Ilisher Mudo diye Shorshe jhal / Hilsa head cooked with Mustard paste

The phone came at sharp 12 o'clock in the noon.
That one phone call that I look forward to every year.
As soon as the monsoons start.
That one phone call that spells happiness for me.
Happiness that lasts me for almost a whole year.
"Madam, ek piece mila hai, 1 kg tak, anda bhi hai".... said my fishmonger.
"Le lo".... I croaked.

My fishmonger calls me from the main market as soon as he sees a good hilsa and calls me.
Only after I confirm I am in town and only if the fish matches my specifications does he buy it.
And I go and collect it from him.
This time, my bad throat and illness notwithstanding, I said yes.
But then the season was getting over and I still hadn't got my hands on a good Hilsa / Ilish.
And that was making me very restless.
Everytime I enquired I was told that getting a good sized hilsa has been very difficult this year since all the good sized Hilsa were being exported.

I am finicky about my ilish.
I have grown up not on the Padma's ilish but the best of Kolaghat Ilish ... and hence know a good ilish.
I would rather wait for the whole year and get one good ilish than fall prey to my greed and buy just any other faux ilish and show off.
No sir .... not me.
I know my ilish ... I can hear Bapi's voice describing how to know a good Ilish.
And the words are imprinted in my memory forever, along with his voice.

And when I think of this  Kolaghat ilish, my memories take me back home and the tumultuous monsoons in our small hilly town where Bapi had set up his factory. 
After an early lunch, on any given day, S Pishi (aunt) would call out to Bapi asking him to gather the drivers and get the cars ready.
And, with a twinkle in her eye, she would smile at us and ask us to get ready.
We would immediately catch on the excitement. 
Because it would mean only one thing ... a long drive and a picnic!!
And of course Kolaghat ... which means ... Ilish!!

Ma and Pishi would quickly rustle up a mix of muri/puffed rice and chanachur and all of us would pile into the cars and off we would go.
The drive would be filled with lots of singing, jokes and munching on the muri chanachur while the rain pelted the windows. At times, we would stop and get down for the elders to grab a cup of tea from a small stall on the roadside in the middle of nowhere.
On our return journey, Ma and Pishi would surely get down if they saw a haat / village market and that would mean loads of local, fresh vegetables.

Now that I look back, I realise that much of my love for travel and interest in the details and history of places, my love for the simple life of the countryside and villages, for nature and knowing every single local plant, fruit and leaves and their usage in our lives .... the credit goes to my S pishi.
And it were those picnics that were my classrooms.

Coming back to my Ilish, I did bring it home.
And since it was a weekday, indulged in some bhaja ilish with some hot rice for dinner.
I am often at my wits end as to what to make with the head ... it is after all only one head and there are so many ways to enjoy it.
After much thought, I decide on this jhaal with one half.
The other half will have to be the tauk / ambol ... my ever favourite.

Considering the dreaded bones of the ilish, this jhaal is not for the faint hearted.
Do try to be very careful while eating this or the fine bones may create trouble for you.
I suggest you use the front of the head ... the bones are bigger here and hence more manageable.

Need :

Ilish head - fried and broken into pieces
Potato - 1 medium, sliced
Onion - 1 medium, sliced
Mustard paste - around 2 tbsp
( I used two of my frozen cubes that was made by soaking both black and white mustard seeds, ground to a paste and strained )
Green chillies - 4 to 5
Kalo jeere / Nigella seeds - 1 tsp
Haldi powder - 1 tsp salt + haldi powder.
Mustard oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - a pinch
Water - a little

How to :

Heat the oil in a kadahi / wok.

Add the nigella seeds and green chillies.

Add the sliced onions and fry for a while.

Now add the potatoes + turmeric powder + salt.

Cover and cook till the potatoes are done.

Remove cover and add the fish head pieces + mustard paste + a little water + sugar.

Check for salt and add if needed.

Cover and cook for a while.

Remove cover and mix everything together well.

Pour 1 tsp of mustard oil all over and add a few more green chillies.
Cover, remove from heat and let it stand for a few minutes.

Serve hot with rice.

Enjoy!!


Here are a few more Ilish recipes for you to enjoy in this monsoon.

Ilish er Muri Ghonto / Hilsa head cooked with rice and spices

"There she goes again! She and her Ilish!"

I know, I know. I have a little too many Ilish recipes on my blog.
But then, I am sure you are not complaining. Or are you?
Come monsoons and I do buy at least one Hilsa fish to satiate my cravings for it. After all, I wait patiently the whole year through and never make do with the false ones, from the shores of Gujarat or Andhra, that make their way into the markets through out the year.
And my fishwala never disappoints me too.
"Aapke liye sirf Kalkatta Hilsa", he says.

