Doi Katla – Carp in yogurt sauce

We Bengalis, are deeply sentimental about our food and culture. Infact we are synonymous with our preferences of fish, rosogolla, Rabindra sangeet and Satyajit Ray. It is not surprising to know that a Bengali will save money for 10 to 11 months to blow all that money away for Durga Puja 😉

I repeat, we are a sentimental lot. 😀 It is said, Food shapes the personality and character of a Bong 😉

This year the Durga Puja passed in a haze of ill -health. Cooking was the last thing on my mind, still I managed to whip up a few things that I and the family likes.

Now being a race of proud and prodigious fish -eaters, there are nth number of ways that one single type of fish can be prepared. The Indian Carp or Katla is a freshwater fish, available in plenty and every kitchen cooks it differently.  Doi Katla or Carp in yogurt sauce, is part of traditional Bengali cuisine, where ‘doi’ aka yogurt is a major ingredient.

This recipe is usually prepared with Katla or Rohu which are more than 2 kilograms in weight, what we Bengalis call ‘paka maach’.

Here’s what I did…………….

INGREDIENTS

6 nos – katla steaks

1/2 cup – onion paste

1 cup – yogurt

1 cup – chopped tomato

1 cup – water

2 tsp – ginger paste

1 tsp – tumeric powder + 1 tsp (for marination)

1 tsp – red chili powder

1/2 tsp – coriander powder

1/2 tsp – cumin powder

1/4 tsp – garam masala

1/4 tsp – cumin seeds

1 tsp – sugar

2 nos – bay leaf

1 nos – green cardamom

1″ stick – cinnamon

mustard oil to shallow fry

salt to taste

METHOD

Clean and rinse the fish steaks. Sprinkle some salt and 1 tsp of tumeric powder and rub it well. Keep aside for 10 -15 mins.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok and fry/cook the chopped tomato on a high flame. Remove from heat once the tomatoes soften. When it cools down, grind it to paste.

Heat oil in a pan, enough to shallow fry the steaks. Fry the steaks till golden brown in color and drain on a kitchen paper.

Check the amount of the remaining oil in the pan. Pour out the extra oil leaving only 3 tbsp oil for further use.

Season the oil with bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon and cumin seeds. Add the onion paste and fry till translucent. Add the ginger paste and fry till fragrant. Add the tomato puree, tumeric, red chili, coriander and cumin powder. Add some salt and 1 tsp sugar. Once the spices become fragrant and start releasing oil, pour in 1 cup water and adjust the salt.

While the curry/gravy/sauce boils, beat the yogurt well. Keep aside.

Let the gravy cook for 3-4 mins and then slide in the fried steaks. Cook for another 2-3 mins till gravy thickens. Pour in the yogurt. Adjust salt. Cook on a medium flame for another 3-4 mins. Sprinkle the garam masala and take the gravy off fire.

Garnish with coriander leaves (optional).

Serve hot with rice.

Happy cooking !! 🙂

Cheers !! 😀