Machher jhol (Bengali fish curry) can refer to a variety of recipes. It’s fish cooked in some sort of sauce. This version of machh’er jhol—the jeere, ada bata, shobji diye machh’er jhol, fish curry with cumin, ginger, and veggies—is the most popular in our house. It is the standard machher jhol.
This is the summer version, so it includes all the usual suspects: potol (pointed gourd), jhinge (ridged gourd), alu (potato), and any other summer vegetable that won’t turn to mush when cooked. The fish, in this case a medium-sized (2 kg, whole) rui, can be replaced with any small or large freshwater live or fresh fish—katla, mrigel, bata, and even tilapia.
It’s difficult to find a more soothing, nutritious fish recipe for the summer. Most of you probably don’t need a recipe to make this dish, but no Bengali food cookbook would be complete without it. So, there you have it.
Rui Machher Jhor
Equipment
- 1 All Basic Kitchen Equipments For Marinating Fish
- 1 Bowl For Marinating Fish
- Kadai For frying the vegetables and cooking
Ingredients
- 500 g rui machh rohu fish
- 150 g potatoes
- 150 g potol pointed gourd
- 100 g jhinge ridged gourd
- 45 g mustard oil
- 6 pcs dal'er bori sun-dried lentil dumplings
- ¼ tsp kaalo jeere nigella seeds
- 16 g cumin powder
- 4 g turmeric plus, 1 tsp extra for marinating the fish
- 17 g total salt
- 10 g ginger paste
- 350 ml hot water
- 4 pcs green chillies slit
- ¼ tsp atta flour
Notes
Rui Machher Jhol
1. Marinate the fish in 5 g of salt and 1 tsp turmeric.
2. Peel potatoes in alternating strips and cut them vertically into two halves; cut jhinge into 5 cm long pieces.
3. Pour 25 g mustard oil into a hot kadai. Wait until it starts to smoke and turns pale yellow.
4. Fry the dal'er bori until golden. Set aside once completed.
5. Cook the fish in batches for 2 minutes on each side. Set aside once they have turned a light golden color.
6. Fry potol for 4 minutes on medium heat with 2 g salt. Set aside once completed.
7. To the kadai, add 20 g more mustard oil. Season with kaalo jeere and two slit green chilies to taste.
8. Fry the potatoes for 4 minutes on medium heat.
9. When the potatoes are halfway done, add the jhinge. Fry for another 4 minutes, covered, on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
10. Make a paste of cumin powder, turmeric, and the remaining 10 g salt in a small bowl with warm water.
11. Combine the paste with the vegetables. 4 minutes on medium heat, sauté the spices.
12. Add the ginger paste and cook for 2 minutes more before adding 350 ml hot water.
13. When the curry begins to boil, add the fried potol, fish, and dal'er bori. Add two more slit green peppers.
14. Allow everything to bubble for 6 minutes on medium heat.
15. Mix in the atta thoroughly. This will slightly thicken the curry. Turn off the heat and serve immediately.
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