And when I get that more than one kilo of divinely smelling fish home, I have to rustle up all the recipes I know with the Ilish.
The head, the tail, the petis, the gadas,  the roe ... all have different recipes to go into.
And I make full use of them.
Resulting in a happy me, with a zen like smile on my face, that you can get to see only on a cat after it leaves a kitchen that has just seen fish cooked.
And some good Ilish posts.
And a grumpy B, who has to suffer through these 2 months of monsoons when I get the Ilish home.

But this year, I haven't brought an Ilish home; not yet.
I had a couple of recipes lying around from last to last year and hence making some posts.
The last one and this. I don't think I have anymore.
And I don't think I will be cooking the Ilish this time.
Will go to my current favourite Assamese restaurant when I get the craving.

Of late, I have seen a number of people coming over here, browse through and then only too soon I see a post on their blogs.
Most of them think they are savvy enough to make changes to the recipe by adding a spoonful of an unnecessary ingredient just to make it look different. Like adding jeera to a recipe that has mustard seeds as tempering is so out and out foolish.
And sometimes a shoddy photograph along with one of mine.
I am assuming that they are new bloggers but at times there are older bloggers too.
All I say to them is dear ones, do be a little original.
I know these recipes are common but there can be a whole bunch of changes in them from family to family.
Like picking up my Thamma's recipe and saying it is your cook's recipe is just not done.

And as for plagiarism of ideas, I really have nothing to say.
Have long given up hope of seeing any light in these blokes' brains.

Coming to today's recipe,  I had made a light Ilish er jhol with cumin and ginger paste.
Remember?  If not, it is here.


So I had this masala left and wanted to use it with the Ilish head this time.
Did not want an ambol or tauk.
So decided on the muri ghonto.

I had never made muri ghonto with anything other than the Rui or the Katla head. So this was going to be new.  It does not have any onion or garlic and hence can be called a Niramish muri ghonto too. 

The fact that Ilish has a lot more and much finer bones in the head did not deter me at all.
My Dadu, Ma's father, was well known for his ability to chew and finish off all the bones of  the Ilish head. 
And as his grand daughter, the least I could do was to try it once.


 Need :

For the Jeera paste : -
Jeera / Cumin seeds - around 5 tbsp, soak for around 3 hours
Ginger - 1 and ½" piece
Whole red chillies - 4 (if you like spicy then use around 6 or 7)
Tomato - 2 medium sized

Other ingredients : -

Ilish head - 1 , cleaned and marinated with a little turmeric powder+salt
Tej pata / Bay leaves - 2
Rice - 1 cup, washed and soaked ( I used Basmati )
Cooking oil - 2 + 2 tbsp ( I use Mustard oil )
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Whole red chillies - 2, broken
Lemon juice - 4 tbsp
Bhaja moshla - 1 tbsp
The jeera paste - 3 tbsp 
Salt - to taste
Water - 2 cups

How to : 

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy kadahi / wok.
Lightly fry the fish head, break into pieces and keep aside.


In another kadahi / wok, heat 2 tbsp oil + ghee.

Add the bay leaves + whole red chillies + the jeera paste.

Stir well and keep frying till oil starts to leave the sides.

Add the rice and lightly fry.

Raise heat, add the fish head pieces + turmeric powder + lemon juice + salt + water.

Cover and cook till rice is just done.

Remove cover, sprinkle the bhaja moshla all over, give a light toss and cover.

Switch off heat after 5 minutes and let it stand for another 5 minutes.

Done!

I like to keep the rice grains fluffy and separated though traditionally the muri ghonto is slightly sticky.
You can add chopped potatoes to it too.

I love it just as it is.
As a whole meal, if I do not have guests.

Rustle up a salad or a raita and you are good to go.
Enjoy!!


Here is a list of my Ilish / Hilsa recipes to enjoy in this monsoon. 

Doi Shorshe Ilish / Hilsa in yoghurt and mustard sauce - the stove top way

The monsoons and the Hilsa come to us together. Hand in hand.
Both make their way into our hearts with ease.
One drenches us with sweet, life giving rain ... washing away the dust and the heat and all things painful ... leaving behind a cleaner, fresher new time.
The other makes its way to our plates and satiates us after months of waiting for its arrival.
Both, in their own ways soothes a Bengali's soul.

I have been away from the blog and my routine daily life for a while now. There are times when family takes precedence and you have to give it its due.
There have been mornings, of late,  when instead of thinking of my morning tea, I have had to think of breakfast that will suit every palate.
And then lunches and dinners.
And guests and relatives.
At times it is overwhelming.
At others, boisterous and happy.
Seeing everybody stick around at times of crisis can be a hugely heart warming experience.

I do not think I will have much Ilish this time ... both to cook as well as eat.
After returning, I went through my drafts to see if there was anything that I could make a quick post on, before rushing off for another trip.
And found these photographs languishing from last year.

I usually always bake whenever I make the shorshe Ilish.
But this time, I had made it on the open stove top.
And found there was a definite change in the flavours.
For example, the Kalo jeere / Nigella seeds do not lend that strong flavour when used in the baking version as they do here .... when released into the hot mustard oil.
Even there is a difference in the flavour of the green chillies.
Also the gravy here misses that distinct smoky flavour that we get when cooking it in the oven.
The baked version is here.

