Doi Maach / Rohu Fish in Yoghurt Gravy

( Vegetarians ... do stay tuned. The next post will be on the veggie version of this wonderful dish. )

It has been a while since I made a post on fish last.

Not that I've not been eating my staple diet ... just that I make something quickly, 

seem very pleased with the results

and serve myself a hot hot meal.

Just do not feel like picking up the camera, arranging and clicking.

Doi Maach is very common to Bengalis ... a very common dish on a Bengali lunch table.

And there are many ways of making this.

You can make it with a lot of masalas. You can make it spicy.

Or you can make it simple ... like I do.

This dish is supposed to be creamy, very light coloured.

But there are no hard and fast rules here.

Add more turmeric if you like the colour ... add more chilli powder if you like it spicy 

( and it gives colour too ) ... etc. etc.

I keep my recipe straight and simple. 

One very common problem while making the Doi maach is the curdling of the curd.

One of the reasons I hated eating Doi maach at home or at a relative's place was due to the curdled doi/dahi.

I abhorred the watery liquid that separated the solidified curd
... with the woebegone fish lying in
 somewhere

in the joke called Doi maach.

The reason is ... most people use sour curd ...

i.e. curd set at home and is older than 2/3 days.

Later when I started my affair with the kitchen, I learnt a lot.

Like when you add sour curd, no matter how well you beat it, 

to a dish cooking on  high heat, it will curdle.

What to do?

Nobody had the  right answer to this query of mine.

And then I learnt how to make the kadhi !!

SIL, on her description of the recipe, had mentioned the addition of a very little besan/gram flour 

to the curd mixture so that it does not curdle.

And bingo!!

I had my answer!

While my very pure vegetarian SIL patiently explained to me how to make the Kadhi,

 I was busy with visions of the perfect Doi Maach that I can finally relish 

swimming before my very eyes!

No ... I did not let the gentle soul know about my visions ... 

 ... of the most unthinkable non veg food ... the fish! 

And ever since I've always been able to make the Doi maach sans a curdled gravy of doi/dahi!

I keep the gravy of my Doi Maach very mild flavoured and light coloured.

I do use a little onion paste here ...

( if you are a regular on Kichu Khon you will know how little I use onion,ginger,garlic pastes).

And I love the flavour of the cardamom that infuses with the paste while cooking

and gives a beautiful flavour to the gravy.

Need :

4 Pieces of the Rohu fish

( washed, marinated with salt and turmeric and lightly fried in Mustard oil )

1 cup of Fresh curd / dahi / yoghurt

1 tbsp of  Besan / Gram flour

A Pinch of Haldi / Turmeric

2 Green Cardamoms

2 small pieces of  Dalchini / Cinnamon

2/3 Whole dry Red Chillies

4 tbsp of Onion paste

1 tsp cooking oil

Salt and sugar to taste

How to :

Beat the curd and the besan well and keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadahi / wok.

Add the cardamom, dalchini and whole red chillies.

Add the onion paste and keep stirring on low heat till the oil leaves sides and 

the onions lose their raw smell.

Now add the curd and besan mixture, turmeric and a little water.

Keep the heat on low all the while.

When it starts to boil slowly, add the salt and sugar.

Cook for a while.

When it reaches the desired consistency, add the fried fish pieces.

Let them simmer for some more time.

( Do not cook for a  long while after adding the fish ... the pieces will soak up the gravy and 

turn very soft  ... might break when serving).

Remove.

Serve hot.

Goes great with steamed plain rice.

Enjoy !!

Other Dishes with Dahi / Curd on Kichu Khon

Doi Begun / Dahi Baingan

Dahi Karela

Dahi Vada