Bengali food is popular all across the country. From their street foods to desserts, we all love the flavourful, tantalising Bengali dishes. Fish is a staple food of Bengalis that is cooked almost every day in a typical Bengali household. Fried, grilled or pan-roasted, fish is enjoyed in many forms in Bengal. Moong dal or yellow split lentil is another popular ingredient in the region. Moong dal is frequently used to make a number of dishes like plain dal, pulao, khichdi, cutlets and pakodas. This recipe combines dal and fish to make a sensational dish that everyone (not just Bengalis) would love.
The moong dal with fish head is known as macher matha diye munger daal in Bengali. If you are thinking how the pairing of fish and vegetarian dal would sit on your palate, you should know that the dish is delightfully rich, aromatic and of course, delicious. The recipe by popular Bengali chef and food vlogger Ananya Banerjee will help you make this dish at home with ease. The recipe video from her YouTube channel 'Chef Ananya Banerjee' gives step-by-step instructions for preparing it in the comforts of your kitchen.
In the recipe, Rohu fish is used but you can use any other fish of your choice. First, dry-roast moong dal and boil it to cook it. Then fry the fish in mustard oil. Make dense gravy of onions cooked in a range of spices like bay leaf, red chilli, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, cumin seeds, and ginger-garlic paste. One look at the Bengal-special recipe and you'll know this one is going be a flavour bomb.
Watch the recipe video of Bengali-style fish moong dal -
(Also Read: See How To Make Authentic Bengali-Style Chana Dal At Home)