Need :

Ilish / Hilsa  - 4 pieces, marinated with salt + turmeric powder and lightly fried in mustard oil
White mustard seeds  - 6 tbsp
Black mustard seeds - 4 tbsp 
Kalo jeere / Nigella seeds - ½ tsp
Halsi / Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Curd - 8 tbsp
Mustard oil - 4 tbsp
Green chillies - 3 pieces
Salt - to taste 

How to :

Soak  the mustard seeds in water for 3 hours.
Add enough water to grind  into a smooth paste. I never add salt or green chillies when grinding mustard seeds.
Do remember that the grinder should not turn hot while grinding the mustard. Else your mustard paste will turn bitter. Use short pulses when grinding.
I keep the soaked seeds in the fridge for around 15 minutes before grinding.
Strain it through a sieve.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadahi / wok.

Make a smooth paste of 6 tbsp mustard seeds paste and  the curd.

Add the nigella seeds and green chillies.

Add the paste and stir well for a minute.

Add water, salt and turmeric powder.

Cover and cook till it starts to simmer.

Add the fish pieces and cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove cover, pour in the rest of the mustard oil all over it.

Switch off heat and cover and let it stand for a while.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Enjoy!!



Check out my other Ilish recipes here. 

Ilish recipes on Kichu Khonn 

Narkel dudh diye Ilish / Hilsa cooked in coconut milk

While the season is in and I am still on the topic of Ilish, I thought I should finally post this wonderful recipe that I had tried out and absolutely loved, some two years back.

Just my kind of cooking, simple yet flavourful, this recipe has the wonderful sweetness of the coconut milk infused with that unique flavour of the Hilsa fish.
With a hint of jeera in that mustard paste, the flavour is just great.

My blogger friend  Arundhuti S. Rama of the beautiful blog My Saffron Kitchen, had shared this recipe, which actually belongs to her mother.
I had tried it out then and had clicked some photos too. But never got 'round to making a post on it.
Finally bringing it out into the light.

Thank you Arundhuti Rama and Mashima for this wonderful recipe!

Need:

Ilish pieces - 3, lightly fried
Mustard oil - 1 tbsp
Thick Coconut milk - 6 tbsp
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

For the paste :
Yellow mustard seeds / shada shorshe  - 1 tbsp (soaked for around half an hour)
Posto / khus khus  - 1 tsp (soaked for around half an hour )
Jeera / cumin seeds - half teaspoon
Green chillies - 2

How to  :

Make a paste of all the mentioned ingredients.

Heat the mustard oil , add the paste and keep frying till the rawness goes away.

When it starts to get slightly dryish add the coconut milk and stir well.

Add the fish pieces, adjust salt and cover and cook till you get the desired consistency of the gravy.

Remove from heat.
Serve hot with rice.

Enjoy!!

Aloo Begun diye Ilish maacher jhol

This is another very light macher jhol.
The flavour of kalo jeere / nigella seeds along with the green chillies is enough to bring out the beautiful and light flavour of the Ilish.
Simmer it as long as you want to. The more the time, the better the jhol soaks up the beautiful flavour of the Ilish. And vice versa.

I do not usually add tomatoes to this jhol.
But when I get the beautiful, local grown tomatoes ... the roundish ones .... I do add one to this.
Just one small tomato is enough to bring some required sourness to this jhol to perfectly balance the flavours. 

If you get the hybrid, longish variety, you can skip the addition of it totally.
And yes, no sugar in this jhol.

Can't type much.
So straight to the recipe.

Need :

Pieces of the Ilish - 3, lightly fried
Potato / Aloo - 1 medium, cut lengthwise
Brinjals / Begun - 1 small, cut lengthwise
Tomato - 1, cut lengthwise
Kalo jeere / Nigella seeds - ½ tsp
Fresh green chillies - 2, broken
Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Mustard oil - 2 tbsp ( less if you prefer )
Water - enough for the jhol of your desired consistency

 How to :

Heat the oil in a deep kadahi.
Add the kalo jeere + green chillies.
Immediately add the potatoes and stir them well on high heat for around a minute.
Lower heat and add the haldi, a little salt and water.
Cover and cook till the potatoes are half done.
Now add the brinjal pieces. If needed add some more water.
Check for proper salt.
Cover and cook till the vegetables are done.
 Remove cover and add the tomatoes.
Cover and cook till the tomatoes are soft.
Remove cover and add some more water, if needed.

Now add the fish and cover again.
Simmer for around 10 minutes or more.
The gravy should get enough time to soak up the flavours of the fish.

Serve hot with steaming hot plain rice.
A fresh squirt of lemin juice and some green chillies to go with it, this makes for a perfect, light, monsoon lunch.


Enjoy!!

