out on the Karahi.

Before serving, add half a tbsp of raw mustard oil on top of the curry. This gives it a good tangy smell. You may also add coriander leaves to add some more flavor to it.

I hope you liked the recipe and enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you have any suggestions or doubts, do let me know in the comments!