Sorse Ilish

Sorse Ilish

Do you know what is the reaction of a Bengali when he/she is presented with an Ilish dish?

Ufffff!!!

Ahhhhhhh!!!

Drool!!!!

This king of fish brings out the gastronomical connoisseur in us.  This is a feeling that cannot be expressed in words. 

When we cook Ilish for some guests it conveys what a great esteem we hold them in. When someone buys Ilish at the fish market he is looked upon with great respect and affection by people standing around him. And when the fish is cooked at home it is said that all the neighbourhood cats get into a frenzy because of the aroma. 

However this fish is not for the faint hearted. Only one born or bred in the Bengali way of life can tackle Ilish. This is because it is full of “kaanta”. And it is very easy to get one stuck in your throat. But if you get the trick of overcoming this obstacle then this is one of the most delicious fish you can ever eat.

Ilish is cooked in various ways. The Sorse Ilish or mustard preparation is one of the commonest and simplest preparations. I personally feel that it is the best way to bring out the actual flavour of the fish.

Ingredients

4 Ilish pieces

3 tbsp mustard seeds

2 tbsp khus khus

2 green chilies

1 potato, cut into wedges

½ tsp Nigella seeds/kalonji

1 small tomato, sliced

1 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

½ cup mustard oil

Apply some salt and turmeric to the fish and keep aside for half an hour. Soak the mustard seds and khus khus in warm water for some time. Make a paste with some salt and green chillies.

Heat the mustard oil to smoking point and then reduce flame. Lightly fry the fish pieces.

In the same oil add the Nigella seeds. Add the potato wedges and fry till the potatoes are golden brown. 

Add the sliced tomato and cook till it is mushy. 

Add the mustard paste and cook till oil starts leaving the sides. Add salt and turmeric and cook some more. 

Now add a cup of water and bring to a boil. 

Add the fish pieces, cover and simmer till the oil floats on top. Garnish with sliced green chillies. 

Cholar Dal

Cholar Dal

Narkol Diye Cholar Dal(Chana Dal/Bengal gram) is a quintessential Bengali dish. I remember my grandmother grating the coconut on an old fashioned grater. It used to be a big block of wood with the steel grater poking out the front. You had to sit with folded legs on the floor, press down on the wooden block to keep it in place and grate the coconut. You had to exert a good enough pressure and it used to be quite a task.

In fact cooking in those days used to be a labour of love. Mixers and ready made masalas were not easily available and even when they it was not commonly used. I remember my grandmother soaking cumin seeds and coriander seeds first thing in the morning and all the masala was ground fresh on the grinding stone. And it really used to make a difference to the taste of the dish. That freshness is no longer there in our food as we have started using mass produced commercially available ready made masalas.

Coming back to the Cholar Dal, I don’t have access to a coconut grater and so I have used chopped coconut in the dish. It works just as well although grated coconut gives it a certain creaminess.

Ingredients

1 cup cholar dal/chana dal

1 tbsp grated ginger

½ cup chopped/grated coconut

1 bay leaf

2-3 dry red chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tso coriander powder

1 tbsp ghee

Salt to taste

1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp turmeric powder

Soak the cholar dal overnight. Pressure cook it with salt and turmeric till it is soft and mushy.

Heat the ghee. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf and dry red chillies. 

Once they start spluttering add half the grated ginger. Add the cumin powder and coriander powder. 

Saute for a few seconds and then add the chopped coconut. Stir for a minute. 

Add the whole coconut masala to the boiled dal. Add sugar. Check the salt. 

Add some water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes. 

Now add the other half of the grated ginger and take off the heat. The slightly raw smell of the ginger adds to the flavour. 

Garnish with some grated coconut. 

Sorse Tel Koi/Climbing Perch Fish in Mustard

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. 

Egg Potato Salad

Egg Potato Salad

Well to be frank this is not a healthy salad. It doesn't have green leafy veggies or low calorie dressing. This is creamy and delicious. I came across a new flavor of mayonnaise – Tandoori Mayonnaise. And it is so yummmmmy that I now try to found excuses to eat that in any form. 

Ingredients

2 hard boiled eggs, cubed
2 potatoes, boiled, cubed
1 tbsp Mayonnaise
2 tbsp Tandoori mayonnaise
1 tsp English mustard
Salt to taste
½ tsp pepper power

Mix all the ingredients. Check the seasoning as per your taste. Take a spoon and have a bite. Now that you will not be able to help yourself go ahead finish it off. Now make another bowl for your guests.