Jeere baata diye Ilish macher paatla jhol

I haven't been lucky enough to be able to cook Ilish this year. But do have a lot of photos and recipes languishing in my folders.
I was actually waiting for the season to be able to post them. Posting them on any other time of the year makes no sense, at least to me, when you cannot try them out, no matter how sincerely you want to.

When I looked into the folder where I had typed out this recipe in a hurry, when I had made this last to last year, the first line I saw was this -   ilisher jhol ( my way .. tried , good)
:-) 


The jhol turns out to be very light, fragrant with the distinct smell of jeera / cumin and the Ilish.
As with my other light jhol recipes, this too needs to be simmered for a longish time for the ilish to soak up the flavours of the jeera.
And also for the jhol to soak up the flavours of the ilish.

The taste and flavour of roasted jeera is very different from raw jeera.
So do not even try to think of substituting the raw jeera with it. 

I have tried adding chopped dhone pata / coriander leaves at the end too.
And loved it.

So if you are a purist and already screaming sacrilege, I'd say go ahead. But after that, give this a try.
No, you do not have to come back to say you liked it.
I know you will.
:-)

 Need :

For the Jeera paste : -
Jeera / Cumin seeds - around 5 tbsp, soak for around 3 hours
Ginger - 1 and ½" piece
Whole red chillies - 4 (if you like spicy then use around 6 or 7)
Tomato - 2 medium sized

For the jhol : -
Ilish / Hilsa - 4 pieces , lightly fried
Mustard oil - around 3 tbsp
Haldi / Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp (optional)
Salt - to taste
Water - enough for gravy
Lemon - half

How to :

Make a smooth paste of the jeera+ginger+red chillies+tomato.
(If you feel it is too much in quantity, use some and freeze the rest. You can use it later. )


Heat the oil in a kadahi.

Now add the jeera paste and fry well till the raw smell is gone.

Add the haldi and the red chilli powder.
Fry well till dryish and oil starts to leave the sides.

Add water and salt.
Cover and bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer for around 3 minutes.

Add the fried Ilish / Hilsa pieces.
Squeeze in the lemon lightly.

Cover and let it simmer for a good 10 minutes.
The oil will float on the top.

Done!
Remove from heat.

A very light Ilisher jhol, fragrant with the combination of jeera and ilish,  is ready.
Serve hot with plain, steamed rice.

Enjoy!!

Kalo Jeere bata ar Lau diye Ilisher Matha / Hilsa cooked with Bottle gourd

( Vegetarians can enjoy this dish too. Just ignore the adding of the fish part in the recipe and serve with chopped fresh coriander leaves.)

I had started food blogging with no particular aim ... not even of keeping my recipes for myself. And with time got hooked to it. The more friends I made, the more people visited my blog, the more I got mails ... the more the addiction.

But I cannot overlook the fact that my blogging has been marred with breaks and has me thinking if it is jinxed for me. I am not superstitious ...
 still cannot make out why the moment I do a few posts, I have to take a break ...
that are turning longer by the time ...
with health related issues.

I am not ready to turn superstitious just yet ... but do wonder if having a havan done for Kichu Khon or chanting of a few mantras would let me do my favourite thing in peace ..
... i.e. cook and share it with you all.

And since I have not yet found the answer,
I am thinking of at least hanging a string of nimbu mirchi from my nose when
I sit down to make a post.  :-)

Am slowly getting back my kitchen to myself.
And was waiting for a taste of this year's Ilish/Hilsa.
Since I have been traveling a lot in the recent past, I did not get the chance of having ilish
even once this season.
So when my fishwala called, I rushed and bought a good 1.5 kg 'Kalkatta ka Ilish'.
Ilsih from Calcutta means Ganga's Ilsih ...
which is said to be tastier than the other varieties.

The fish was good.
Not too small ... too small sized Ilish has too many bones ... thin as threads ... and very difficult to deal with.
Not too big ... too big and with too much roe fish does not taste as good.

And after relishing the plain Ilish Bhaja, Patla Jhol, Ambol, and Chanchra,
I still had a few pieces and part head left.
Wanted something different, so called out to my FB friends for a recipe.

Sudeshna suggested making it with Lau / Lauki / the Bottle gourd
after coming to know of the few vegetables I had in my fridge.

Thanks Sudeshna for the quick suggestion!

 I'd been watching a lot of cookery shows the past few months and all the Bengali channels had Ilish as the main ingredient ever since the monsoons started.
And I kept track of all the recipes.

Since the Ilish is such a flavourful fish, too many masalas are not needed.
Just a variation in the tempering and you will get a wonderful dish!

So here is a new dish that I made with the Ilisher matha.
It was so good I did not need anything else to go with my plate of steaming hot rice!
I believe this will make a wonderful dish on the side if you are planning
a traditional Bengali meal or feast.

Here's is how I made it.

