Fish rezala (Bengali style fish in white gravy)
The Bengali fish rezala is a delicious and fragrant Mughlai recipe made with yoghurt, poppy seeds and cashew nut paste. This fragrant fish curry tastes best when paired with steamed rice or lightly seasoned rice recipes
Equipment
- Shallow cooking pot
Ingredients
- 500 g salmon (or rohu/katla/tilapia) cut in steaks
- 1 cup onion roughly chopped
- 1 inch ginger roughly chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 4 tbsp yoghurt whisked until lump free
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
- 6-7 cashew nuts soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp shahi jeera caraway seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 dried red chilli
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 2-3 green cardamom
- 1-2 cloves
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp Bengali garam masala*
- ¼ tsp kewra essence
- ¼ tsp rosewater
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 2-3 fresh chilis slit
- 3-4 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Drain the poppy seeds and the cashews and grind to a smooth paste with very little water, make sure that this paste isn't grainy, once done keep it aside. Also, grind the onions, ginger and garlic to a smooth paste without any water
- Wash and pat dry the fish pieces and then rub them with a teaspoon of salt. Heat the oil in your cooking pot and fry the fish pieces, 3-4 minutes each side. Drain and set aside
- In the same oil, add all the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom, caraway seeds, bay leaf, dried chili, cloves, peppercorns). When fragrant over medium heat, add the onion, ginger, garlic paste and cook until it doesn't smell raw
- Add the poppy seed- cashew nut paste, mix well and cook until oil separates. Lower the flame and add the yoghurt, mix well and cook until oil surfaces on top
- Add the coriander powder, salt and sugar along with ¼ cup hot water, once this comes to a boil, add the fried fish pieces. Stir them well in the curry, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes
- Turn the flame off, add the fresh chillis, ghee, garam masala, rose water and kewra water, gently mix all these in and keep covered for 10 minutes
- Serve your delicious Bengali fish rezala with steamed rice or any lightly seasoned rice of choice. Enjoy!
Notes
- *To make the Bengali garam masala, dry roast equal quantities of cinnamon, green cardamom and cloves, until fragrant. Cool and grind to a fine powder, store in air tight jar and use as needed
- 1 cup = 250 millilitres
- tbsp - tablespoon
- tsp - teaspoon
- g - grams