If you are looking for a proper Bengali fish curry then you are in the right place. Just like rice is a staple in my household, fish has been a stable growing up. Tender pieces of fish in the most subtle of sauces. The perfect balance of spices for the perfect fish curry (macher jhol). I mean the gravy (jhol) itself is full of flavor and you could have spoons of this with rice and its absolutely delicious.This is a easy to follow recipe which will give you the most authentic fish curry. This curry consists of freshwater Bangladeshi fish cooked with long Chinese eggplant. Here you could also use your choice of fish and even your choice of vegetables. I’m going for Bangladeshi fish as this is what my mum cooks the most at her home. The fish I will be using is Mrigal fish (Cirrhinus cirrhosus) also known by some as mirka mach.

This recipe is my mum’s recipe of course which I think I have mastered. Her fish curries really taste superb, feels like home. Cook this up and you will get a taste of real sheer goodness and a true taste of what Bengali cuisine is like. Most of my mum’s dishes have been passed down to her by her mother and my grandmother was a pro when it came to cooking even now her food is being praised about.

When it comes to cooking fish you don’t want to over power the ingredients so there’s no need to go too heavy on the spices. Fish goes perfect with a plate of freshly cooked hot rice (mach baath) and that’s a match made in heaven for us Bengali’s who have a love for fish. It’s just part of our culture really to have fish in our daily diet.

More about this recipe

Preparing the fish

Clean the fish (take the scales off) and cut to size according to your preference. Add the fish in a bowl with a teaspoon of turmeric powder and a teaspoon of salt and soak with tap cold water for 5-10 minutes. Just enough water to cover the fish pieces. This is usually done as most fish we get comes frozen from Bangladesh so this process helps to get rid of that ‘fishy’ smell and helps to clean the fish too.

After 10 minutes rinse the fish with water, remove any excess water and pat dry.

Marinate the fish with 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Leave aside.

Preparing the vegetables

In this recipe I use 2 small sized Chinese eggplants. Rinse them with water and then cut through the middle along the length of the eggplant and cut the 2 single pieces into 3 pieces giving you 6 smaller pieces which total in 12 from both eggplant. I decided to add more than extra just because I prefer more of veggies. In a bowl add in the eggplant pieces and add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix well and leave aside.

Frying the eggplant and fish

Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant pieces. Fry them on one side for 2-3 minutes and turn them over to cook on the other side. You want to get a golden brown color on the eggplant.

Once the eggplant are fried then take them out of the pan and leave aside on a plate.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the frying pan and heat the oil up. Add in the pieces of fish and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until light golden brown. Once fried take them out of the pan and leave aside. Careful when frying the fish as the fish are very delicate so be very gentle when turning over and taking them out of the pan.

Cooking process

Heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan, something wide would be preferred to give the fish and vegetables room to move around.

Add in one medium sized onion finely sliced. In a fish curry or stew the less the onions the better really. You don’t want to add too much onions and get a heavy gravy or sweet taste. Sauté the onions on medium flame until golden brown with 1 teaspoon of garlic paste and salt.

Once the onions start to change color add 2-3 tablespoons of hot water and turn the flame to medium. This will help to soften the onions and this usually takes 4-5 minutes. With the help of a potato masher mash the onions up so there are no whole pieces.

Adding in the spices

Once the onions are all mashed up it is time to add in the spices. One by one add in 1 level teaspoon of turmeric, 2 level teaspoons of chili, 2 level teaspoons of coriander and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder.

Cook spices on medium flame for 1-2 minutes, add 1/4 cup of hot water and let the oil come to surface.

Lower the flame and add in the fish and eggplant pieces. Now very gently without using a spoon just hold the saucepan by the handle and swirl the pot around so the masala mixes in with the fish and eggplant. It’s best not to use a spoon as the fish pieces are so delicate and there’s a good chance for the fish pieces to fall apart.

Cook this for another 3-4 minutes on medium high then add in 1 and a half cups of hot water and let the curry come to a slight boil and simmer on medium low for 10-12 minutes. Add a few green chilies and fresh cilantro just before taking the curry off the heat. You will know when the curry is done as the oil will start to come to the surface.

Serve hot with freshly cooked hot rice.

Any leftovers can by stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Curry always taste that much better the next day.