Rui Machher Jhol

It’s a traditional Bengali style fish recipe. It is a very popular dish among the Bengalis and is prepared frequently. Traditionally it is prepared in Mustard oil. It goes well with plain steamed rice.

Difficulty level- easy

Marinating time: - 10 minutes

Cooking time: - 15 minutes

Total: - 25 minutes

Ingredients: -

Rui (Rohu) fish – 4 pieces Coriander Powder- 1teaspoonful

Tomato puree/ Fresh tomato paste- 1 large tomato. Turmeric powder- 1/3 teaspoonfuls

Onion paste- 2 large onions Red chili powder- ½ teaspoonfuls

Ginger paste- ½ teaspoonfuls Salt- to taste

Garlic paste- 2/3 teaspoonfuls Coriander leaves (chopped) – 2

Cumin powder- ½ teaspoonfuls Mustard oil- 50 ml

Sliced green chili- 3 Cumin seeds (Jeera)/Panchfodon- little amount

Bay leaf- 2 Garam masala powder- 1 teaspoonful (Optional)

Ghee (Clarified butter)-1 tsp. (Optional)

The process: -

Marinate the fish pieces with a dash of salt and turmeric powder.

Put the Mustard oil in frying pan and heat for 3-5 minutes. Add the fish pieces and shallow fry it until the color turns golden brown. Now take out the fried fish pieces from the pan and keep it in a bowl.

Add the cassia leaves and the cumin seeds and sauté for 1 minute (you may add panchforon if you like instead of cumin seed). Then add the onion paste in it. Stir fry it for some time until the color of the onion becomes light brown. Add the ginger and garlic paste, sliced chilies and all the other spices while stirring continuously (you may add some more mustard oil if necessary). Fry the ingredients for five minutes. Add tomato puree/ tomato paste in the curry and cook it for another 2 minutes. Add the fish pieces in it and stir in low heat for 3 minutes. Add ½ cup (150 ml) of warm water. Put the cover of the pan and cook in low heat until the fish pieces become tender. As warm water as much as it needs to make the curry. Cook in low heat while stirring occasionally. Put off the flame. Lastly, you may add ghee and garam masala and cover the lid again.

The garnishing: -

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Tips: -

You may add chopped and fried potato pieces, cauliflower pieces and green peas in the curry after frying all the spices.

Note: -

You can use any type of cooking oil according to your taste but traditionally the recipe is best made with Mustard oil.

Panchforon contains five types of condiments; these are equal amount of cumin seeds, fennel, black cumin seed (Bunium persicum), radhuni (wild celery) and a little less amount of Fenugreek seeds.

Garam masala contains Clove, Cardamom and Cinnamon.