Bengali Style Fish Curry in Mustard Gravy
Fish Curry in Mustard Gravy when complimented with steam rice is the perfect comfort food to be had in winter afternoons. This is one of my favourite fish curries prepared the Bengali way. There are several other methods of preparing absolutely delicious fish curries in Bengal, but the one with mustard gravy tops the list.
You can prepare this gravy for almost any kind of fish from Ilish, Katla, Paabda, Bhetki, Paarshey – the works! This is how my mom makes it and I’m sharing this with my readers.
Ingredients 
- Kalta fish – 4 pcs
- Mustard seeds – 4-5 tsp
- Mustard oil – for frying and cooking
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
- Chillie powder – 1 tsp.
- Green chillies – 4 – 5 nos.
- Nigella seeds – ½ tsp
Method
- Lightly fry the fish in hot mustard oil and set aside. Care should be taken that the fish is not deep-fried.
- For four pieces of fish, you need 4-5 tsp. of mustard seeds.
- First you need to dry grind the mustard seeds in the blender, then add a green chillie and little water to grind it to a paste. You can add more water if required to make the paste consistency.
- Now strain the paste with a strainer and keep the mustard paste in a bowl.
- Heat mustard oil in the same kadhai in which you fried the fish and add the nigella seeds (kalonji).
- Mix turmeric and chillie powder in a bowl with little water and add it to the oil and nigella seeds.
- Fry for a few minutes and now add the mustard paste.
- Once it comes to a boil, add the fried fish pieces.
- Drop a few slit green chillies at the end and a few drops of mustard oil from the top and serve hot with steam rice.
What’s your Fish Recipe?
If you’ve got a wonderful fish recipe no matter how basic or simple, we’d like to know more about it. Send in your fish recipe with a photograph clicked by you and email it to us at tanya@tanyamunshi.com.
