If I say it
is ‘Bata Mach and Piyaj Koli Returns’, this will be the truth. Earlier I had
posted about Bata Mach Sorse Diye. But this preparation is a bit different in
taste and smell and of course the way it is cooked. And Piyaj Koli is already
in my list of earlier posts Piyaj Koli aar Aloo bhaja.
Bata Mach
is really very tasty and can be cooked in different ways, I mean use different
spices and try out the different tastes. Always there’s space for innovation as
Cooking is no Rocket Science and if there is a fault, it hardly makes a
difference. Isn’t it?
Being a
Bengali it is so natural to eat Bhat/Rice with Macher Jhol/Fish curry. If it is
less spicy the jhol/gravy can be running to mix well with the rice in the plate.
The other day when a Dada of the Para/Neighbourhood came, he said “aajke ginni
daroon macher jhol ranna kore chilo, macher jhol bhat, ki saad…” (today wife
cooked fish curry. The rice and fish curry was such a good combo, so tasty…)
Bata Mach
is neither a very small nor falls under the type of big ones. This fish is
cooked as one single piece, means one whole. Pictures of this fish below:
Main
ingredients:
Bata Mach –
6-8 in number
Piyaj
Koli – 1 bunch cut into 1 inch length
Potatoes –
2-3 cut into half and then cut longish into 4 pieces from one half
Tomato – 1
cut into small pieces
Masala/Spices
for the curry:
Dhania
Powder – 2 ½ tsp
Jeera
Powder – 1 tsp
Haldi
Powder -1/2 tsp
Red Chilli
powder – ½ tsp or as per your taste
Ginger
paste 1 ½ tsp
Mustard oil
for cooking as this gives a better flavour.
Salt to
taste
Making
of the curry:
Fry the
fish and keep it aside. In the same cooking vessel first add the piyal koli
that has been washed and cut earlier. Stir for 2-3 minutes. The greens give a
sweet smell. To this add the potatoes and the tomato pieces. Stir and fry for
another couple of minutes. Add the ginger paste and salt and fry for 2 minutes.
Add salt and the spices and some water. Mix all the spices with the veggies and
cook till the oil leaves the sides. Pour in enough water (depending on the type
of gravy you want) and cover the vessel and let it cook over a low flame. Before
the potatoes get very soft add the fried fish. Don’t let the fish cook for a
long time, only a minute or so and switch off the flame. Curry is ready to be
served with hot rice. This preparation goes well with rice only.
© gouri
guha
.jpg)