Need :  One Ilish / Hilsa head - medium sized

( marinate with some salt and turmeric powder ... no need to keep for longer than 10 mins )

Mustard oil - around 6 tbsp

Kalo Jeere / Kalaunji - around 4 tbsp

Kalo Morich / Black Pepper - 1 tbsp

Lau / Lauki - 1 medium sized

Grated Ginger - 1 tbsp

Green Chillies - 3

Haldi / Turmeric powder - a pinch ( not more )

Salt - to taste

Sugar - to taste - 1 small pinch

How to :

Peel and chop the Lau into small sized pieces.

Grind the Kalo Jeere and the Black Pepper seperately in the mixer ... without water.

( I just ran the Kalaunji twice  but made a finer powder of the black pepper ).

Heat the mustard oil in a kadahi / wok.

Fry the fish head well on all sides ... cover after letting in  and when turning ... splutters real bad.

Do not over fry or brown it too much.

Remove and lightly break it into pieces ... usually pressing it down with a strong ladle helps it to break into proper sized pieces. 

Heat a little more oil in a fresh kadahi

( usually the same oil is used but if the oil gets burnt or there is too much turmeric when frying the head, it affects the taste ).

Break the green chillies into half and add them to the oil.

Next, add the chopped lau and toss well.

Now add the grated ginger, a little turmeric, sugar and salt.

Cover and cook till the lau is almost done.

Remove cover and add the ground Kalo jeere / Kalaunji.

Cover again and cook for 5 mins. This helps in the flavours to seep in.

Now remove cover and add the fish head and replace cover.
Do check if there is enough moisture or add a little water if needed.

Cook for 10 more minutes.

Remove the cover, sprinkle the ground black pepper and give a good stir.

Replace cover and remove from heat.

Serve with hot steamed rice and a dal on the side.

This dish turned out to be one of my best experiments so far!

It is so different that I'd encourage vegetarians to try making the Lauki this way once.

Enjoy!

Other Ilish Recipes on Kichu Khon

Baked Shorse Ilish 

Ilisher Matha diye Ambol

Ilisher Dim diye Ambol

Ilish Maach Bhaja

Ilisher Chenchra 

Ilisher Dim Makha

Ilisher Patla Jhol

Ilisher Matha Diye Ambol / Hilsa Head in a Sweet and Sour Gravy

This is a hurried post ... so not too much of rambling today.

In my hurry to get over with my Ilish / Hilsa recipe series, I overlooked one recipe. The very favourite ambol / tauk / tok with ilish head.

And I got three requests ... two mails and one comment ... all in one day. So leaving aside a half done post, I am posting this for my readers. :-)

This recipe with ilisher matha / hilsa head, was a regular in my home .... my ma used tamarind while Thamma (grandmom) used dried mangoes ( there we call it amchur ... but now I know the powdered dry mango is actually called amchur) for the sourness.

And Thamma used to add a little diluted mustard paste to any ambol she cooked. I love the flavour ... but have not used it in my recipes.

In fact, since I was cooking for myself, I made the ambol for both the ilish roe and the head at one shot. ( You cannot miss the roe in the gravy). ;-)



Need : Ilisher matha bhaja / Hilsa head ... marinated with a little turmeric powder and salt and fried in mustard oil,
some fresh curry leaves,
whole dry red chillies, mustard seeds, a little cooking oil,
tamarind pulp diluted with water, salt and sugar to taste.

How to : Break the fried fish head into medium sized pieces.

Heat a little oil in a kadhai / wok / pan. Add the mustard seeds.

When they start to splutter, add the red chillies and then the tamarind water.

If you want to add a little mustard paste, add now. Bring to a boil.

Adjust salt and sugar. It is entirely up to you to decide how you like it ... a little too sour ... or a little more sweet ... or salty and sour ...

Add the ilish maccher matha / fish head pieces and boil for some more time.
The consistency of the gravy for an ambol / tok / tauk is very thin ... almost watery. So keep that in mind when boiling it.



The ilish head has a very unique taste and after soaking up the gravy, it gets even more tastier and flavorful. Goes great with plain rice.


Scrunch on, dear all. Enjoy !! :-)

Ilisher Dim Makha / Fried Hilsa Roe tossed with onions and chillies

I know, I know. This Hilsa thing is getting way too much. My comments section too is reflecting this monotony.
Haven't heard from my veggie friends at all ( Updated : oooooops ... some of them ... not all :-) ) . And I don't blame them. But what can I do?

I have got this fish ... am cooking it ... am trying to eat it. Trying? Yes ... am done now ... no more Ilish for me the whole year now. But when I am cooking it after all, how can I not post the recipes?

It has been ages since I posted a recipe a day ... but I really want to get this over with now.

Unfortunately I have no vegetarian substitute to give for these recipes. So please bear with me ... there will be only a couple more posts on this ... promise. :-)

This time, since I got a huge bulk of Ilish roe, I made good use of it. After enjoying the plain fried roe, I still had some more left. So decided to make a makha (mix) with some fresh onions and mustard oil.

Makha is very common in Bengali cuisine .... rather ... daily meals. The raw mustard oil gives a perfect flavour and turns any bland and boring stuff to simply exotic to taste.
This is called the Ilisher dimer jhura too.

