This fish has a couple of names; "kakila, kekle, kaikka, bok maach." For the first time, I searched for it's English name yesterday willing to blog about a curry with it. They say it is called fresh water Gar Fish. Here we get big sized Gars too, Kolkata sells only smaller sized. Not knowing what the taste of the big sized be like, I get this smaller sized these days. Kakila does not have a fish-like smell [ashtey gandho], so I prefer getting it for curries and for using it in vegetable medleys. My family does a different preparation with it, not really a curry. I have that picture ready too to come up later. Today, it felt like sharing this very Bengali style fish curry JHINGE ALOO DIYE KAKILA MAACH ER JHOL with this fresh water Gar Fish, Ridge Gourd & Potato. Its bones are soft, hairy type towards the stomach and it's flesh tastes sweet. If you get some fresh in hand, this curry is perfect to be done anytime. Such kinds will never upset your stomach. Steamed rice is the only match to such fish curries. In the earlier years of our stay here, I did not buy this variety given the men can live without it. In Kolkata too, this fish did / do not come every week to our home. Even when it came and a "chocchori" was made with it, there had to have an "aar maach or rui / katlar jhol" alongside, else the brother & I would not be satisfied. Here, we do not get my kind of fishes on a regular basis, if "kekle" is gotten fresh, let me use them for curries. My men eat without a noise, so why not?
Coming to the topic of "Frozen Fresh Water Fish varieties in the Overseas do not attract me", I had a different notion yesterday. We had a lunch invitation in the neighbourhood and I so loved the "pabda maach er patla jhol" there done with frozen Pabdas. I will go to the same shop towards the weekend and ask the seller, "do you have the variety and quality you gave to my friends last week?" I had "three pabdas, one prawn, two fish fries, kul er achar, doi bora, a veg, lau dal, half of a patishapta." Thereafter, I did not have the appetite for a "murgir jhol." Heavy on the stomach, I had my dinner with "khoi o naru" I so love and the husband had two "patishaptas" he carried along with him.
I mentioned earlier, in the last 15-16 years of their life; my paternal grandparents ate "khoi dudh" for dinner. "Apel Dadu" died of cerebral attack at 74, our father too at 74 of cerebral attack, his eldest son in his mid 60's. Their two other sons and a daughter are alive and stationed in Assam. Thank God, they have their official papers in order. They are used to Assam's way of life and cannot adjust to West Bengal's environment. Else, our pishimoni's [father's sister] in-laws' home is in Habra in the Bongaon section where I visited in the teens. Oh! I vividly remember their garden which you can call a fruit orchard. Ask me which fruit tree was not there? They grew everything from "shorboti lebu to aam, jaam, kathal, shosha, chalkumro." At least, while in Kolkata, we went to such environment for picnics once a year. No, I am not a "DDLJ" fan, such movies irritate me. "Kanchenjunga bujhi na bujhi, ami otei achi. Ami moner gobhirota mapi, na poshaley durey shorey jai." Before I get more into irrelevance, let me share the fish curry recipe JHINGE ALOO DIYE KAKILA MAACH ER JHOL with fresh water Gar fish, Ridge Gourd & Potato today. Alongside we had "tomato-dhonepata diye mushurir dal, egg drop curry and jhinge-kumro-aloor jhol". The veg dish is actually eaten with "ruti-porota-luchi" in my family, it was done for the lunch boxes.
KAKILA / KAIKKA / FRESH WATER GAR FISH / BOK MAACH : 7-8 SMALLER SIZED
RIDGE GOURD : 1STANDARD SIZED
POTATO : 1STANDAR SIZED
GREEN CHILLI : 2-3
GINGER PASTE : 1TBSP
CUMIN POWDER : 2TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 11/2TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 11/2TSP
CUMIN SEED : 1/4TSP
FENUGREEK SEED : 2PINCH
BAY LEAF : 1
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 5-6TBSP [I USE MUSTARD]
PROCEDURE :
This fish does not have bigger scales as such and I have a full time help. What I do is I ask the fish vendor to cut the very hard & long jaw line or nose and the rest of the cleaning is done at home.
Clean thoroughly the stomach, the tiny scales. Wash very well. Cut the tail end, fins, discard the gills. Cut each one half and wash again.
Rub the fish pieces with some salt and turmeric. Keep them aside for 15 minutes or so.
Discard the two ends of the ridge gourd. Cut it half and very thinly peel off the skin. Cut lengthwise to get four pieces from each half. Wash well and rub with salt & turmeric.
Wash and peel the potato. Cut lengthwise to get 6-8 pieces. Wash and rub with salt & turmeric.
Wash the green chillies and slit.
Heat oil in a wok and lightly fry the potato pieces discarding the marinade. Then fry the ridge gourd pieces just for 1/2 a minute, take out.
Fry the fish pieces till light brown, in batches. Take out.
In a bowl, add the ginger paste+cumin powder+coriander powder+red chilli powder+turmeric powder+salt. Sprinkle a little amount of water and prepare a paste.
Temper the remaining oil with cumin & fenugreek seeds, bayleaf.
Add the spice paste and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add 11/2 coffee mugs of water, stir and bring to boil.
When it has boiled for 2-3 minutes, add the fried fish pieces and potatoes. Simmer covered for 3-4 minutes.
Open cover, add the slitted green chillies and fried ridge gourds. Simmer uncovered for 2 minutes. We are done.
It goes only with steamed rice.
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