Pomfret Macher Kalia

Being married to a Bong, I have developed a special liking for fish. Assamese people also eat fish quite regularly though. However, the way Bong's make their curry is something which makes it a "typical" Bengali fish curry. While you can get almost everything in Singapore, you have to travel a distance to fetch that unless of course you stay right next to the Tekka Market. The rest of the supermarkets are mostly selling pomfrets and prawns apart from the rest of the sea fish. So with Pomfret so easily available, we hardly (read never) take the pain to explore the Tekka Market. Here is a dish very commonly prepared in Bengali households. I prepared it with Pomfret; will taste good with any other fresh water fish as well.

Ingredients

2 Pomfret fish, washed and cut into fillet

1 medium onion chopped

3-4 garlic chopped

1/2 inch piece ginger, chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tomato chopped 

4-5 green chillies, chopped (as per taste)

Fresh coriander leaves

1 tsp turmeric powder

Mustard oil

Direction

Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric for 10 minutes and keep aside. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat about 2 tbsp oil and fry the fish pieces until golden brown and crisp. In a blender, make a paste with the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies. 

Once you are done with frying the fish, add cumin seeds to the same oil and let it crackle. Add the paste and fry till the raw smell disappears. Add the salt, sugar, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and red chilli powder. Fry till the masalas get blended well. Now add the tomatoes and keep frying on high till they become mushy. Now add 1 cup of warm water and bring to a boil. Release the fish slowly into the gravy and cover cook for 10 minutes on medium flame. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with hot plain rice.