Dish of the day: BENGALI FISH CURRY

Today's dish is from the land of tigers and philosophers- West Bengal.

Food is a very important aspect of the Bengalis. Fish, sweets and other foods are discussed and debated about passionately as Leftist ideologies and Tagore. The cooks and the ladies spend a lot of time planning out the menus and preparing them.

Ingredients:

2 tblsp lemon juice
2 tbsps mustard oil for frying
salt to taste
8 fish fillets
1 tblsp red chilli powder
4 red chillies whole
1 tsp mustard paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
4 green chillies slit
2 tblsp coriander powder
1 tblsp garlic paste
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 bay leaf
2 cup onions chopped
1 tblsp ginger paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp onion seeds (kalonji)

Preparation

• Clean and cut fish fillet, wash well, remove excess water and then marinate with limejuice, turmeric powder and salt.
• Keep aside for 30 minutes.
• Heat up a pan, mix in 1 tblsp oil, shallow fry marinated fish from both sides until slightly browned.
• Take off and keep aside.
• Heat up remaining oil, mix in mustard seeds, kalonji, whole dry red chillies and bay leaf, stir fry for a few minutes till seeds crackles, mix in ginger, garlic paste and stir fry again for a moment.
• Mix in cut onion and stir fry until slightly brown in colour.
• Mix in mustard paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder, stir fry masala nicely until oil starts separating.
• Adjust water and salt, bring to boil and then mix in shallow fried fish, put green chilli slits on top.
• Stir fry on a slow flame until fish get cooked and oil starts floating on top of gravy.
• Take off and decorate with cut green coriander leaves.