A simply flavored ‘maacher jhol’ made with seasonal potatoes and cauliflower florets for days when you want to go easy on the spice without compromising on the taste
India is blessed with a staggering 7, 516 kilometers of coastline. And, it is all but natural then, that you will find a huge fish-eating community in the country. However, not every region consumes the same type of fish or the same type of fish curry. This is so because, the coastline touches almost nine states and four Union Territories and every region has its own unique recipe. Also, you will find people in the eastern, some parts of northern and central India consume sweet water fishes. Whereas, those in the western and southern parts mainly have sea fishes. This is the result of the type of water bodies (seas, rivers, creeks, lakes etc) around them and fishes locally available in it. This Bengali fish curry with potatoes and cauliflower recipe, from the eastern state of West Bengal, is made with rui maach – a sweet water fish.
In Bengali, a fish curry is known as ‘maacher jhol,‘ where maach means fish and jhol is curry. Rui is the Bengali for Indian carp or rohu (Hindi). It is one of the most commonly eaten fishes in the eastern belt and is prepared in a lot of ways. My recipe here, is a rather simple one, the one we make at home especially in the winters. That’s because, both new potatoes and cauliflower are winter produce and that makes this curry even more delicious. While both these vegetables are available round the year, they taste much sweeter in season. This Bengali fish curry with potatoes and cauliflower is minimally, yet aptly spiced, letting the flavors of the fish and the vegetables shine through.
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The jhol
This recipe is one of the classics that Bengali cuisine offers. And something that my mum makes quite often. So, this one is also something I have learned from her. Generally, only potatoes and cauliflower florets are added to this jhol, as far as vegetables are concerned. Of course, this is besides the onions and tomatoes. While potatoes are normally added in fish curries from this region, the cauliflower uplifts the flavors of the curry even more.
The jhol is made with minimal spices. In fact, even garam masala isn’t used here. Remember, I had mentioned, it is a light curry. The main aromatic that is added, is roasted cumin powder, as a garnish. The earthy fragrance of this spice, lingers on until the curry is served. Moreover, this is a fairly quick and easy fish curry. There isn’t much of a pre-preparation that you will need to spend time on too.
Best with steamed rice
The only way to devour this hearty Bengali fish curry with potatoes and cauliflower, is with a plate full of rice. Just steam some long grain or Basmati rice and serve the maacher jhol with some lime wedges on the side. Also, since this curry isn’t masala heavy, it is best enjoyed hot and fresh. Do make this fish curry when you get fresh rui next time. And when you do, don’t forget to let me know your feedback. You can share your food pictures with me on Instagram and Facebook. You can also write to me in the comments section below. I’d truly love to hear from you.
Eat hearty!
Bengali fish curry with potatoes and cauliflower
Equipment
- Shallow cooking pot
Ingredients
- 1 kg Rui fish rohu (Indian carp)
- 1 big onion diced
- 2 medium potato cut in thick wedges
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder optional
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves for garnishing
- 4-5 green chillis optional
- ¼ cup mustard oil for frying and cooking
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash the fish pieces well and pat dry them. Apply some salt and half the turmeric and chilli powder to them
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of mustard oil until it starts smoking, turn the flame down and fry the fish pieces - a minute on both sides. Drain from the oil and keep aside
- In the same oil, fry the potatoes and cauliflower florets until they get a light brown color on them. Drain and set aside
- Grind together the onions, two chilis and the garlic to a fine paste. Heat some more oil and add the onion mixture paste, fry this out until the raw smell of the onions goes off
- Add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder, with some water, and cook until oil separates
- Now add the potatoes and cauliflower florets and mix well. Add about a cup of water, cover and cook until the veggies are cooked
- Now, add the fried fish pieces, tomatoes and two more slit chilis, cover and cook for five more minutes. Turn the flame off, add the roasted cumin powder and coriander leaves
- Keep covered for five minutes and serve the fish curry hot with steamed rice and some lime wedges on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make roasted cumin powder, dry roast cumin seeds until fragrant, completely cool them and grind to a coarse powder
- You may completely omit the chilis and chilli powder in the recipe
- 1 cup = 250 millilitres
- tbsp - tablespoon
- tsp - teaspoon
- g - grams
looks very authentic and yummy
Thank you so much 🙂
love you