Trust us, it's not just the Bengalis who are gaga over fish! If you explore Indian cuisine, you will find several other regions where fish makes a popular choice for many. From Odisha to Kerala and parts of Maharashtra, fish is eaten as a staple in various parts of the country. One such cuisine that includes fish as a staple is Bihari cuisine. Known for its earthy flavours and 'smoked' cooking style, Bihari cuisine is as rich as its culture. The food pattern here sees a union of various cooking styles from across India, especially Bengali and North Indian (Uttar Pradesh). It also includes usage of various local spices, local produce, meat and chicken.
While we have various Bihari dishes like litti-chokha and Champaran handi mutton that are known for their bustling flavours, there are other lip-smacking recipes that will leave a strong impression on your palate and mind too. Fish curry is surely one of them. Traditionally called jhor waali machhli, it is mostly eaten in the northern Bihar region (Mithila region).
Here we bring a classic Bihari-style fish curry recipe that will help you put together a complete meal for lunch in less than an hour.
Also Read: How To Make Macher Kalia - A Bengali Special Fish Curry With Mishti Doi
How To Make Bihari Fish Curry | Bihari Fish Curry Recipe:
This dish is mostly made with rohu fish, which is fried and dunked in a spicy curry made with a pool of spices. What makes this dish stand out in the lot is the usage of mustard oil and mustard seeds paste. These two ingredients add a strong pungent flavour to the dish. A distant cousin to the quintessential Bengali 'sorshe maach' (fish in mustard seeds paste), this dish tastes great when paired with simple white rice.
All you need to prepare this dish are rohu fish, mustard seeds, mustard oil, tomatoes, cumin seeds, black peppercorn, methi, garam masala et al.
First, marinate the fish with some haldi and salt and fry it in mustard oil. Then, make a paste with tomatoes, mustard seeds, jeera, methi, red chilli and more, and add the paste to the kadhai and make a curry with it. Finally, dunk the fried fish in the curry, garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
Click here for the step-by-step recipe (with the quantity of the ingredients).
Prepare this dish today and treat your family to a lavish meal.
About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day.