Fish Curry in Tomato Gravy – Tomatowala Macher Jhol

Speaking about fish and stories about cooking it in different ways can go on and on. Each and every Grihini (woman of the home) has a different story to tell…from her first fish curry to the recent experiments she carries on to make her fish curry from tasty to tastier to tastiest.

There is no harm to come up with a new version of the traditional one…why should there be any hurdles in the culinary section when the world is moving so fast from HERE to THERE. Now this HERE to THERE is progress and so also…

Piyajkoli diye Rui Macher Jhol/Rohu fish Curry Cooked with Scallion/green onion – a love-affair and a love story…

Winter came treading slowly and steadily. She is the special guest of the year for most Indians. I can say there are hardly few who do not like Winter to be the guest of the year. People across the length and breadth of India welcome this season with open arms. However, those parts who have to face the harshness of Winter will not smile on her advent. Winter’s sister Summer, imagine how many hate her arrival and wait for her to leave.

Pabda Macher Jhol – Pabo Catfish Curry

Anyone who loves fish and love to have at least one piece, that too curried i.e. in a jhol, will not like to have Pabda mach every day. At times, for a change, Pabda mach is cooked at home. Change is a ‘LIKE’ to the taste and change is also good for the one who does the responsible job of cooking at home.

Bata Mach, Piyaj Koli aar Aloo-r Jhol (Fish Curry)

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