ILISH KACHALONKA JHOL / HILSA LIGHT CURRY

Tenualosa Ilisa is a species of fish in the herring family( Clupeidae). Among us, the Bengalis, it is considered the king of all fish and commonly called Ilish..... in English.....Hilsa. It is an oily fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids. They say it has beneficial effects in decreasing the cholesterol level. I will not go much deeper into its beneficial effects, as Wikipedia also goes wrong at times. We eat it because we love to, a simple revelation to the truest sense. In whichever part of the world we are in, we would venture out in the lookout for a Bengali, at least for a South Asian Market & Hilsa fish would be our first hunt! In these few years of stay here, I took the initiative right on reaching to find out Bengali shops, the sight of my known stuffs gives me happiness, so does my language! Among the Bengalis, Ilish can be cooked in a light curry base, fried, steamed, baked or smoked wrapped in young plantain leaves, prepared with mustard seed paste, curd, eggplant. It is said there are 100 ways of cooking it. No, I won't brag of knowing them all. But yes, being a true Bong I can brag if the fish is fresh, it can be cooked only with green chilli paste or just with slitted green chillies. And yet it will taste heavenly, I mean if you are used to it or if you want to take interest in our food & culture. It's roe, has a distinct taste when fried, it is simply heaven & delight on our meal plates!

INGREDIENTS :

Hilsa Fish : 4-5 pieces
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp
Salt : As per taste
Green Chillies (moderately hot ) : 4-5.
Nigella Seed (Kalonji) : 2-3 pinch
Mustard Oil (Must for us) : 2 tablespoon


PROCEDURE :

This fish has a lot of scales. So wash the pieces very well. Add half tsp turmeric powder and salt as required. Marinate for about 10-15 minutes. Prepare a paste of the green chillies or just slit like I have done.

Heat the oil in a wok. Temper with the nigella seeds. When it gives out aroma, add the slitted green chillies or the paste. Give it a stir and add the remaining 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt as per your requirement. Stir for 1 minute.

Pour in 1 big cup of water . Cover, let boil for 2 minutes. Now, add the fish pieces carefully into the boiling curry. Lower the heat, simmer for another 2 minutes. Switch off the gas stove. It's done.

Remember this recipe does not require frying the fish. It is recommended to cook the fish curry this way only if it is fresh and not frozen. The fish oil that oozes out from the fresh pieces is what enhances it's taste. This curry is meant to be enjoyed only with steamed rice.