Fish Recipes

Unlike every bong, I have always hated Fish… Initially this hatred developed due to the numerous bones that one would find while eating a fresh water fish and gradually I became completely averse towards this very important ingredient of every Bengali house hold. Wherever I went, people would be surprised knowing that despite being a Bengali, I do not eat fish. The same question was popped even when my in-laws had come to see me for the first time… “Oma, Maach khaona…? Amar chhele to Maach chharathakteiparena”(My goodness, you don’t eat fish? My son just can’t survive without it). I laughed inside. Probably they did not know there is vast difference between EATING and COOKING.

Fish has always been a integral part of all Bengali meals. We serve fish on all occasions; Wedding, birthday parties, Jamaishoshthi (A festival in honour of the Son-in-law), Annaprashan (Festival when a child is fed rice for the first time) and on a lot of “Special days”.  Apart from Bengal, other regions of our country (mostly coastal) are also famous for the variety of fish recipes that they make. While Bengalis prefer to have Fresh water fishes, other regions like Maharahtra, Tamilnadu, kerala, Mangalore, Goa etc. are mostly into Sea water fishes.

Fish in Bengal

In a Bengali household, Fish is a dominant kind of protein and almost every part of the fish (except scales, fins and innards) is eaten. More than forty types of mostly freshwater fish are common, including carp varieties like Rui(rohu), Koi (climbing perch), the wriggling catfish family—Tangra, Magur, Shingi—Pabda (the pink-bellied Indian butter fish), Katla, Ilish (Hilsa), as well as Shuţki (small dried sea fish). Chingri(prawn) is a particular favourite and comes in many varieties—kucho (tiny shrimp), bagda (tiger prawns) or galda (Scampi).

Hilsa is a Salt water fish and is can be call an Icon of Bengali cuisine. Hilsa can be cooked in numerous ways for example; it can be simply fried, cooked in a mustard paste based curry, steamed inside a plantain leaf or cooked with vegetables. Hilsa alone is known to be cooked in 108 different ways… Isn’t that mind boggling?


Fish in Coastal India

Unlike Bengal, majority of the coastal India thrives on Salt water (Sea-fishes) fishes. Various cuisines like Chettinad, Konkan, Malvani, Kerala and even Goanare equally famous for their fish recipes.
In any local market in Mumbai, one can easily spot fishes like Bangda, Paplet (Pomfret), Surmai, Rawas, Bombil, Jhinga (Prawns), Muri (baby shark) and a lot more.
I have never cooked fish so frequently in my life before but would be doing so now to celebrate the Monsoons and to share with you a lot of usual and UNUSUAL recipes (both traditional and modern) that I have learnt in the course of time.

Bengali Fish Recipes

1. FishKalia (Maachher Kalia)
2. Maachher Paturi (Fillet fish wrapped and roasted on a tawa)
3. Muri ghonto (A traditional Bengali recipe using the fish Head or Muro)
4. Shorshe Bata diye Maach (Fish cooked in mustard sauce)(Coming soon)
5. Bhapa Ilish (Steamed Hilsa)(Coming soon)
6. Maachher Jhol (A simple Fish curry)(Coming soon)
7. Maach Bhaja (Simply fried fish)
8. Curd Fish (Doi Maach)(Coming soon)
9. River Fish cooked in fresh coriander paste (Dhonepata bata diye Maach)
10. Hilsa Curry (Ilish Machher Jhol)
11. Maachermuro diye Mugerdaal (Moong dal cooked with fish head)(Coming soon)
12. PabdaMaacher Jhol (Pabda Fish curry)(Coming soon)
13. GondhorajBhetki(Bhekti fish steamed with lemon juice)(Coming soon)
14. PrawnMalaikari (Chingri macher Malaikari)
15. Leaf Baked Prawns with Coconut and Poppy seed Paste ( Posto Chingri Paturi)
16. Simple Prawn curry (Chingrir Jhol)(Coming soon)
17. Lau Chingri (Prawns with Bottlegourd/doodhi)
18. Daab Chingri (Prawns cooked with tender coconut)(Coming soon)
19. Patayemora Chingri Bora (Prawn pakodas wrapped in leaf)(Coming soon)

Other Fish Recipes

1. Fish tikka Masala(Coming soon)
2. Malvani Style fish curry
3. Fish Chettinad style(Coming soon)
4. Mangalore Fish Handi(Coming soon)
5. Bharlela Paplet (Stuffed Pomfrets)(Coming soon)
6. Patrani  Machhi (A traditional Parsi recipe) (Coming soon)
7. Goan Fish curry(Coming soon)
8. Muri Curry (Baby shark recipe)(Coming soon)
9. Chilli fish(Coming soon)
10. Koliwada prawns(Coming soon)
11. Prawn Pollichathu(Coming soon)
12. Bombil Fry(Coming soon)
13. Bangda Masala Fry(Coming soon)
14. Crab Curry
15. Karwari Prawns(Coming soon)
16. Light Malabari Prawn curry(Coming soon)
17. Fish Gassi(Coming soon)
18. MeenAlleppy curry(Coming soon)
19. Chettinad fish fry(Coming soon)
20. Lemon Fish(Coming soon)
21. Lahori Tawa talimachli(Coming soon)
22. Pomfret Masala
23. Machli Amritsari(Coming soon)
24. Choti Rani(Coming soon)
25. Prawn Balchau