PEYAZ TOMATO BATA DIYE BHOLA MAACH

I love this fish, thanks to neighbour of island to get us freshest of them, fresher than those in Kolkata. Its considered non-pedigreed fish variety in Kolkata, it wasn't eaten in our family. One winter, we were at school, Mani brought it, cooked into my most loved fish gravy, raw fish boiled with eggplants, flat beans in coriander paste based curry. On first day of its arrival, I, brother embraced this Bhola Maach / Indian Jew Fish / Asian Trout Barb. When was the day our mother got it home, may be it was towards end of month! In those days, this fish was available better during winters, two to three kinds of curries were made of it, PEYAZ TOMATO BATA DIYE BHOLA MAACH is one. 

My family doesn't use garlic, onion in fish curries unless this variety, pomfret. Now that Bhola maach is available in island's market, I get it on regular basis, my men don't have idea what Bhola / Poa Maach or Asian Trout Barb / Pama Croaker is, just because this variety isn't boney, they eat without fuss. There is a mid-section bone in this fish, yet I have to debone pieces for son. Our son wants kind of food that can be managed with spoon & fork. The husband will be friends with bones if its of mutton, chicken or hilsa, else he is fond of that Far East nation that sells marinated raw fish, its roe. 

Okay, they love my cooking too because I add love, effort doing it. If you don't, your food can't be tasty. If you call me home, exhibit this lag, serve me cold stuffs, I get angry.... if you can't entertain me do not call.... if you call you must be able to make me feel wanted even with a bowl full of "chop o jhalmuri" but chop & tea have to be hot & fresh.

Coming to Bhola Maach / Indian Jew Fish / Asian Trout Barb / Mama Croaker; they have a lot of smaller scales. No shop in this island would cut it for us because they don't have highly skilled "boti" as their Kolkata counter parts, they do it with electric blade at Bangladeshi shops, they call it Poa Maach. In local, native fish market, they perhaps cut fish with a high end "ram dao". This time I couldn't do "dokan-bazaar" in Kolkata I love doing, one reason is that our mother never let us be ourselves, never respects our freedom. The second reason is that my in-laws were hospitalised.... its regular, continuous feature with my mother-in-law, thats what I am getting to see since marriage. Loose motion = Nursing Home, Fever = Nursing Home.... this time it was serious. 

My husband's parents love gobbling end number of medicines. A little off from the normal route, they get tensed. Anyway, we never know whats waiting next moment. Better I swim around in sea of food, share with you our mother's recipe of bhola maacher thokthokey jhol, a non-vegetarian fish curry PEYAZ TOMATO BATA DIYE BHOLA MAACH both of us siblings love. The recipe is easy, you can relax with "gola ruti or sujir idli with cha" while preparing it just like me!

Come let us start doing it, you will not even have an inkling when you are done, when you have cleaned kitchen counter.

INGREDIENTS :

BHOLA BHETKI / POA / INDIAN JEW FISH / ASIAN TROUT BARB : 5-6 MEDIUM SIZED
TOMATO PASTE : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP
ONION PASTE : 1MEDIUM SIZED TEA CUP
GINGER PASTE : 2TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 2TSP [PASTE IS BETTER]
TURMERIC POWDER : 1TSP + 1/4TSP
NIGELLA SEED / KALONJI : 1/4TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 5-6TBSP [I USE MUSTARD]
CHOPPED FRESH CORIANDER TO GARNISH [OPTIONAL]

PROCEDURE : 

The most time consuming part of procedure is removing tiny scales. You have to be cautious to get rid of each of them. Once you wash fish after it, more of half work is done. Use tea spoon to remove scales.

Once washed, cut half if they are medium sized. You will find it easier to fry them. Wash again, drain water. Re-check if there is any scale remaining on head, body. If no, apply one teaspoon of turmeric, salt, rub all over body of each one.

Keep aside for 15 minutes. Heat oil in wok, fry fish pieces moderately in batches. Drain excess oil before you take them out.

Add nigella seeds to remaining oil, stir, add onion paste. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes.

Add ginger paste, stir until raw smell goes off. Now add tomato paste, 2tsp red chilli powder, 1/4tsp turmeric powder, salt as much required to it. Stir for a minute, add 1 coffee mug of water to wok.

Bring gravy to boil keeping temperature at lowest, continue for 2-3 minutes. Gently add fried fish pieces, simmer at low for another 3-4 minutes. You may add little water it required.

Slitted green chillies, chopped fresh coriander can be added as garnish.

It goes best with hot steamed rice. Alongside we had "beguner bhorta, lau er chokla boti, lau + bhaja moong daal er jhali".