Sorse Tel Koi/Climbing Perch Fish in Mustard
Koi !!
Koi kaun?
Koi !!
Koi kya??
This is a conversation I had with a Hindi speaking friend of mine. We were stuck on the word “koi”, which in Hindi means “someone”. In Bengali it refers to a fish named Koi or the Climbing Perch fish which belongs to the carp family.
Its is usually found in the eastern states of India. Its natural habitat is ponds, ditches and swamps. In the villages of West Bengal the “pukur” or ponds are teeming with this fish. It is supposed to be eaten fresh , ie, when you are cutting and prepping the fish it should be alive.
In older times it was easily available in the villages which used to have at least 4-5 “pukur” each. With the population shifting to urban areas the availability of the fish has gone down. Even if you can lay your hands on it, it is not going to be alive.
I remember a childhood visit to our ancestral village. This was about 25 years ago when there were no proper roads to the village. I remember going in a bullock cart. Being from the zamindar family we owed all the ponds in the village. There were two ponds in our backyard. One was meant for bathing and washing clothes. And the other one had these Koi fish in hundreds. That pond was not used for anything else other than fishing.
All that now seems like a lifetime ago. So when I got the chance to eat Koi maach again I was reminded of those simpler times.
There are many ways to cook the fish. Each family has its own recipes.
Ingredients
4 Koi maach+1/2 tsp turmeric powder+1/2 tsp salt
½ cup mustard seeds
2 green chilies
1 potato, cut into wedges
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 tomato, sliced
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
½ cup mustard oil
Wash the Koi and apply salt and turmeric on them. Keep aside for 15 minutes. Heat the mustard oil and shallow fry them on both sides.
Make a smooth paste of the mustard seeds along with green chillies and a pinch of salt.
Add the nigella seeds to the hot oil. Add the potato wedges and fry for some time. Add the sliced tomato, cover and cook till the tomato is soft.
Add the mustard paste, salt and turmeric powder. Fry till oil starts leaving the sides. Add a cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the fish, cover and simmer till done.
Once the fish is done, switch off the heat and add 1 tbsp of raw mustard oil for that special fragrance.
Koi !!
Koi kaun?
Koi !!
Koi kya??
This is a conversation I had with a Hindi speaking friend of mine. We were stuck on the word “koi”, which in Hindi means “someone”. In Bengali it refers to a fish named Koi or the Climbing Perch fish which belongs to the carp family.
Its is usually found in the eastern states of India. Its natural habitat is ponds, ditches and swamps. In the villages of West Bengal the “pukur” or ponds are teeming with this fish. It is supposed to be eaten fresh , ie, when you are cutting and prepping the fish it should be alive.
In older times it was easily available in the villages which used to have at least 4-5 “pukur” each. With the population shifting to urban areas the availability of the fish has gone down. Even if you can lay your hands on it, it is not going to be alive.
I remember a childhood visit to our ancestral village. This was about 25 years ago when there were no proper roads to the village. I remember going in a bullock cart. Being from the zamindar family we owed all the ponds in the village. There were two ponds in our backyard. One was meant for bathing and washing clothes. And the other one had these Koi fish in hundreds. That pond was not used for anything else other than fishing.
All that now seems like a lifetime ago. So when I got the chance to eat Koi maach again I was reminded of those simpler times.
There are many ways to cook the fish. Each family has its own recipes.
Ingredients
4 Koi maach+1/2 tsp turmeric powder+1/2 tsp salt
½ cup mustard seeds
2 green chilies
1 potato, cut into wedges
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 tomato, sliced
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
½ cup mustard oil
Wash the Koi and apply salt and turmeric on them. Keep aside for 15 minutes. Heat the mustard oil and shallow fry them on both sides.
Make a smooth paste of the mustard seeds along with green chillies and a pinch of salt.
Add the nigella seeds to the hot oil. Add the potato wedges and fry for some time. Add the sliced tomato, cover and cook till the tomato is soft.
Add the mustard paste, salt and turmeric powder. Fry till oil starts leaving the sides. Add a cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the fish, cover and simmer till done.
Once the fish is done, switch off the heat and add 1 tbsp of raw mustard oil for that special fragrance.
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