A yummy, easy and quick Bengali fish curry, made in a spicy mustard sauce, with salmon steaks, that goes perfectly with steamed rice
If you know any Bengali, then you would also know that a fish curry is their dearest food! And I am no exception. Additionally, very fortunately for me, I have access to fresh water fishes like rohu, hilsa, kalta even in London. While I have already shared some fresh water Bengali fish curry recipes here, I have something new for you. I have made a quintessentially Bengali fish curry with salmon. The sorshe maach or Bengali fish in mustard sauce, is a beautiful spiced and yummy delicacy. The heat comes from the use of fresh chilis and the mustard seeds paste add a delectable pungency. And this deliciousness is best enjoyed with some steaming rice.
To be honest, I was a tad bit skeptical about how salmon would pair with the mustard paste. But to my surprise, the combination turned out to be mouth watering! This sorshe jhol tasted as good as it does with fresh water fishes. So, if you love salmon and also a yummy Bengali curry, the this curry should definitely be on your to-do list. You will be in for a treat – I promise! On the other hand, you could absolutely go ahead make it even with cod and haddock too.
Also see,
Sorshe narkel chingri (mustard coconut prawn curry)
Fish rezala (Bengali style fish in white sauce)
Doi maach – Bengali fish curry with yoghurt
Dharosh sorshe (Okra in mustard sauce)
Pomfret fish curry (Bengali style)
Easy sorshe salmon recipe
In Bengali, mustard is called sorshe and fish is called maach, hence sorshe maach stands for “fish with mustard.” There are a lot of ways in which the sorshe maach is cooked. For instance, with onions and without, with garlic and without, also some recipes suggest adding a little bit of yoghurt too. However, my recipe is very simple and very basic. It has got a tempering of nigella seeds and is cooked with onions, that’s about it. And I love it this way so much that, I haven’t modified it, at all. This one comes from maa and her fish curries are the best! So, I have just stuck with that, and happily so. 🙂
However, the consistency of the sorshe maach (Bengali fish in mustard sauce) is a personal choice. While some enjoy a lighter, thin curry, some prefer a thick, makha makha curry. Therefore, you could add water while cooking, to adjust the curry’s consistency, as per your preference. Since we enjoy a semi-thick curry with rice, I have used water accordingly.
Serving suggestions
The best way to devour this deliciousness is to team it up with a bowl of steamed rice. Fish curry, rice and chilis on the side, is all you will need to have a hearty meal. You can enjoy this for lunch or dinner. Also, this can be made very easily for a weeknight dinner, since it is a quick and easy recipe. I hope you are going to enjoy this yummy, spicy and pungent curry as much as we do. And I can tell you from experience, everyone loves this curry!
So, I hope you make it soon. And if you do, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you. You can drop me a comment below, rate my recipe or even share pictures with me on Instagram. I’ll be eagerly waiting. 🙂
Eat hearty!
Sorshe maach (Bengali fish in mustard sauce)
Equipment
- Shallow cooking pot
Ingredients
- 500 g salmon fillets
- 2 tbsp mustard seeds soaked in water for 30 minutes
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 tbsp onion seeds (kalonji)
- 3-4 fresh chilis slit
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 4-6 tbsp mustard oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the fish fillets. Apply a teaspoon of turmeric and some salt on them and set aside
- Heat the mustard oil until it smokes and add the salmon fillets. Fry them for a minute on both sides. Remove and keep them aside
- Add the mustard seeds to a mixer/grinder jar with 4-5 tablespoons of water
- Grind it to a smooth paste. This might take a few rounds, but make sure the paste is smooth
- Once all the fillets are fried and done, in the remaining oil, add the onion seeds and chilis
- When they turn fragrant, add the sliced onions
- Let them turn translucent and add the mustard paste, turmeric and salt
- Sautee´for 3-4 minutes and then add 2 cups of water
- Let this curry come to a simmer
- Then add the fried salmon fillets and cook for another 6-8 minutes
- Serve the sorshe maach (Bengali fish in mustard sauce) with steaming hot rice and enjoy!
Notes
- Besides replacing the salmon with river water fishes like rohu and katla you could also use cod and haddock for this recipe
- 1 cup = 250 milliliters
- tbsp - tablespoon
- tsp - teaspoon