I really wish I had some fresh green chillies ... but I had run out of them. Instead I dry roasted some whole dry chillies and broke them on the makha. That turned out great too. But if you are trying this ... do make it with fresh green chillies.

Need : Ilisher dim / Hilsa roe, marinated with salt and turmeric, chopped onions[ and green chillies], whole dry red chillies, some mustard oil.

How to : Heat a little mustard oil in a kadhai / wok and fry the marinated roe.
Remove and cool.
Dry roast (or fry with a little oil) the red chillies.

Break the roe ... it will crumble easily. Now add the chopped onions [and the green chillies]. Crush the red chillies on it.
Pour a spoonful of raw mustard oil. Mix well.



Done!! :-)
Great on the side with plain rice.

Ilish Maacher Dim diye Ambol / Hilsa Roe in a Sweet and Sour Gravy

Ambol or Tauk/Tawk is a sour dish that is usually served at the end of a proper Bengali meal. The aim is to create enough salivation to aid in digestion and also to clean the palate for the final round ... i.e. the sweet dish.

Ambol usually has tamarind for the sourness ... but is sometimes made with pieces of dried mango too. Usually different types of small fish like Chuno punti or Mourala is used.

Sometimes vegetables like the bhindi / okra and brinjal/eggplant can be used too to make a vegetarian ambol.

This time I had some good Ilish roe. So like the ambol made with the Ilish head back home ( recipe coming up next ) , I made it with the Ilish roe/dim.

The Ilish roe/dim itself is so flavourful that just frying it is enough to chomp on and enjoy.But when in the sour gravy, it turns even more flavourful. Too good!



Need : Ilisher bhaja dim / Hilsa roe marinated with a little turmeric powder and salt and fried in mustard oil,
some fresh curry leaves, whole dry red chillies, mustard seeds,
a little cooking oil, tamarind pulp diluted with water, salt and sugar to taste.

How to : Cut the fried fish roe into bite sized pieces.

Heat a little oil in a kadhai / wok / pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add the red chillies and then the tamarind water.

Bring to a boil. Adjust salt and sugar. It is entirely up to you to decide how you like it ... a little too sour ... or a little more sweet ... or salty and sour ...

Add the ilish maccher dim / fish roe pieces carefully and keep boiling.
Do not stir too much ... the roe might break.

The consistency of the gravy for an ambol / tok / tauk is very thin ... almost watery. So keep that in mind when boiling it.



Serve cool or cold with rice.
I personally like it after keeping it in the fridge for a while ... with plain rice and some fresh green chillies.

All you fish loving folks ... enjoy!! :-)

Bhapa Shorshe Ilish / Hilsa Baked in Mustard Sauce

When I made this dish .... Shorshe Ilish Bake last year, I had just about started food blogging. Did not have a very good idea on weilding the camera and did not get a this decent sized fish.

But this is my favourite Ilish dish and I made it this tme too. It is the other version of Bhapa Ilish or the steam cooked Ilisih / Hilsa. The sauce or gravy is the same ... only instead of steaming it, I bake it in an oven.

My ma used to make this ... and I absolutely love the way the house fills with the aroma of slow baked mustard gravy and the distinct smell that the Ilish / Hilsa has.

Usually fresh and raw fish is used for this ... just like in the Bhapa Ilish. But I prefer to very lightly fry the fish before putting it into the gravy to cook.


Need : Ilsih pieces ... marinated with turmeric and salt and fried in mustard oil ( if using raw, then just apply salt to it ) ,

mustard paste ( soak mustard seeds in water for around a couple of hours and grind into a paste, add some water and strain it ),

curd, mustard oil, fresh whole green chillies, salt and sugar to taste.

How to : Just fill an ovenproof bowl with the diluted mustard paste + a little curd + salt + a little sugar + a few whole green chillies + a couple of spoonfuls of mustard oil ( yes, this is necessary both for flavour and taste + the Ilish pieces ( raw or lightly fried).

If using raw fish , add a pinch of haldi / turmeric powder.

Bake in the oven at 180-200 degreec C. It has to be slow cooked till the gravy thickens slightly.



Done! Serve with hot steamed rice.

Since I cooked the pieces with the roe, I got to taste Ilisher dim/roe in this mustard based gravy too. Was absolutely great! :-)


Enjoy all !!

This too goes to Indrani's event on fish.

Ilish Maach Bhaja / Fried Hilsa Fish

Come monsoons and Bengalis everywhere look forward to one thing ... the very favourite and a delicacy worth giving your right arm for ... the Ilish or the Hilsa fish.

This fish is so sought after that it's price is skyrocketing year by year . A must in every Bengali's plate this time of the year, Bengali cuisine is not complete unless a few Ilish recipes are mentioned or cooked and served.
Even if it is not the season for Ilish, it would still dominate conversations when food is the topic.

