Hilsa and mustard: it is hard to find a pairing more loved in Bengali cooking. With pure mustard oil and freshly ground mustard, half the work is done.
You will need (serves 4)
- Hilsa: 6 pieces
- Yellow and black mustard seed: 3 tablespoons together
- Green chillies: 6-8
- Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon
- Salt: to taste
- Ghani mustard oil: 4 tablespoons
- Nigella seed (kalojira): half a teaspoon
How to cook it
- Soak the mustard seed for half an hour. Grind it fine with two green chillies and a pinch of salt; the salt keeps the paste from turning bitter.
- Rub the fish with salt and turmeric and leave it for 10 minutes.
- Mix the mustard paste with half a cup of water, turmeric and salt.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil and add the nigella seed and slit green chillies.
- Pour in the mustard mixture; when it bubbles, lay in the fish.
- Cover and cook on a medium flame for 8-10 minutes. Swirl the pan now and then instead of stirring the fish.
- Before taking it off the heat, drizzle a tablespoon of raw mustard oil on top.
Tip: serve with hot rice. To steam it instead, put everything in a tiffin box and stand it in a pot of boiling water for 20 minutes: that is bhapa ilish.
For the cooking, choose our ghani-pressed mustard oil.
