Ilish or Hilsa is not just a fish in Bengal, it’s extremely close to the heart of (almost) every Bengali and no matter how big a hole it makes in our pockets, we can never resist the desire of devouring Hilsa at least once in a year. In Bangladesh (erstwhile East Bengal), Ilish is cooked raw. It is believed that frying or overcooking the fish takes away its essence. So, it is added directly to the gravy or steamed with the spices. This steamed version is popular, takes very little time and ingredients, and yet tastes heavenly when paired with steamed rice.
Here you go.
Ingredients
- Hilsa fish – 2 pieces (washed and cleaned)
- Curd/yogurt – 2-3 tbsp
- Mustard seeds – 2tbsp
- Poppy seeds (posto) – 1tbsp
- Green chilies – 5-6
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric powder – 2tsp
- Sugar – a pinch
- Mustard oil – 2tbsp
Procedure
- Marinate the fish pieces with salt and one teaspoon of turmeric powder. Keep it aside for 10-15 mins.
- Grind the mustard seeds, poppy seeds, and the green chilies together into a fine paste with 1-2 tablespoons of water.
- Marinate the fish with curd, mustard-poppy paste, salt, sugar, turmeric powder, and one tablespoon of mustard oil.
- Keep it aside for half an hour.
- Put the entire thing in a tiffin box. Add two slit green chilies on top. Ensure that the container has a tight lid. Close it tightly.
- Keep a small plat in the bottom of a pressure cooker or any deep-bottomed pan. Add a cup of water, just enough to immerse the plate.
- Place the tiffin box carefully on the plate and close the lid of the pressure cooked or pan. If you’re using a pressure cooker, close the lid after removing the whistle.
- Cook the fish on medium heat for 8-10 minutes.
- Switch off the heat after 10 minutes. Remove the lid of the pressure cooker and allow it to cool down.
- Open the container’s lid and add another tablespoon of mustard oil.
- Serve hot with steamed rice.
The Bong Appetite 