SHEEM ALOO DIYE RUI MAACHER JHOL / FISH WITH BROAD BEAN & POTATO / SHEM ALOO MACCHI

This is something I can do with confidence, having since age 4-5, so no question of "haath kapa-kapi".... as happens to me while baking! I do wish to take forward the family recipes as often as possible in this space.... but unable to when I reach an extreme level of irritation caused by few! Then I felt this blog should consider only what it was meant for.... heirloom, family / Bengali recipes.... if not always but at large! On Bianca's birthday, if anyone expects me to blog about "charaponar jhol".... I will not even care! CURRY AND SPICE survives today mainly for few co-bloggers around... I feel like puking at some of my initial posts, I do not know how these people stopped by, spent few words of appreciation! I am thankful without any doubt but it may not be reflected in my actions at all times.... I am not a good observant.... to be precise I hate to spend a minute to think.... that too in social media! If I do so, when do I cook SHEEM ALOO DIYE RUI MAACHER JHOL / FISH WITH BROAD BEAN AND POTATO / SHEM ALOO MACCHI for the family and then take immense pleasure in blogging about it? 

A "tatka maacher jhol" is adorable to a Bengali.... My not so Bengali men also have it.... the mumma has to debone it which is not the case when its a salmon or prawns or sea bass! I do not mind this ordeal if the rui maach / Bengal carp is fresh.... we do get these smaller sized... 11/2-3 kg sized supplied from the neighbouring state! However, to be honest people of West Bengal and may be Bangladesh too prefer portions cut from a 7-8 kg weight rui / katla! My senior's side of the family prefers the latter... with higher content of fish fat / oil! The half and half flesh and fat pieces from the stomach portion is favourite with the senior and his mother! 

Here in this island... you have to buy the entire 5-6 kg fish and that too frozen.... and then cook it with lots of garlic and onion! A family of four people take long to finish one and we do not like repeating the same food often! The amount of taste fresh fish and vegetables will add to this curry cannot be had from frozen ones! My not so Bengali men are not bothered about maintaining authenticity of their roots.... in the entire tour if you had seen their diet... oh!.... Their breakfast table was filled with salami... sausage... and that "supremely bland scrambled egg"... among others ugh! I am not imitating anyone... it is the truth for the majority of Indians or South Asians! I share the same views as some around, I do not go public with them as I do not wish myself to be called an imitator! So there will be desi version of moussaka or falafel on this blog too! As of now it is a major concern when and how the spoon fed teen would learn to debone fish all of his own! It seems teens tend to get on my nerves at different stages of my life... haha!

My men' love for Bengali food is limited to "chingrir  o born maach er jhol / ruti mangsho / bhaja-bhuji / shutki maach / echor / mocha / stuffed pot / egg plant bharta"!

SHEEM ALOO DIYE RUI MAACHER JHOL / FISH WITH BROAD BEAN AND POTATO / SHEM ALOO MACCHI was a winter treat during our childhood! It was only during the winter that these vegetables like broad bean and fresh coriander leaves were available. The grandparents had this climber on the kitchen terrace... the green & purple one! I was given the task of picking them whenever I was there! Here in this island, we get everything round the year and do it often. The same curry is done with potol [pointed gourd], kancha kola [raw banana] which were done in summer while with cauliflower again in winter! The fish variety we use for these curries is Bengal Carp and "charapona"that is small sized carp!

For this particular curry... we use "aar maach" too that is long whiskered cat fish! So, you can try this light, Bengali style fish curry with any variety of carp that suits your taste buds! If I buy a salmon, tiger prawns and lamb in one week, the next week is always a "rui / katla", chicken and sea bass smaller variety! Till date I could not buy cranberries from the super market... arey its "koromcha / karonda" that grew just like that in the neighbourhood... haha.... actually it was not had in our family though I have heard about fish curry with unripe cranberry! My curry leaves seeds look pretty like a "karonda or koromcha or even jaam or jamun"..... Jamun does come from India but is pretty expensive.... Only this fruit natives here do not eat perhaps! I save that money for mangoes, litchi and jackfruit.... though the mother made us eat "jaam jhal noon diye" during its season!

There is no shame in being a bit miser! Money should not be spent according to your ability but spend 60-70% of your total income and save the rest.... that makes your future better.... For spendthrifts, the pleasure of retired life comes pretty late.... you work when your body needs rest! For women like me who do not share the burden of earning the livelihood  with the husband.... mind it being a spendthrift is something near to committing  a crime.... To glorify mothers is ok.... what about the fathers who sweat at the office? Lot of unnecessary talks cause irritation in others... in this case it is my readers who will tend to unlove me.... So let me be a little wiser and share the recipe of SHEEM ALOO DIYE RUI MAACHER JHOL / FISH WITH BROAD BEAN AND POTATO / SHEM ALOO MACCHI asap!

My recipe of Fiery Chicken is updated with new pictures, do have a look clicking the below heading / link!

FIERY CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS :

Bengal Carp / Any Carp : 8-10 pieces
Broad Bean / Sheem : 7-8 
Potato : 2medium
Red Chilli Powder : 11/2tbsp [freshly made paste is better]
Cumin Powder : 2tsp [freshly made paste is better]
Cumin Seed : 1/4tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp + 1tsp + 1/2tsp
Ginger Paste : 11/2tbsp
Salt : As Required
Green Chilli : 2-3 [washed and slitted]
Oil : 6-7tbsp [ our family uses mustard oil always]
Chopped Coriander leaves to garnish!

My blender does not do justice to a red chilli or cumin or coriander seeds even if I soak them overnight in water! So, I prefer using spice powders instead of complaining of "gola.. buk...jola...pete byatha".... stomach pain at an unearthly hour of the night! Trust me... it tastes good with powdered spices too.... our mother has to move forward a bit... 


PROCEDURE :

Clean and wash the fish pieces thoroughly under running water! Drain the water and marinate with 1tsp and salt very well! Keep aside for 15 minutes.

Peel the potatoes and cut half vertically and then each half horizontally into little thicker pieces. Apply 1/2tsp of turmeric powder and salt, rub well!

Take off the fibre from the side of the broad bean / sheem! Cut half each horizontally and wash. Apply 1/2tsp turmeric and salt to them, rub well! I had to provide picture of this step... will add later...

Heat oil in a wok. Fry the potato pieces at low heat and take out draining as much as of oil possible.

Now we will fry the fish pieces on both sides in batches draining the marinade! We will do it adjusting the heat from low to lowest. We will not deep fry as we will use them in a curry. Drain the oil while taking them out of the wok as much as possible.

Take the ginger paste, salt, 1/4tsp turmeric, cumin powder in a bowl and mix well. Sprinkle little water if required!

Temper the oil with cumin seeds. Add the spice paste and stir for 2 minutes at low heat. Add the broad bean / sheem pieces and stir for another 1 or 2 minutes. Some families fry the sheem too, so does our mother. I am a "retain the colour" freak so I do not.... its healthy too!

Now add 11/2 coffee mug of water and let boil at slow fire for 2 minutes. Add the fried fish pieces and potatoes. Cover cook at lowest heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the slitted green chillies and chopped fresh coriander leaves just 1-2 minutes before switching off gas!

We are done! Enjoy with piping hot steamed rice. At times I love dunking a ruti / chapati in the light curry too! I did so as a teen on weekday nights! We also had some "lau diye moong dal"... bottle gourd with split yellow moong bean and "laal shaak"... red amaranth in the platter!