Ilish is enjoyed in a variety of dishes ..... starting from the plain 'bhaja' or fry that is usually had as a starter to a meal .... to the sour dish called 'Ambol' (recipe coming up next) that ends a proper Bengali meal.

One piece of a fried Ilish / Hilsa is enough to down a plateful of hot Khichuri while it is pouring outside ... yes ... khichuri and Ilish are a great and classic combo. :-)

My fishwala has disappeared without a warning .... again. So while I was busy directing homesick Bengalis new to the city as to where to buy good Ilish from, I had not got a look or a whiff of this fabulous thing ..... till last week.

The other half took me to Oh!Calcutta. We did not sit down for a meal this time, but packed a dish for myself. But nah ... I was totally disappointed. The fish tasted bad ... am sure it was frozen. So could not have more than a few spoonfuls of the greasy gravy.



A couple of days back, the hubby took me for a much needed short drive... something that was so common and has been so missed for almost a whole month. On the way, we saw a fish market on the roadside. And stopped to have a look. There were some great Ilish ... big sized ( read less notorious fine bones ) and also with roe.

Though I have heard my Thamma ( paternal grandmom) say that fish with roe ( maacher dim ) does not taste as good as they should, I went ahead and bought one ... who knows if I'll get one again. :-)

I asked for whole pieces ... hence the huge sized ones ... and got a brainwave. Asked the guy to cut it with the roe. That way I got a good chunk of roe in every piece. Now I'll be able to get to taste the roe in different flavoured gravies ( Kalyan, I hope this answers your question to some extent) instead of getting to make only Macher Dimer Bora / Vadas from fish roe ( will post it next ).

Phew .... where did all that rambling come from ... guess I haven't written for far too long a time. :-)

Anyway .... here I am .... starting a few posts on I lish .... with the fried one or Ilish Maach Bhaja.
Remember to enjoy this when the fish has been just bought and is fresh and not been frozen yet.

Need : Ilish / Hilsa fish pieces ( cleaned and marinated with salt and turmeric), mustard oil to deep fry.


How to : Heat enough oil in a wok / kadhai till it starts to smoke.

Gently let in the pieces .... remember to hold a cover in your other hand and cover it immediately ... else the oil and water create havoc .... you may burn your hand.

Cook till brown on one side .... turn it over and brown the other side too.

The health freaks can grill it too.



Serve hot with some hot steamed plain rice with some lemon, salt and green chilli on the side. One mouthful and you are in heaven! :-)

Enjoy !!
This bhaja goes to Indrani's event on Fish.

Shorse Ilish Bake / Baked Hilsa in Mustard Sauce

( Vegetarians can make this dish with Paneer or Mushrooms ).

With this post I'll be done with Ilish for the year. Though my fishwala has profusely promised me one more fish before the rains leave for good, am not counting too much on him. :-)

Ma always made this dish in an oven ... and the house would fill with that distinct smell of Ilish and mustard and green chillies and mustard oil. So I did it just that way.

Usually raw fish is used ... as it gets cooked eventually .... but since the Ilish that I get here may not be absolutely fresh .... I prefer to lightly fry it first.

And yes ..... all that oil is necessary. ;-)

Need : Lightly fried Ilish / Hilsa pieces, mustard paste ( strained and diluted with water ), a little beaten curd, whole green chillies, salt, a pinch of sugar, mustard oil.

How to : Arrange the fish pieces in a baking dish.

Add the diluted mustard paste, curd, green chillies, salt, sugar and pour in a good amount of mustard oil.

Bake at 180 degrees for half an hour.

Since the fish is already fried, the aim is to cook the mustard sauce till it thickens slighlty.

Enjoy with steamed hot rice. ! :-)

Ilisher Muro Diye Chenchra / Mixed vegetables with fish head

This dish has mixed vegetables and a leafy vegetable to give it some body. It may or may not be made with fish head .... a Bengali delicacy. Called the Chorchori / Charchari in Bengali, I am used to the word Chenchra / Chencheda (in Oriya) too. My part upbringing in Orissa is responsible for this ... I often mix up Oriya and Bengali words ... not knowing which is which actually. :-)

Usually made with the Pui/ Poi shag, the good old palak can also be used as a substitue. But of course, the taste will differ greatly.

I would give my right arm happily today just to get even one small bunch of Poi. The last time I had it was last year .... when I was in Delhi. Jiju had got some fresh bunches of this beautiful leaf and I had made the vegetarian chorchori. Everybody loved it .... yes .... their teen daughter too .... which may speak volumes about the dish. :-)

Out here I don't get it. :-(

I have heard it is available easily in Mumbai .... but not here.

I had got Ilish this time .... and was in a dilema with what to do with the head. Considering I get this fish only once in a year .... I will have to be very,very,very lucky to get it twice .... and so many types of dishes that can be made with it .... I was in a fix.

So went on a trip down memory lane and found out that I miss the chenchra more than the Ambol ( sour dish ). So decided to make it.

