Baishakh is incomplete without a beautiful spread of Bengali dishes calling out to you. Hence, we have for you to enjoy a fantastic feast that you can share and relish with your loved ones.
Photographs by Din M Shibly
Chef Dominic Gomes,
Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel
Ilish Pillau
Ingredients
1 kg basmati rice
2 kg ilish
1 kg potato
100 gm of ghee
100 gm sliced onion
10 gm cinnamon
10 gm cardamom
10 bay leaves
1 cup milk
1 gm saffron
10 gm green chilli powder
50 gm oil
50 gm coriander leaves
Salt for taste
Preparation
Cut the fish in 20 pieces and wash thoroughly with water. Wash the rice and drain the water. Bring sufficient water to boil, along with salt, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and the fish. Take out the fish from the water and keep both the boiled water and fish aside, separately. Heat some oil in a pan and fry the potatoes till they turn slightly golden in colour. Keep the potatoes aside after frying and sauté the onions in the same pan until light brown. Add the boiled water, milk and bring to a boil. Now, add rice and cook for 10 minutes. Add the fried potatoes, boiled fish, chilli and fried onions. Drizzle some saffron and ghee, cover and cook on dum for 1 minute by placing a heated tawa; griddle when done. Garnish with some coriander leaves.
Shorisha Ilish
Ingredients
2 ilish
20 gm mashed mustard seeds
5 gm red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
50 gm sliced onion
20 gm garlic and ginger paste
5 bay leaves
10 green chilli
50 gm oil
50 gm coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Preparation
Cut the fish into fine pieces. Heat oil in a pan and add onions. Sauté till the colour becomes transparent. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric powder and chilli powder with half cup of water; mix and stir for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the mustard seed paste and stir well. Place the pieces of fish one by one, cook both sides and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat for about 10 minutes till the gravy turns thick. Finally, add some green chilli and serve with rice on the side.
Spicy Fish Fry
Ingredients
300 gm fish fillet
10 gm lemon juice
1 tsp red chilli powder
10 gm garlic
10 gm ginger
150 gm cooking oil
2 tsp vinegar
50 gm flour
2 eggs
200 gm breadcrumb
Preparation
Cut the fish fillet in chopped pieces. Marinate the fish in lemon juice and red chilli powder, ginger, garlic paste and salt; keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes. Mix vinegar, flour, pepper and eggs. Toss the marinated fish in the breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the fish till they turn golden brown and crispy.
Fish Kofta Masala
Ingredients
1 kg minced fish
100 gm bread
50 gm coriander leaves
5 gm green chilli
2 tbsp cinnamon
2 eggs
Salt to taste
To prepare the masala you will need
20 gm ginger
20 gm garlic
10 gm turmeric powder
10 gm red chilli powder
200 gm onions
200 ml oil
50 gm fresh tomato
Salt to taste
Preparation
Chop the onions, chilli and coriander leaves. Mince the fish fillet and mix with breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, cinnamon powder and eggs. Add chopped onions, chopped chilli and coriander leaves to it. Mix well and make balls with your hands. Then, deep fry the fish balls. Heat the pan and add oil to sauté the onions till they turn golden brown. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and tomato to make the sauce. Add the fish balls to the sauce and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Add cumin seed powder and coriander leaves. Serve in a bowl with rice and naan.
Fish Salad on Fish Bone
Ingredients
1 kg fish fillet
1 tsp red chilli powder
100 gm chopped onion
100 gm mayonnaise sauce
1 bottle chilli sauce
10 egg yolks
10 black olives lemon juice
Preparation
First take out a fillet out of the fish, and then cook the rest of the fish along with the bone in the oven for 35 minutes. Set the fish bone aside in the fridge and let it cool.
Dice cut the fish fillet into small pieces and boil them in water. Then marinate the fish pieces in lemon juice, pepper and make a salad. Use the egg yolk to make the mayonnaise and mix with the salad and place on top of the fish bone. Garnish with black olives when you’re done.
Posto Chingri
Ingredients
500 gm peeled prawns
50 gm poppy seeds
50 gm sliced onion
20 green chilli
20 gm cumin seeds
20 gm ginger and garlic paste
2 tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
50 gm oil
20 gm ghee
50 gm coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Preparation
Grind poppy seeds and green chilli followed by 2 cups of water to smoothen the paste. In a pan, heat a cup of oil, shallow frying the prawns on both sides and remove from heat. Clean the pan and add ghee. Fry and brown the cumin seeds then add onions and fry till its light brown. Add ginger and garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, poppy seed paste and sauté till the oil separates. Now, add the prawns, salt, a cup of water and sauté for about 6 minutes. Add another cup of water and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. When the oil starts to float on top of the gravy, stir well and remove the pan from heat. Cover the pan and let it sit for 5 minute. Garnish with green chilli coriander leaves and serve with plain steamed rice.