Something fishy

A continuation of my last article, this one is about all those fish preparations of Bengali cuisine that make my salivary glands function to their fullest!

1. ইলিশ (Ilish) - I think it's already quite known that I love almost all types of Ilish preparation, barring a few that eclipses the taste of this strong flavored fish. For example, I don't like it being cooked with yogurt but the plain fare of ilish with egg-plant is pretty nice. With this fish, almost everything is heavenly!

Pabda

2. Not close, but second in list will be পাবদা (Pabda) in a mustard flavored gravy. This is very simple to cook though. Heat oil, fry the fishes lightly. Then throw in a few কালো জিরে (kalo jeerey, nigella) seeds and let them splutter. Then put the fishes back in the wok, add a paste of mustard, turmeric and green chillies or you can add whole green chillies with cilantro later as well. Simmer for a while and it's done. Ready to be eaten with steamed white rice!

Rui

3. পাকা রুই-এর কালিয়া (Rui curry) would be next. This is a rich preparation that needs onion paste and a host of other spices. I haven't cooked this and have had it only during family occasions as we didn't have much spicy food in our house. It has a warm, rich taste to it but needs a lot of oil to cook.

4. This is mostly eaten as an accompaniment as it's not possible to mix with rice, but a good ভেটকি মাছের fry (fried fillets of Bekti) can make a meal. Fishmongers of the local market will fillet the fish if you ask them and all it needs is a few eggs and some breadcrumbs to create this. Dip the fillets in beaten egg, roll it on breadcrumbs to cover them evenly and then deep fry them. This is among my Dad's top 3 fish preparations.

Prawn curry

5. চিংড়ি মাছের মালাইকারি (prawn in coconut curry) is one of the best preparations of prawn that I've had. The gravy is made from coconut milk and sauteed prawn is added to it. This dish has featured in many Bengali stories so it can be easily guessed that it has continued to be a favorite for ages. Also, prawn (or its cousins) are considered to be a symbol of West Bengal like Ilish is of the East. So during the famous Mohunbagan vs. East Bengal football (soccer) matches (equivalent to the rivalry between Huskies vs. Cougars in Washington or Roll Tide vs. War Eagles in Alabama) if Mohunbagan won, there'll be a lot of prawn cooked in the West Bengali households. Likewise Ilish would be eaten to celebrate an East Bengal win!

6. সিঙ্গি মাছের ঝোল (Shingi in light curry) has been immortalized by Pyalaram. He's perhaps the best connoisseur of this fish and the soupy thin curry that's so light that it's provided as a healthy food to kids and those whose digestive system is not that strong. (The reason why Pyala used to have it.) I love this fish as well as the preparation. Potatoes and পটল (potol, no translation available) are usually added to it and we queeze a piece of lime while mixing it with rice. There's no alternative to this meal for a sultry summer lunch.

Pomfret

7. Fried pomfret doesn't look like a very traditional recipe to me, nonetheless, it's a favorite of mine (and other fish lovers too). The fish just needs to be rubbed with salt and turmeric and pan fried. I love it as an accompaniment to rice and daal, but shredded veggies can be added to it and a full meal can be made from that.

8. কই মাছের গঙ্গা যমুনা (Koi/Tilapia in two flavors). The word by word translation would be Tilapia Mississippi-Missouri as a single fish has two flavors on two sides. It is one of the most difficult things I have ever cooked in my life. My grand-mom used to make it but I have never had it before the one I made myself. Here's the picture of it. The green side is spicy and the brown one is sour.

Koi in two flavors

When this recipe was successful, it made me realize that wherever I may be, my genes have kept all the information handy. So this proves a Bengali girl can never fail to cook fish, however difficult the recipe might be!!