Of course it doesn't taste the same without the poi. :-(

Again, this dish does not have too many masalas and the taste is greatly from the vegetables and the fish head.

The vegetarian version can have mungaudi / sun dried lentil dumplings added to it.

Need : Fish head (marinated with salt and tumeric and fried well), palak / spinach ( or whichever leafy vegetable you are using) washed and chopped coarsely, paanch phoron, whole red chillies, vegetables (pumpkin,brinjal,potato, etc) cut into cubes, grated ginger, haldi powder, mustard oil / any cooking oil and salt to taste.

How to : Heat oil. Add the paanch phoron and red chillies. Add the vegetables and fry for some time.

Add the haldi powder, ginger and palak. Then add the fish head. Stir well.

Add salt ( remember ... the fish head has salt .... and palak too is slightly salty).

Cover and cook till the vegetables are done. Add a little water if necessary.

It should be mushy and well done and the fish head will be all broken up and blended well into the dish.
Goes best when served hot with steamed rice and dal.

Ilish Maacher Patla Jhol / Hilsa in thin gravy & a Meme

This jhol is made by my Nakakima (aunt) ... and is as simple a dish as she is a person. Innocent as a child and absolutely non-political (joint family or otherwise) she would always love to be around us kids. And loved every joke of ours. A complete misfit everywhere ... the family had elders to look into every matter ... from cooking to everything else. And we kids definitely did not need an elder in our escapades. But the best thing about my kakima is she never ever pretended to be smart or outspoken ... which is why I have always loved her. :-)

Sometimes she would make this jhol with aloo and baingan pieces ... a very thin gravy
It is only years later ... after I started to cook .... I realised that since the Ilish has such a distinct flavour of its own .... we really do not need anything too overwhelming to cook it. It would only spoil the whole dish.

I got my first Ilish of this season. And started off with nostalgia. :-)

Need : Ilish pieces (marinated in salt and haldi powder and lightly fried in mustard oil), aloo peeled and cubed, brinjal cubed in a little bigger size than the aloo, sliced onion,whole red chillies, paanch phoron, roasted jeera powder, haldi powder, mustard oil and salt to taste.

How to : Heat oil. Add the paanch phoron and red chillies. Then add the sliced onions and fry for sometime.

Add the vegetables and the haldi powder water. Add salt.

Cover and cook till the vegetables are done. Remove cover and add the fish pieces and a little roasted jeera powder. Cover and simmer for some more time.

Goes great with hot, steamed rice. :-)

I have been tagged by dear Jaya . And am doing this only for the dear person that she is.

Thanks for thinking of me Jaya.

Am really curious about who comes up with these things.

As I start off, am already bristling at that word in the first line .... Rule. Rule? Sigh. Ok ... go ahead .... rule.

now as per Rule ,
Pick up the nearest book
Goto Page 123
Now Find the fifth sentence
post next three sentence
Tag 5 People and acknowledge the person who tagged you

1st line .. errr Rule .... it does not mention which way .... left or right. I have my huge bookcase on my left ... and the small bookracks on the wall on my right. Ok girl ....think.

If I reach out to my left I will have more the numbers of books to choose from than on the right. Crichton and Mary Higgins, Conan Doyle and Khashoggi, even Sukumar Ray and soooooo many more .... all bore their eyes on me. Ruuuuuuun. So I reach out to my right.

Jerome K. and James Herriot dominate. But then Twain and Jack London are vying for attention too. And there goes Victor Hugo ... smirk,smirk ... coz my hand falls on the hunch. Eeeeeek!

But Rule .... Rule .... don't forget the next Rule.

2nd Rule I go to page 123.

3rd Rule ..... Ok .... sigh .... I do find a sentence ..... 5th sentence .... by now am wishing for a lifer.

4th Rule ... "post next three sentence " .... well .... help me somebody!

The creator of this 'book' meme has possibly never heard of singulars and plurals. Lord ... give me the strength .... lightly to bear ..... Ok .... ok ... almost done ... get going.
Here goes .... ".... of the eleventh century,the slated obelisk of the fifteenth, the round and naked keep of the castle, the square and embroidered tower of the church, the great and the small, the massive and the light. The eye was long bewildered amidst this labyrinth of heights and depths in which there was nothing but had its originality, its reason, its genius, its beauty, nothing but issued from the hand of art, from the humblest dwelling, with its painted and carved wooden front, elliptical doorway and overhanging stories, to the royal Louvre , which then had a colonnade of towers. But when the eye began to reduce this tumult of edifices to some kind of order, the principal masses that stood out from among them were these."

I wonder even more ..... who is going to get what out of this???? Is anybody at all going to read the above lines? And if at all somebody has so much time .... will they bother to even wonder what comes after this ????

5th Rule ..... heee heee heee, haaa haa haaa, my turn now to play spoilsport. I have to get back for making me type with one finger after all. ;-p

I have already acknowledged dear Jaya.

And am saving 5 more people this torture. Besides ... rules are meant to be broken :-))

So long folks !!!! :-)